Career Exploration
Career Exploration: Wondering where to begin?
What do you want to be when you graduate? Rest assured that most Wellesley students are unsure about their career paths and even those that feel certain often do — and should! — change their course. When beginning your career journey, it can be tempting to imagine that it will be one straight line. However, as countless alumnae will tell you, that’s not the way it works — and that’s a good thing! As the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports, the average worker will have 12-15 jobs in 5-7 different career fields in her lifetime.
We are here to help you navigate your personal career path. Every student is matched with a Advisor for Career Exploration (ACE), who will give you the mentorship, tools, connections, and space for self-assessment and reflection to identify the paths you want to pursue — grounded in a sense of your own values, strengths and interests. Make an appointment with your ACE in Handshake to begin!
Career Essentials: Resumes, Cover Letters, Interviews, & More!
Through the Career Essentials workshop series, you will develop skills and the foundational knowledge necessary to navigate career development. Learn about resumes, cover letters, interviewing, informational interviewing, negotiation, and personal statements.
A Video Series to Help You
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We’re here to demystify your first steps as you enter the world of work! Through this video series, we’ll help you assess the values, skills, and interests you are bringing to your career journey, and consider who is on your personal advisory board.
Career Exploration Resources
Along with the video series above, the following resources will can help you along your career exploration journey. These resources will be helpful as you attend career fairs, conduct research, identify members of your personal advisory board, and schedule informational interviews or job shadow opportunities.
And remember — your ACE is here to support you along the way! Your Mentor will help you assess your values, skills, and interests, in order to identify a path forward. Schedule an appointment with your ACE in Handshake to get started!
Exploring through Study Abroad
Studying abroad can offer career benefits in addition to academic benefits, by supporting career readiness competencies such as global/intercultural fluency, critical thinking/problem solving, professionalism/work ethic, teamwork, and communications skills. Whether you are thinking about studying abroad, or wondering how to leverage and maximize your study abroad experience, these resources will help.
Booking a Professional Headshot (Guidelines for Student Sign-Ups)
Tess Mattern, Career Education's Director of Marketing and Operations, is available to take headshots for students by appointment.
Alumnae Resume Guidelines
Your resume is generally a one-page document that clearly presents your current and past experiences and accomplishments so that your reader can understand the unique value that you bring to the table. As you begin to draft your resume, this resource will provide guidelines to consider.
Booking a Room for a Virtual Interview (Guidelines for Student Sign-Ups)
Career Education has private interview rooms available for students to book for upcoming virtual interviews with employers.
CV (curriculum vitae) Guidelines
Your CV or curriculum vitae is similar to your resume. It clearly represents your current and past experiences and accomplishments so that your reader can understand the unique value that you bring to a job/internship/academic program. A few important differences to keep in mind about your CV are outlined in this document, along with helpful tips for format and content.
How to Write Effective Resume Bullets
Writing resume bullets is often the most challenging aspect of writing a resume. Yes, settling on the best design and format and determining the most relevant experiences to highlight on your resume can take time; however, effectively describing your experience is the most important task. In many ways, this is because your bullets provide the majority of the content and context for your resume, and it is the content of a resume (i.e. the resume bullets) that will distinguish an average resume from a competitive one.