PURSUE YOUR TALENTS, PREPARE YOUR PATH
The Kevin S. and Sandra E. Delbridge Career Center is dedicated to supporting you through your career planning and preparation process. Working towards your future goals may seem daunting, but your Career Coach can help keep you focused and on track for career success—throughout your undergraduate education and beyond. Make an appointment with your Career Coach today.
Freshman Year: EXPLORE
Gather information about yourself to help make decisions about careers and direction.
- Meet with your Career Coach to begin your college-level résumé.
- Complete TypeFocus to determine your strengths, interests, and values.
- Create your profile in Handshake and upload your résumé.
- Explore careers associated with major and/or interests.
- View the Career Event list and attend at least one event this year.
- Join/participate in something you like.
Sophomore Year: EDUCATE
Conduct research on careers, industries, and organizations.
- Meet with your Career Coach to explore potential industries, internships, and careers.
- Participate in Sophomore Career Connections or connect with an upperclassman/mentor to learn about academics and plans.
- Attend a professional skills workshop, career fair, or company information session to learn about future options.
- Prepare for the summer job search by researching different internships/experiential opportunities, updating your résumé, creating a cover letter, and applying for summer internships.
- Take a more active role in co-curricular activity.
- Create a LinkedIn Profile, have it reviewed by a Career Coach in the Delbridge Career Center.
Junior Year: APPLY
Take advantage of all that Western New England University has to offer in the classroom through research and projects as well as, outside through internships, and applied experience.
- Meet with your Career Coach to explore specific careers, industries, and companies through Handshake. Conduct an informational interview with an alumni or employer partner.
- Research graduate/professional schools, degrees, and timelines.
- Participate in career workshops and practice your interview skills through a mock interview.
- Update your professional LinkedIn profile, have it reviewed by the Delbridge Career Center.
- Attend a Career and Internship Fair, employer information session, or career panel.
- Apply for and secure an internship related to your field or one that will provide you the building blocks.
Senior Year: IMPLEMENT
This is the beginning of your next step, applying what you have learned in and out of the classroom and putting your career strategy into place.
- Meet with your Career Coach to strategize your jobs and/or graduate programs applications.
- Practice your interviewing skills through an in-person mock interview
- Reconnect with your networking contacts and continue to make new connections.
- Attend career fairs, apply to jobs in Handshake and other job boards, connect with alumni in your field of interest, let your personal and professional network know you are job searching and what your career interest are.
The Career Center will help you on every step of your career journey, from choice of major to career planning and preparation. In addition to your Career Coach, the resources below will help you to explore options, determine what path will best suit your goals and abilities, and help you prepare for application into your desired field.
The TypeFocus Personality, Interests, and Values Assessment will help you identify how your own personal traits and strengths can best complement certain career paths.
This resource will help you connect majors to careers. Learn about typical career areas and types of employers as well as strategies to make you marketable.
Detailed descriptions of the world of work. Type in a job title under Occupation Quick Search and learn the knowledge, skills, abilities, content and activities of that position. Also included is professional associations, wage and employment trends, and related occupations.
Sponsored by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, search occupations by groups, education, pay, training, growth rate, or title. Gain detailed information on all aspects of the position or industry to help guide your decision making.
View career videos of industry professionals sharing their job descriptions, backgrounds, and helpful advice to prepare for the position or industry.
Whether you are pursuing a job or internship, or simply want to have your materials ready for future opportunities, the Career Center can help you craft professional and focused résumés and cover letters. When you make a résumé review appointment, bring a list of work experience and extracurricular activities as well as a description of the tasks performed at each area of employment, and your Career Coach will show you how to turn that list into a professional and engaging document.
Whether you would like to work with an organization in the Springfield area during the academic year, or intern at a hometown company, the Delbridge Career Center will guide you through the application and interview process. Once you secure an internship, you will continue to work with the Career Center to complete required paperwork to receive academic credit for the experience.
- Academic Internship Guidelines
- Log in to Handshake to view for credit internships as well as not for credit internships.
- Make an appointment to discuss options with your Career Coach.
When you are ready to start looking for a post-graduation job, the Career Center can provide you with job search techniques and resources, cover letter and résumé reviews, mock interviews, professional attire advice, and connections to alumni and employers.
Make sure you connect with the:
Kevin S. and Sandra E. Delbridge Career Center LinkedIn Page
Western New England University Alumni LinkedIn Page
Did you land your first job or acceptance to graduate school? We collect this data so future Golden Bears can see where our graduates go.
Please email careercenter@wne.edu with the details.
Furthering your education in graduate school is a valuable investment in your career. The Career Center can provide help in all areas of graduate admissions from writing personal statements, researching graduate programs, and preparing for standardized testing and admission requirements. The process for preparing for graduate school should start before senior year. The timeline below offers a breakdown of objectives leading up to grad school. This suggested timeline is for students planning to attend graduate school immediately after earning a bachelor’s degree and can be easily adapted for those planning a gap-year.