Center for Career & Professional Development

The Center for Career & Professional Development encourages you to begin your career/life planning process in your first year of college, continuing over the course of your academic career. However, you can rest assured that it is never too late to start! By working with our staff, you will learn and develop the career and life planning skills to help you be competitive in applying for employment and graduate or professional school.

Discover your strengths, interests, and values using the framework and tools provided by the Center.

Learn about rewarding careers and graduate studies through guided exploration, reflection, and networking.

Gain real-world experience through research, volunteer opportunities, internships, and other Applied Learning Experiences.

Take the next step with confidence toward a career or graduate school knowing that the Center will be here to support you.

The Career & Professional Development Action Plan

Make an appointment or drop by to visit with one of our Career Coaches. We will help you develop a personalized action plan based on your unique strengths and interests, personal goals for employment or graduate/professional education, and expected graduation date to help get you where you want to be.

Stage I: Assess

Visit the Center for Career & Professional Development and meet the Staff in the WCC.
Use PathwayU to discover your interests for education and vocation.
Learn how to search for a Summer Job or Internship Explore classes and topics that excite you
Join co-curricular activities like theater, choir, student assembly, mock trial, student organizations, athletics, and more
Attend Career Fair and meet potential employers
Start your Resume
Activate your Handshake Profile
Attend Career Workshops to learn job search tips and tools
Read the Career Center Listserve Digest sent every day!
Apply for a GO Fellowship, SEPA internship, Scarbrough Research, summer science research, and more as a rising Sophomore.

Stage II: Explore

Learn how to schedule and conduct Informational Interviews
Use PathwayU, to find purpose and meaning in your career
Do a Career Study Off-Campus (CSOC)
Consider a job shadowing externship
Join LinkedIn Alumni Group
Attend Career Fair
Refine your Handshake Profile to upload your resume
Attend Career Workshops
Explore graduate school opportunities through Gateways
Read the Career Center Listserve Digest sent every day!
Apply for an internship or research opportunity such as GO Fellowship, SEPA internship, Scarbrough Research, and more.

Stage III: Apply

Attend Career Workshops
Pursue an internship, summer, or part-time job related to your interests
Research various graduate/professional school options
Explore graduate school opportunities through Gateways
Activate and refresh your Handshake Profile to access Internship and Job postings
Schedule an appointment with the Center to do a video Mock Interview
Consider a Study Abroad, JanTerm travel, or even Alternative Spring Break to expand yourself
Attend Career Fair
Refresh your Handshake Profile with the most current experience
Read the Career Center Listserve Digest sent every day!
Apply for an internship or research opportunity such as GO Fellowship, SEPA internship, Scarbrough Research and more.
Cultivate relationships for future references.

Stage IV: Implement

Attend Career-Focused Workshops
Focus your Resume and Cover Letter
Polish your interviewing skills
Network with professionals in your field of interest
Explore graduate school opportunities through Gateways
Finalize Application to graduate/professional schools
Go to job fairs and interviews
Activate your Handshake Profile to access Internship and Job postings
Read the Career Center Listserve Digest sent every day!

Richard Zhu ’21

Richard majored in Biology and minored in Chemistry, graduating from Austin College in 2021. He is attending the Texas Tech University Health Science Center, School of Medicine, in Lubbock, Texas.

Alyssa Longaker ’21

Alyssa graduated from Austin College in 2021 with a double major in Psychology and Public Health. She is attending the Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, pursuing a Master’s degree in Social Work.

Andrea Selkow ’21

Andrea graduated from Austin College in 2021 with a major in Biochemistry and a minor in Spanish. She attends Colorado State University in Ft. Collins, Colorado, working towards a Ph.D. in Chemistry.

Ashley Campos ’21

Ashley majored in Psychology and minored in English, graduating from Austin College in 2021. She now attends Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas, pursuing a Master of Arts degree in Psychological Research.

Emily Aller ’21

Emily graduated from Austin College in 2021 with a double major in Biology and Anthropology. She attends the University of Texas Health Science Center, Long School of Medicine, in San Antonio, Texas.

Jake Tidwell ’21

Jake graduated from Austin College in 2021 with a major in Media Studies and a minor in English. He attends the University College in London, England, pursuing a Master’s degree in Film Studies.

Krista Rodriguez ’21

Krista majored in Political Economy and Finance and minored in Spanish, graduating from Austin College in 2021. She is pursuing dual Master’s degrees in Accounting and Business Analytics at the University of Texas in Dallas at the Naveen Jindal School of Management.

Lindsey Patterson ’21

Lindsey graduated from Austin College in 2021 with a major in Political Science and a minor in Global Science, Technology and Society. She is attending Medical Sales College.

Reagan Chiaverini ’21

Reagan double-majored in Public Health and Environmental Studies, graduating from Austin College in 2021. She attends the Colorado School of Public Health in Aurora, Colorado.

Sarah Stilwell ’21

Sarah graduated from Austin College in 2021 with a major in English with an emphasis in Creative Writing and minors in Art and History. She is serving an internship at the Houston Museum of Natural Science.

Regan Wilkins ’21

Regan graduated from Austin College in 2021 with a major in Business Administration and a minor in Exercise and Sport Studies. He attends the Dedman School of Law at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.

Nancy Pineda Gama ’21

Nancy majored in Environmental Studied and minored in Biology, graduating from Austin College in 2021. She was the program coordinator for Vogel Alcove during the Summer of 2021 and started an internship with Girls Inc. in Dallas, Texas in the Fall of 2021.

Sumeya Yassin ’21

Sumeya graduated from Austin College in 2021 with a major in Business Finance and Economics and a minor in Accounting. She is enrolled in the Master’s of Accounting Program at Rice University in Houston, Texas.

Mandy Eckhardt ’21

Mandy majored in Biology with an emphasis on Molecular and Cellular Biology and minored in Chemistry. She attends the University of Texas, Southwestern Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.