Career Services, located in the Student Union, aids in jobs, internships and career guidance to undergraduates, graduates, students in the professional and continuing studies program; and all alumni.

“Career Services offers individual career counseling in person, over zoom and through email, we are able to assist with every step of the process for finding an internship or job including resume writing, interview preparation and salary negotiations,” Assistant Director of Career Services Cynthia Smith said in an email interview. 

Career Services offers a wide range of services to fit each individual’s needs, including general career counseling, graduate school guidance and finding jobs and internships. Career Services also hosts a variety of in-person and online workshops to assist students, such as the Career and Intern Expo on Wednesday, March 8, 2023 on the Spine. 

“The must-attend event is every March, our big Career and Intern Expo that draws over 100 plus employers, and usually draws hundreds of students and alumni. We do raffles, and that is where a student will come to look for their summer internship and also where they would go if they were looking for a job,” Cindy Lewis, executive director of Career Services, said. 

This fall, Career Services is hosting a graduate school fair, which will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 5, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the flagpoles. 

“That would be good for students thinking about going to grad school, even if you are a freshman; go by the tables, get some swag, put your name down on the list, and let the grad schools reach out to you and do all the work,” Lewis said. 

Career Services has a mentorship program, which matches current students with a Cal Lutheran alumni mentor, and allows them to work with each other for five hours a month. They also offer the “4A Cause” internship program, where students work with a nonprofit organization in the area. The “4A Cause” internship is only offered in the fall and is currently taking applications for 2023, no resume or cover letter is required.

Career Services also works with international students on campus to help with the process of obtaining proper documentation to work in the United States. 

“I would say–if we are looking at populations–international students is actually a sizable population we work with, especially when it comes to things like helping look for work or applying for Social Security cards,” said Edward Kang, senior coordinator of Student Employment and career counselor. 

Lewis suggests that students meet with a career counselor at least once a year to stay on track with goals, or take advantage of programs offered. He also suggests that students do one or two internships throughout their time at Cal Lutheran. 

Career Services can also assist alumni after graduation, and, according to Kang, every spring break Career Services calls recent graduates to see what they are doing a year post-graduation. 

“We reach out so we know that they know we are here to help if they are looking for work or if they haven’t found anything. We want to see what we can do,” Kang said. 

Career Services aids alumni with any career management issues they might face during their time in the workforce, including salary negotiations. 

“Let’s say you graduated a few years [ago] and you are out in the workforce and you are having a situation with your supervisor or you are going in for a performance review, you can call our office at any time and ask for any counselor that’s free and we can help you,” Lewis said. 

All alumni services are free for life. 

To make appointments with Career Services, visit the website and follow their Instagram @CLUCareer to make connections with students and alumni of Cal Lutheran.