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Career Services
As liberal arts colleges, Saint Benedict's and Saint John's
emphasize developing flexible, well-rounded individuals with a broad range of skills. Our
graduates gain employment in a wide range of organizations, attend graduate school, and
volunteer full-time. The mission of Career Services is to assist students in translating
their liberal arts education into future opportunities for work, graduate school, and
service, as well as acquiring skills necessary to make life-long career decisions.
Our career development model emphasizes intentional and active
engagement by students throughout their college careers. The model consists of:
1)Exploring Self – examining one’s values, strengths, interests, and abilities;
2)Exploring Majors and Careers – learning about major and career possibilities that
fit one’s values, strengths, interests, and abilities; 3)Gaining Experience –
integrating an honest awareness of self with career possibilities and then testing through
a range of experiences (e.g., internships, jobs, undergraduate research, volunteer work,
clinicals, practicums); 4)Planning for After Graduation – striving for graduate
school, engaging in service opportunities or pursuing employment.
The career staff helps students in their movement toward academic
and career planning beginning their first year. Individual appointments with a career
counselor are available to discuss major and career issues and goals, career tools (e.g.,
resumes, interviewing skills), and strategies and resources. These sessions may also
include the use of self-assessment inventories focused on personal interests, skills, and
values. Career programs and workshops, covering all facets of our career development model
(e.g., “Choosing a Major,” “Fall Initiative – introduce new students
to the career staff and resources,” “Applying to Graduate School,”
“Finding an Internship,” “Interviewing,” are offered throughout the
academic year. The Career Resource Centers and career website (www.csbsju.edu/career/)
contain information about majors and careers, graduate school, volunteerism, organizations
seeking interns, summer workers, and full-time employees, and the development of career
tools (e.g., resumes, letters, interviewing skills, networking, portfolios). The Career
Designs newsletter and Career Planning Guide are just two publications that describe our
career development process and list opportunities related to major and career-decision
making.
The career offices work extensively with our alumnae/alumni. The
Career Exploration Series brings alums to campus to discuss their career experiences and
fields. Other programs (e.g., Mentor for a Day, Major Mixer) connect students to alums
either on or off campus. The career Networking (CANE) files are lists of alumnae/i who
have volunteered to help students with their career-related questions.
Programs are offered through Career Services and the Internship
Office to assist students in gaining experience. The Summer Internship Program (includes
on-campus interviewing for interns), Internship Fair, Summer Jobs and Internship Fair, and
Virtual Internship Fair are just a few examples of programs to help students test-out
their academic experience.
A full range of services are provided by the career offices to
assist students as they intentionally prepare for the transition from college.
Opportunities include: 1)Individual appointments with a career counselor to discuss career
goals and searches; 2)career seminars focused on seeking employment, applying to graduate
school, and volunteer opportunities; 3)On-Campus Interviewing; 4)Job Fairs including
Minnesota’s Private Colleges’ Job Fair, the Minnesota Education Job Fair, The
Tri-College Job Fair, and Virtual Job Fair; 5)graduate school fairs; 6)Volunteer (after
graduation) Fair; 7)On-Line Resume Service; and 8)computerized job listings.
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