Career Development recognizes that first generation students have unique needs and questions relating to navigating their career exploration and planning, or internship and job searches. Career Development is here to support and provide resources to Gusties who are first in their family to attend college. Call (507-933-7575) or stop in to schedule an appointment with a Career Development Specialist.
First Generation
Quick Tips
- Develop Meaningful Relationships. Share your story with others who can be your mentors and support and champion you on your career journey. Building your network and deepening connections will help you learn about careers and give you insigths into your opportunity search. Faculty, advisors, supervisors, and peers can all be great resources. See more below for “Connecting on Campus.”
- Ask Questions. If you don’t know something or don’t know where to start, reach out to family, peers, faculty, staff, and alumni to ask questions. We are all happy to help you on your journey.
- Gain Experience. Our Career Development Specialists are happy to support you as you work to find great opportunities to explore different career ideas. See below for more in “Internship and Job Searching.” The Engaged Learning Fund is available to support students who are in need of funding to complete a career related experience.
- Keep Going! Reflect and remember all of your strengths and the accomplisments you have already achieved. Think about what your next step is and who can help you as you continue to move forward on your journey.
Connecting on campus is crucial in many different ways. First, it’s a way to combat feeling socially isolated or alone and allows for you to build a sense of belonging on campus. Second, it gives you an opportunity to build relationships that can benefit you down the road when you’re looking for internships/job opportunities. Lastly, involvement on campus is a great way to begin building your résumé! Find connections through:
One key to being a top candidate for internship opportunities is to have a strong academic background. Many organizations have a minimum GPA requirement that they look at when accepting interns. Get academic support through:
We offer many resources when it comes to drafting résumés and cover letters. Your Career Development Specialist can also meet with you to edit and review your résumé / cover letter.
Finding an internship can seem daunting at first, but with the help of Career Development we can make the process a little easier! There are many online resources for finding and applying for internships. Your Career Development Specialist is here to help you locate, apply for, and succeed in internships!
All Gustavus students are eligible to apply for The Engaged Learning Fund. Students can apply for funding between $500 – $1,500 to support them through unpaid or underpaid internships. This funding can also be used for travel / lodging related to internships.
Students of Gustavus have access to Big Interview, an online platform that lets you learn and practice your interview skills (both for internships, jobs, or graduate school). The Center for Career Development also offers resources on interviewing, examples of interview questions, and practice interviews. If you’re in need of professional dress for an interview, ThrifyGold hosts events throughout the year focused on discounted professional wardrobes!
Meeting with a Career Development Specialist is a great way to move forward on your career journey, clarify your major or career ideas, learn how to search for opportunities, and articulate your strengths and experiences in application materials or interviews. Here are some examples of questions you could ask in an appointment:
- Can you tell me more about how Career Development helps students?
- I’m not sure that I’m in the right major. Can you help me think about my interests and where they align with major or career ideas?
- Can you help me start a résumé/cover letter/searching for opportunities?
- What are some things (internships/jobs/graduate school programs) that other students have done with my major?
- What can I do to prepare for an internship?
- How can I find opportunities related to my major or career ideas? Who are organizations who typically hire for my major or career ideas?
- What is networking? How do I start networking? How can I find my career champions/build my network/find alumni who are similar to me?
- I have an interview! Can you help me prepare? What will it be like?
- Can you tell me more about Graduate School? Why do people go? Do I need to go? How do I apply?
- What should I be doing as a student to make sure I’m career ready?
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