Nine Career Resources for College Students at St. John’s University

At St. John’s University, students can start exploring careers, building professional skills, gaining experience, and connecting with industry professionals well before graduation.

Here are nine career-building resources and opportunities St. John’s students can use to start preparing for life after college.

1. Forage: Explore a Career. 

What if you could get a better idea of what a career is actually like before applying for an internship or your first job?

Through Forage, St. John’s students can explore virtual job simulations based on the types of projects and tasks professionals complete in different industries. Experiences are available in areas such as consulting, data analytics, investment banking, public policy, and more.

These simulations give you a chance to try something new, learn about an industry, and develop practical skills you can discuss with future employers.

2. Big Interview: Practice Before the Real Interview.

Interviewing can feel intimidating, especially when you’re sitting across from an employer for the first time. 

With the digital tool, Big Interview, St. John’s students can practice answering common interview questions, record their responses, and review their performance using a video-based platform. Try it before an internship interview, career fair, or your first job interview to get more comfortable talking about your experiences and strengths.

The more you practice, the easier it can become to walk into an interview feeling prepared rather than wondering what you’re going to say.

3. Focus 2: Get Help Figuring out What Comes Next.

Not sure what you want to do after graduation?

Focus 2 is a career and education planning tool that helps students explore their interests, skills, values, majors, and potential career paths. Think of it as a starting point for asking yourself questions such as the following: What am I good at? What do I enjoy? What kinds of careers might connect with my interests?

You don’t need to have all the answers before taking a career assessment. Sometimes, knowing what you don’t want can be just as helpful as discovering what you do.

Related Blog:  How to Choose a College Major

4. Venture & Innovation Center: Turn an Idea into an Opportunity.

Career preparation can look different for everyone. For some students, it might mean preparing for a traditional internship or job. For others, it might mean creating something of their own.

St. John’s Venture & Innovation Center (VIC) gives students opportunities to explore entrepreneurship, innovation, and business development. Students can develop ideas, participate in entrepreneurship programming, and connect with resources that can help turn an idea into action.

You don’t need to arrive at St. John’s with a business plan. If you’re simply curious about entrepreneurship, VIC can be a place to start exploring and developing skills in problem solving, creativity, leadership, and innovation.

5. Parker Dewey: Gain Experience Through Micro-Internships.

An internship can be a great way to gain experience, but a traditional semester-long internship isn’t the only way to start building your résumé. Through Parker Dewey, St. John’s students can find paid Micro-Internships, which are short-term, professional assignments with organizations and employers. These projects give students opportunities to gain real-world experience, explore different types of work, and build professional skills while balancing their academic responsibilities.

6. Career Communities: Find Your Direction.

Career planning can feel overwhelming when you’re not sure where to begin. St. John’s Career Communities can help make that process more manageable by organizing career exploration around different industries and areas of interest.

Career Communities include

• Accounting and Finance
• Data, Technology, and Analytics
• Education, Psychology, and Counseling
• Government, Law & Social Impact
• Management, Operations, and Consulting
• Marketing, Sports, Media, and Entertainment
• Risk Management and Actuarial Science
• Science and Health Care

Students can follow communities that align with their interests and discover relevant events, networking opportunities, resources, and career information. Your interests don’t have to stay in one category, either. Exploring different communities can help you discover careers you may not have considered before.

7. Aspire Mentor Program: Learn from St. John’s Alumni.

Sometimes the best career advice comes from someone who has already been where you are.

Through the Aspire Mentor Program, eligible St. John’s students can be paired with alumni mentors who can provide guidance and insight as they explore their professional goals. A mentor can offer a perspective you won’t necessarily get from a textbook or classroom. You can ask questions about their career journey, learn more about an industry, build your professional network, and get advice as you prepare for your own next steps.

Having someone to turn to with questions about careers, internships, networking, or life after college can make an unfamiliar professional world feel a little more approachable.

8. Career Treks and Events: Take Your Career Exploration Beyond Campus.

Career exploration doesn’t have to happen behind a computer screen.

Through Career Treks, employer events, career fairs, and other networking opportunities, St. John’s students can interact directly with employers and professionals. These experiences give students the chance to ask questions, learn more about different industries, make professional connections, and get a better sense of what employers are looking for.

For students at a university in New York City, these experiences can also provide opportunities to connect what you’re learning in the classroom with the professional world around you.

9. Individualized Career Services: Get Guidance Along the Way.

Not every career question can be answered with a career assessment or online resource. Sometimes, you just need to talk through your options with someone who can help you figure out what comes next.

Through St. John’s career services, students can access individualized support as they explore career paths, search for internships and jobs, prepare application materials, practice for interviews, and work toward their professional goals.

Whether you’re choosing between career paths, looking for your first internship, or preparing for life after graduation, meeting with a career adviser can help you turn questions about your future into an action plan.

Start Building Your Career at St. John’s University. 

You don’t need to have your entire career mapped out when you arrive at St. John’s. College is a time to explore, try new things, develop your strengths, and discover what interests you.

There isn’t one right way to prepare for your future career. The goal is to keep exploring and take advantage of opportunities that help you move forward.