Several times a year I ask a student to write a blog post about a relevant topic. I asked our co-op student, Rachel Mroz, who is a senior – about to finish up her coursework – to write a post about the job search. Whether you are a student about to graduate or already in the workforce and starting to look for a new position, her approach and tactics are spot on!

Best,

Anne Converse Willkomm
Associate Dean, Graduate College
Associate Teaching Professor, Dept. of Communication, College of Arts & Sciences

As a senior, I feel that Drexel has prepared me to succeed in the post-graduation world. When Anne asked me to write a blog post, I considered the steps that I have been taking to prepare myself for a career after graduation. This included attending Drexel’s Steinbright Career Development Center’s (SCDC) events and resume review sessions, making connections with professors and mentors, refining my skills to add to my resume, and finally updating my resume to be the best it can be! These resources are not only helpful for undergraduate students, but also for graduate students preparing for graduation as well!

One of the most useful resources I’ve found as a Drexel student is the SCDC. Throughout my undergraduate career, I have utilized tips from their career counselors, workshops and abundant professional development opportunities to shape my resume, LinkedIn, Handshake, and to prepare myself for interviews. Steinbright’s resources are extremely helpful for any student (or alumni!) seeking professional development and career-related advice. Even if you just began your academic career at Drexel, Steinbright has plenty of resources for you to get a head start!

Steinbright Offerings:

• Weekly Graduate Drop-In Resume Review Sessions at the Graduate College with Steinbright’s Career Counselor, Ken Bohrer
• Graduate Student Workshops on Resume Development, Interviewing Techniques, Selecting Your Career Path and more!
• Undergraduate Resume Review Sessions
• Senior Series Workshops for Graduating Seniors
• Undergraduate & Graduate Career Fairs
• Practice Interviews
• General career counseling and assessments
• Pre-health and pre-law advising
• Job-search tools, including Handshake and Dragon Network through Alumni Relations

Learn more about Drexel’s Steinbright Career Development Center’s upcoming events.

Another step that I have been taking to prepare myself for graduation is making as many connections with my professors and mentors as possible. I have made these connections by attending office hours, attending activities outside of class like co-curricular workshops and presentations, or even just participating more actively in class! Over the past four years at Drexel, I have found my professors in my courses extremely helpful and always willing to connect with students to discuss opportunities outside of class and are usually willing to write recommendation letters for students they get to know better. You never know who you’ll meet and what a connection might be able to offer you.

As a Drexel student, co-ops and internships allow us to begin refining our skills much earlier than most college students. Before I began my third and last co-op with the Graduate College, I reviewed my resume and thought about specific skills that I would like to learn or improve to add to my resume. After I identified these skills, I worked with my supervisor to integrate these skills and learning opportunities into my work during my co-op.

Finally, as I prepare to begin my job search, I will be updating my resume. A skill that I will be utilizing that I learned when I was applying for co-ops from Drexel’s Steinbright Career Development Center was to shape my resume to fit the job I was looking for and to highlight specific skills and experiences that employers would find the most useful. It is also important to have a second (or third or fourth) set of eyes on your resume to catch any mistakes.

Regardless of where you are on your academic journey at Drexel, professional development is a skill you can always improve and build on. Thankfully, Drexel provides students with plenty of resources to guide you through every step of the process. You will surely get out what you put into the experience.

Rachel Mroz '24 
Communications & Events Co-op
Drexel Graduate College
Political Science Major
College of Arts and Sciences