Center for Career Development
Appointments Offered
[As career-related events approach, you may experience longer than normal appointment wait times. Please utilize our online Toolkit for immediate access to services.]
Career Advising/Planning
Confused about your major? Not sure what career you want to pursue? Thinking about changing careers? We are here to help you explore your options and make good decisions about your future plans. We also offer career assessments you and your career specialist may use as part of the career exploration process.
Graduate/Professional School Application Process
Should you go to grad school? What's the right program? Should you go right away or work in your field first? We'll help you figure out the answers with your specific career goals and circumstances in mind.
Preparing for Grad School-Standardized tests, grades, research experience, work experience, letters of recommendation... a lot can go into grad school preparation. We can help you identify those steps and create a timeline.
Application Documents-Some graduate programs may require a resume; some may require a curriculum vitae (CV). Most require some sort of personal statement or application essay. While it's important to also work with a professor in your discipline on these, we can help you get started.
Internship Search
We can help you determine what type of internship or other experiential learning opportunities will fit your needs, get ideas about places to look for these experiences, and guide you through the process of applying for internships or creating your own.
Interview Preparation/Mock Interview
No one is naturally good at interviewing - it's a learned skill that takes a lot of practice. We can conduct a simulated interview with you, and if you want, we can even record it so you can review your own performance. We can talk you through what to expect, the types of questions you may encounter, and how to prepare. We can discuss how to talk about your experiences in an interview, how to answer different types of questions or help you work out answers to questions you're concerned about.
Job Search
There's much more to your search than looking for jobs online. We can teach you about the best ways to find job opportunities, help you create your job search plan, develop a networking strategy, and coach you on how to connect with employers.
LinkedIn Profile Development
LinkedIn provides amazing tools to help with many steps of the job search process. We can help you build your profile, review your current profile, or show you how to use all the features of LinkedIn in your search.
Resume and/or Cover Letter Review*
Resume-To be effective, a resume must be targeted to the job you're applying for. We can help you learn how to do this, as well as figure out what to include, how to organize your information, and how to talk about your experiences.
Cover Letter-We can help you learn strategies for effective cover letters, brainstorm your content for a particular letter, or give you feedback on a letter you've already written.
*You must upload your resume and/or cover letter in Handshake prior to your scheduled appointment. For assistance developing your documents, visit our resume resource page.
Salary/Offer Negotiation
Salary negotiation is an important way to increase your salary earnings when getting a new job, promotion, or performance review. Though most companies are willing to negotiate salaries, most employees never try. Meet with a Career Specialist to gain the confidence, knowledge, and skills needed to negotiate your next salary and benefits.
*MSU Alumni need an alumni email address to gain access to Handshake to schedule an appointment.
