Students & Alumni

Through the Student Employee Enrichment (SEE) Program at Rutgers, Maksims Kurjanovics Kravcenko has turned his on-campus jobs into opportunities to build essential career-readiness skills like leadership, communication, and critical thinking. With support from mentors and a focus on reflection and growth, he’s used these experiences to prepare for a future leadership role in the FinTech sector.

On January 30, 2025, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) announced that William (Wil) Jones, the executive director of Career Exploration and Success, was elected to serve as a member of the 2025-26 NACE Board of Directors.

The Office of Career Exploration and Success celebrated Dr. Francine Conway, Rutgers—New Brunswick Chancellor, as the recipient of the Richard L. Edwards Outstanding Career Advocate Award during the 25 Years of FIGS (First-Year Interest Group Seminars) celebration. Named after the inaugural Chancellor of Rutgers—New Brunswick, Dr. Richard L. Edwards, the award recognizes individuals who significantly advance student career readiness. Dr. Conway, only the second recipient of the award since its creation in 2017, was honored for her transformative contributions to career development and her commitment to embedding “world readiness” into institutional strategies.

On July 16, 2024, the HireBig10+ Career Consortium recognized Susan Bennett, associate director of first-year career engagement, with the Outstanding Career Services Professional of the Year Award.

The first interview is a key exchange of information between the employer and the applicant. Learn more about our interview success strategies to ensure you are a standout candidate.

Two of the biggest decisions you will face at Rutgers are deciding what to study and what to do once you graduate. These are important decisions that require thoughtful consideration. Some students identify their choice of major and/or career early on, while others need more time to explore and research various options.

Personal branding helps you identify and communicate your unique strengths to differentiate yourself from your peers and stand out in a competitive job market.

Some job scams are easy to spot while others appear legitimate. So how do you know who to trust? You can start with these basic guidelines to avoid a potential scam.

Identifying and declaring a major is not required prior to building experience and building your resume. Employers seek students with skills, not necessarily a specific major.

This November, William Jones, Executive Director of the Office of Career Exploration and Success (CES) announced the appointments of Jennifer Broyles and Michelle Galando to unit director roles.

It’s important to learn and feel comfortable with the hiring culture and practices in the U.S. and how they differ from your home country.

HireBig10+ Career Consortium Acknowledges CES Staff Member as the 2023 Outstanding Career Services Supervisor

Paul Robeson Cultural Center Recognizes Airelle Smith as 2023 Campus Partner of the Year

Career Exploration and Success Staff Member is the Recipient of the 2023 Dr. Zaneta Rago-Craft Award 

The New Jersey Career Center Consortium (NJC3) selected Kaitlyn Zullo Weiss, Associate Director, Strategic Outreach, as the New Jersey Career Center Consortium (NJC3) 2023 Practitioner of the Year. Anjelica Solomon, High Impact Programs (RTIP) Student Assistant, was selected as the New Jersey Career Center Consortium (NJC3) Student Intern of the Year. 

Unsure if your internship or co-op qualifies for credit? Want to learn more about how to make your experience learning-focused?

Two department employees were awarded HireBig10+ Career Consortium Outstanding Career Services Professionals of the Year.

When reviewing multiple job/internship offers, it can be challenging to determine which offer is best suited for you – based on your unique values and preferences.

During the inauguration of Jonathan Scott Holloway on Friday, November 5, Holloway announced the creation of the new Rutgers Summer Service Initiative.

Read responses to frequently asked questions (FAQ’s) from our student population. Meet with a Career Advisor or share your experience or individual question here.

Accomplishment statements create a more powerful resume. They highlight achievements, quantify results, and show impact.

You have decided that you’re ready to begin your job search – great! Now you’re ready to explore effective strategies for finding a part- or full-time job. Below are some helpful materials to guide your job search journey: 

Are you interested in applying to graduate school? Consider these factors when choosing a graduate school.

Making an impact in your internship or first full-time position requires understanding and following work-place etiquette.

A behavioral interview focuses on past experiences to assess how a candidate had handled specific situations and utilized skills relevant to the position. Based on the premise that the best way to predict future behavior is by past behavior, this style of interviewing is common.

While many of the tips and strategies for conducting an internship and job search presented in Chapter 4 are relevant for all job and internship seekers, international students may face some additional challenges.

For graduate school applications, Career Exploration and Success has prepared this three-step worksheet and guidelines. 

Many employers conduct interviews by telephone or by video conferencing. People often feel more nervous and awkward in these types of interviews, but there are some tips that will help you succeed in these interviews.

Browse through these tips proven to effectively groom your resume. Utilize keywords, use accomplishment statements, and integrate the P.A.R. Approach.

How can you possibly choose among all these options at Rutgers to craft your own amazing college experience? More importantly, what do you want out of life after Rutgers? If you’re wondering how to weave together what fits, what is doable, and what will truly be meaningful, design thinking can help.

Networking is building and maintaining mutually beneficial relationships to develop career prospects, whether it is in-person, online, or both. It is one of the most important attributes of career success.

Social and career networking sites are critical tools for job/internship seekers and employers. Today it is imperative that you boost your social networking skills and the amount of time you spend on online networks.

Graduate students are often uncertain whether a resume or curriculum vitae (CV) is most appropriate for their needs. In some cases, both may be necessary, depending upon your professional objective.

Preparing for the internship and job search is a process that begins early in your college career. Use this section as a resource for building and promoting your experience. Here’s how to get started

Decision-making is the process of identifying alternatives and making a selection based on your unique, individual preferences. Career decisions are among the most challenging you will ever make throughout your life, especially during college.

Exploring careers from a professional’s first-hand perspective is a valuable way to learn if a particular career is an option for you. Informational interviews are often underutilized opportunities to hear “real talk” about careers and to possibly expand your professional network.

Starting with the self-assessment process can give you more choices and increase your confidence that you are on the right career path. 

Learn about careers by engaging in discussions with family, friends, faculty, and fellow students and through the following resources.

Review the following resume samples, organized by career interests, for assistance with developing your next resume.

Your resume is a marketing tool representing a very special product: you! It is a succinct outline of your knowledge, skills, abilities, experience, and accomplishments relevant to your employment goals. 

Knowledge is power in a negotiation.  It's important to know your worth but it is even more important to know what potential counter-offer is realistic (based on your education, experience, and other factors). 

Finding career satisfaction is more complex than simply identifying a major and an occupation. Have you wondered what is the “right” major for you, or if what you’re studying will lead to a satisfying career? Is the career you have in mind going to be fulfilling?

Whether you are following up after a career fair or applying for an internship/job, your correspondence with employers creates an impression and illustrates your communication skills.

Evaluating a job offer is more than just taking the job with the best salary.  There are many factors to consider which will help inform your decision. Here are some key factors to consider in the process:

Based on feedback from our employer organizations and our experience we want to provide you with a few pieces of advice for approaching a career and internship fair. Remember, our staff is here to help you!

As you assess who you are and what you have to offer, it’s important to remember that there are several essential skills or “competencies” that most employers find highly desirabl

Your resume is a marketing tool representing a very special product: you! It is a succinct outline of your knowledge, skills, abilities, experience, and accomplishments relevant to your employment goals.

Find these helpful resources and more to help guide your career success.

Career Interest Communities are broad groups of careers that share common features, skill sets, interests, abilities, and activities.

The definitions of “business casual” and “professional” vary by industry and organization as well as position.  Be sure to check for the dress code where you will work.  In general, professional attire starts with a neutral color suit in a solid or very subtle stripe pattern.

Prepare for these questions prior to the interview and practice your responses. You may find it helpful to jot down key points that you want to emphasize. If you can answer each of these questions clearly, concisely, and confidently, you are well on your way to interview success!

When writing your resume, use the power verbs below to begin each of your bulleted statements. Use present tense verbs for current positions and past tense verbs for previous positions.

An elevator pitch is a brief 30 to 60 second summary of your relevant background that you can use when you are networking, attending a career fair, and during interviews.

If your goals are clear and financial resources are available, consider studying for a master’s or doctoral degree shortly after graduation.