A Strong Start
Career and Professional Development programs allow Tartan alumni to help CMU students enter their professional lives with confidence
By Amanda S.F. Hartle
Think back to your last days at CMU.
You probably were nervous about leaving campus — changing your daily life and tackling the workplace as well as your future career.
Imagine the impact that a CMU graduate serving as a mentor and sharing their advice and professional experiences would’ve had on your job search and career path.
“We have all benefited from someone who offered guidance to us,” says Kevin Monahan, associate dean for career and professional development at Carnegie Mellon’s Career and Professional Development Center (CPDC).
“You can help the next generation of CMU students enter their professional lives with more confidence by sharing strategies for how to handle a difficult situation, providing ways that you’ve solved a problem, or giving sage advice concerning an interview or career move. You can even offer a job lead or an introduction to an executive.”
As Carnegie Mellon’s centralized career center, the CPDC empowers students and alumni to reach their full potential in today’s challenging and evolving workforce through career exploration, professional development and networking programs.
Graduating students’ career opportunities have been significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the CMU community is helping these future alumni redirect their effects through CPDC programs. You can participate in several ways:
Share Internships, Employment Opportunities and Real-World Experiences
Recruit top CMU talent at a safe social distance through online job postings, virtual career fairs and digital partnership opportunities. We’ve pulled together some easy ways to get started:
- Set up an account in Handshake, CMU’s job board, to post jobs, request interview schedules, manage applicants and more.
- Promote your company during one of our many virtual events and job fairs or reach out to set up phone or video interviews.
- Connect one-on-one with students and share your professional knowledge.
- Become a Career Partner and invest in the professional development of CMU students.
Check out the CMU Recruiting Guide for a full picture of opportunities and contact Jeff Jeffries, director of employer relations at the CPDC, more information.
Provide 1:1 Career Advice
Support students through Tartan Talks, an informational interview program that pairs alumni and students for 30-minute phone or video calls. Currently, the program is geared toward graduating students who wish to connect one-on-one with CMU alumni and gain insight about a job, career field or company culture.
In the future, you can welcome CMU students into your company for a one-day, real-world shadowing experience as part of the Take a Tartan to Work program. On-site visits occur during the academic year at the winter and spring breaks.
Make a difference in the life of a CMU student through these programs by contacting Pati Kravetz, associate director for experiential learning and student employment at the CPDC.
Participate on a Virtual Industry-Focused Panel
Give graduating students insight into real-life work environments by joining a virtual industry-focused panel in May. The panels create an opportunity for small groups of students to connect with alumni in their field of interest during 30-minute Zoom meetings.
Panel topics include asset management and financial services, software, technology, medicine, writing and photography, law and many others. Sessions are slated for Tuesdays at the convenience of the alumni panelists.
Sign up to serve on a remote panel — all fields and industries welcome — by contacting Tim Leonard, CMU’s director of alumni relations.
Support Summer Internships for Students
Help CMU students achieve a high-impact summer experience through the Summer Internship Experience Fund. This year, students and employers are partnering to accommodate remote work positions to continue to provide opportunities that help our students explore careers and reach their academic goals.
This fund supports grants for those who may not have the resources to pursue a low-paying or unpaid internship. Contribute to the fund to create and enhance learning opportunities for all students.
