Student Resources
Students participating in WCU's Career Fair
WCU's Center for Career & Professional Development has been named a 2021-2022 Career Development College of Distinction recipient for our work integrating career exploration into the curriculum, providing accessible services, having highly trained staff, providing career four-year career plans to students, and cultivating employer and corporate partnerships.
Welcome to the Center for Career and Professional Development at Western Carolina University! We are here to help you find potential resources, gain skills, and plan your future career path. Please see below for some potential places to start. Remember you can always reach out to us at 828.227.7133, careerservices@wcu.edu, or by visiting us at our office in the Reid Building Room 150. We are on the backside of the building, and our entrance faces the small, metered parking lot (Lot 30).
Get lost? You can now GPS the Center for Career and Professional Development using your favorite GPS app! Or, give us a call at 828.227.7133.
What Can We Help You With Today?
Major & Career Exploration
Don't wait until you are ready to graduate to explore the types of careers WCU's majors will prepare you for. Use your time in school to test out different fields, jobs, and career paths to find what fits best with your skills, abilities, and interests.
- Learn about the potential career paths for each major by checking out our Major Maps.
- Current students can complete our interactive Canvas modules on Major Exploration or Career Exploration.
- Check out our Career Studio Worksheets, including an interactive worksheet on Exploring Majors and Minors at WCU.
- Try using our Career Guide to complete activities to learn about your own interests and values.
- Our Focus 2 assessment will help match you to potential majors and careers (access code: Catamount).
- Check out the individual major pages for options at Western Carolina University.
- Explore professional associations and career opportunities for specific majors.
- Incoming undeclared freshman students can participate in our Whee Explore program.
- Try a mentoring/shadowing experience like the Next AVL program.
- Book an appointment with the CCPD or Advising Center for one-on-one help choosing a major.
- Change or declare a major at the Advising Center.
- Attend our workshops and events to learn more about this topic!
- Check out our YouTube page for recorded webinars and workshops.
DegreePlus
DegreePlus is designed to give you opportunities to get involved in extracurricular activities that can provide the transferable skills you need to reach your goals for employment, graduate school, professional school, and other post-graduate plans.
- Check out the DegreePlus program to help prepare yourself for the workplace and graduate school.
- Watch our YouTube video about DegreePlus.
- Get involved by attending DegreePlus Events!
- Are you a remote, Biltmore park, or just plain busy student? Try out the DegreePlus Digital program!
- Utilize our Career Guide to learn how to incorporate DegreePlus into your resume and cover letter.
- Book an appointment or visit our Career Studio if you have questions about the DegreePlus program.
- Many of our CCPD workshops and events are tagged as DegreePlus events.
- Check out our YouTube page for recorded workshops that may count for DegreePlus points.
Career Building Experiences
Participation in career building experiences can help you to gain hands-on experience and make you a competitive candidate for future opportunities. It is important to supplement your academic learning with these types of activities.
- Internships are an excellent way to gain work experience in your future field or industry.
- On-campus part-time jobs provide you with transferrable skills that are useful in future careers.
- People who volunteer share several positive personality traits that employers and graduate schools like to see!
- A study abroad experience can develop global competency and give a great story to tell in your interviews.
- Undergraduate Research allows you to gain research skills and dive deeply into a topic.
- Check out a list of resources for searching for opportunities.
- A competitive National or International Award will provide funding and help expand your network.
- Book an appointment or visit our Career Studio for help identifying more opportunities.
- Attend our workshops and events to learn more about this topic!
- Check out our YouTube page for recorded webinars and workshops.
Internships
Internships are one of the best ways to obtain real-world experience and skills. Often these opportunities can lead to full-time job offers and will increase the likelihood of securing a job by graduation and receiving a higher salary.
The presence of job and internship announcements provided through our JobCat system does not indicate an endorsement or recommendation from WCU or the CCPD. Students should remain vigilant to fraudulent postings and use discretion when applying (see our handout below for common red flags). If you see any posting that may be fraudulent or discriminatory on JobCat please call CCPD at 828.227.7133.
- Use this guide to identifying fraudulent internship postings.
- Many departments offer internship credit, if you need an elective it is a great way to fill that requirement!
- Check out our Internship Best Practices Guide to help determine what kind of internship to participate in.
- Make sure to check out our Career Guide to prepare for your internship search.
- Utilize our Internship Opportunities Tracker to help keep your internship or job search organized.
- Start by utilizing WCU's job/internship posting system Job Cat for local and national opportunities.
- Check out our list of resources to search for internships or remote opportunities.
- Use LinkedIn to search for an internship.
- Full internship too much of a commitment? Consider a short-term project based experience for pay!
- Our Career Building Experiences and internship alternatives handout have additional suggestions.
- Participate in a program like the Capitol Hill Program or SECU Public Fellows Internship Program.
- Book an appointment or visit our Career Studio for one-on-one help.
- Attend our workshops and events to learn more about this topic!
- Check out our YouTube page for recorded webinars and workshops on various topics.
Resumes & Cover Letters
Often, the most important step toward securing your first job is a professional resume and effective cover letter that showcases what you can add to the organization where you hope to work. Don't underestimate the importance of a carefully written and professionally presented package.
- Career Guide - Our 'go-to' information to get started and perfect your materials!
- Editable word versions of our resumes included in the Career Guide.
- Resume Example 1 (as seen on page 48 of the Career Guide)
- Resume Example 2 (as seen on page 42 of the Career Guide)
- Resume Example 3 (as seen on page 43 of the Career Guide)
- Resume Example 4 (as seen on page 47 of the Career Guide)
- Resume Example 5 (as seen on page 45 of the Career Guide)
- Resume Example 6 (as seen on page 44 of the Career Guide)
- Resume Example 7 (as seen on page 46 of the Career Guide)
- Resume Example 8 (as seen on page 49 of the Career Guide)
NOTE: The samples above are just that -- samples. Feel free to use any style of resume and tweak the content to fit your needs. For example, if the sample style you like the best doesn't have a section for internships, then you'll need to add in a section for internships. Case in point: Download any of these samples and make them your own!)
- Get instant feedback using ResumeAI in BigInterview!
- Current students can complete our interactive Canvas module on resumes and cover letters.
- Active duty military students and military veterans can check out Military One Source or OneStop Careers for assistance in translating military terminology onto a civilian resume.
- Students applying for federal positions should use the Resume Builder on USAJobs.gov.
- Resume video curriculum through Big Interview, register for an account with your WCU email address.
- Book an appointment or visit our Career Studio for one-on-one help.
- Check out the Career Studio Worksheets on basic and advanced resume techniques.
- Attend our workshops and events to learn more about this topic!
- Check out our YouTube page for recorded webinars and workshops on various topics.
Interviewing
After impressing your future employer with your resume, you'll need effective interviewing skills. We highly recommend participating with us in mock interviews or using our Big Interview system to practice prior to a job or internship interview.
- Utilize Big Interview to practice your interview skills and learn about salary negotiation.
- Make sure to utilize our Career Guide to learn about how to interview and professional dress.
- Book an appointment or visit our Career Studio for one-on-one help.
- Check out the Career Studio worksheet on interview preparation.
- Attend our workshops and events to learn more about this topic!
- Check out our YouTube page for recorded webinars and workshops that may help.
Job Searching
Use this link If you are interested in on-campus job searching.
Job search strategies should be multifaceted and tailored to each individual student's goals. We help students identify the variety of job search tools and resources that will help them achieve their next steps.
The presence of job and internship announcements provided through our JobCat system does not indicate an endorsement or recommendation from WCU or the CCPD. Students should remain vigilant to fraudulent job postings and use discretion when applying (see our handout below for common red flags). If you see any posting that may be fraudulent or discriminatory on JobCat please call CCPD at 828.227.7133.
- Use this guide to identifying fraudulent job postings.
- Current students can complete our interactive Canvas module on job search strategies.
- Utilize our Career Guide to learn about job searching, networking, and building a 30-second commercial.
- Have well-written application materials and participate in DegreePlus and career building experiences.
- Start by utilizing WCU's job/internship posting system Job Cat for local and national opportunities.
- Check out our list of resources for job searching or finding remote opportunities.
- Try using Buzzfile's list of employers in North Carolina.
- NC Tower provides information on NC graduates employment rates, wages, and graduate data.
- We also have career resources that are dedicated to specific identity groups.
- Learn how to network, it is the single best way to find a job opportunity.
- Stay organized during the job search process with this Job Searching Excel Spreadsheet.
- Book an appointment or visit our Career Studio for one-on-one help.
- Check out the Career Studio worksheets on job search strategies and the job search checklist.
- Attend our workshops and events to learn more about this topic!
- Check out our YouTube page for recorded webinars and workshops.
Graduate School
Choosing to further your education is an important step in broadening career options. For some, a graduate-level degree is a requirement in their field of study; for others, a graduate degree will make them more marketable and competitive in today’s ever-changing world of work.
- Our Career Guide will help you learn about grad school and how to write a CV or personal statement.
- Download CCPD's Graduate School Tracker Excel spreadsheet to keep yourself organized while choosing schools of interest.
- Big Interview has med school, law school, and other grad school interview tips and practice.
- Visit Western Carolina University's website to learn more about applying to graduate school at WCU!
- Book an appointment or visit our Career Studio for one-on-one help.
- Check out the Career Studio worksheet on preparing your personal statement.
- Attend our workshops and events to learn more about this topic!
- Check out our YouTube page for recorded webinars and workshops.
Upcoming Events
Career Resources
Contact Us
Cullowhee, NC 28723
Office hours: Mon-Fri, 8am-5pm
828.227.7133
careerservices@wcu.edu
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