Internship Handbook

Resume Purpose Handbook

Resume Writing Worksheet

Cover Letter Handbook

Illinois Small College Placement Association

The Career Development Office at Benedictine University at Springfield offers services that are aimed at assisting students and alumni with preparing for future goals through exploration and the defining of personal and professional objectives. Our mission is to empower students and alumni to be active in taking charge of their career development.

We do this by offering services ranging from career assessments and career counseling, resume assistance, and help finding internships.

Stop by The Career Development Office in Dawson Hall Room 101, email us at springcareer@ben.edu or call us at 217-525-1420 Ext. 3212

Student/Alumni Services

Internships

The Career Development Office assists students with applying for internships. Students may receive academic credit for participating in an internship. Policies regarding internships can be found in the internship handbook.  Internship Handbook

Internships provide students with a practical work experience in the field they hope to enter upon graduation. Internships provide experience and many employers are looking for both education and experience when hiring. An internship experience allows students an opportunity to apply the knowledge, theories and skills acquired through their education. 

The Career Development Office offers resume writing and cover letter assistance to all students and alumni.  Career Development Staff can assist in making recommendations to completed resume materials or assist in the overall creation. This service is free and available to all students and alumni.

Career Exploration

The Career Development Office assists students in discovering their skills and interests an important thing to possess when selecting a major. A variety of tools and inventories are available free of charge to students and alumni. Students can also receive information on majors at Benedictine University at Springfield.

Job Search Resources

The Career Development Office can assist students and alumni in finding job postings in their area of interest. Whether a student is in need of a seasonal position or full time employment, Career Services Staff can provide direction in the job search process.

Illinois Small College Placement Association – The ISCPA website is your connection to potential employers. Post your resume, search for jobs, and learn about upcoming career fairs.

Job Posting Bulletin Boards – On campus are two areas where jobs, fairs, and internships may be posted for students and alumni to check out. One is located outside of The Career Development Office and the second is located near the entrance of The Resource Center.

Graduate and Professional School Preparation

The Career Development Office assists students interested in pursuing graduate and professional degrees.  Career Development staff has access to a variety of programs and testing information.

Prometric – Comprehensive Testing and Assessment Services

GMAT – Graduation Management Assessment Test

GRE – Graduate Record Examination

LSAT – Law School Admission Test

MCAT – Medical College Admission Test

PCAT – Pharmacy College Admission Test

4-Year Career Development Plan

Every goal should involve a plan and have a strategy to be achieved. Your career goals are no different and we recommend using the following as a guide for each year in your plan to being where you want to be upon graduating.

Freshman Year: Explore

·         Start identifying your gifts, interests, abilities and values. This can be done by meeting with The Career Development Office and utilizing the assessment tools that are available. This also helps in deciding on a major if you have not done so already.

·         Get off to a solid start academically. Work at maintaining a high GPA, many employers and graduate schools usually require at least a 3.0.

·         Get involved in student activities, organizations, athletics, and volunteer opportunities. This will help you add to your resume, develop new skills, and develop connections.

Second Year: Decide

·         Narrow your choices of majors and begin selecting the appropriate courses when registering for classes.

·         Relate your gifts, interests, abilities, and values to potential career choices.

·         Begin working on creating a resume

·         Find employment during the summer or year that is related to your major

Third Year: Experience

·         Seek an internship. Internships are a great way to build your network of contacts and gain experience (many employers want experience to go along with the education).

·         Maintain a strong GPA, especially now that you are in your major

·         Seek to gain leadership in the activities you are involved in

·         Begin figuring out the type of work setting you prefer

·         Start looking into graduate school programs that interest you

Fourth Year: Launching

·         Update your resume to reflect the skills and abilities you have developed

·         Start networking with professionals in your field

·         If attending graduate school plan to apply by the fall of your senior year

·         Identify and begin applying to jobs don’t wait until summer.

Employer Services

Employers

Post a position, seek students to hire, and offer internships.

The Career Development Office at Benedictine University at Springfield provides job search assistance to students and alumni seeking full-time, part-time, and internship positions. Career Development is committed to the principles of equal employment opportunity: therefore, students are referred without discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, age, or national origin. We also expect employers to subscribe to this policy and will not provide referrals based on discriminating criteria.

Job Postings

Post an opening by sending a position description to springcareer@ben.edu, employers can also post openings to the Illinois Small College Placement Association (ISCPA) Virtual Career Center. Students and alumni from the 25 ISCPA member schools can view and apply to positions through the site.

ISCPA Resume Book

To view ISCPA Resume Books, employers must be offering internships and/or full-time, salaried positions requiring the minimum of a bachelor’s degree. Through the ISCPA’s Online Career Center employers can search an extensive database of resumes of students from the 25 member Illinois College and University Consortium. Once approved, employers may begin searching the resume database 24/7.

Internships

Internships provide students practical work experience that helps students bridge the gap between the classroom and the workplace. Internships allow students the opportunity to apply the knowledge, theories, and concepts they have learned in the classroom. Internships encourage students to develop professional skills and provide valuable experience to their career development.

Internship Goals

·         Encourage the development and maturation of the student promoting awareness and skills necessary to be successful post-graduation.

·         Exposing students to the realities of the employer-employee relationship and helping prepare students for post-graduate experiences in regards to the workplace.

·         Complementing the academic component of development through exposure to new topics in a non-classroom environment.

Role of the Employer

As an internship supervisor, Benedictine University at Springfield asks that the organization:

·         Assure safe, healthy working conditions.

·         Contribute to the completion of the Learning Contract, outlining the goals and objectives of the student’s internship experience.

·         Recognize the uniqueness of each student and provide appropriate supervised experiences.

·         Provide feedback to the student regarding performance through the completion of a final evaluation process.

·         Meet with the student and the Internship Coordinator if termination of the internship is necessary.

Internship Postings

Employers seeking to participate in the Internship Program should:

·         Post an internship position by contacting The Career Development Office at: springcareer@ben.edu.

·         Employers can also post internships to the Illinois Small College Placement Association at: www.ISCPA.Org