Students Start Here

Meet with a Career Advisor

Career Exploration and Development services include:

Review Resume
Review Cover Letter
Exploring interests, skills, values and lifestyle preferences as part of choosing a career and major
Job Search Strategies
Internship or Shadowing Search
Mock Interview or Interview Preparation
LinkedIn, Networking, or Elevator Pitch
Focus 2 Debrief
Graduate School Prep

...and anything else career related!

In KSU Navigate, under “What type of appointment would you like to schedule?" click “Career Advising”, then under “Service” click whatever service you need.

All current students and recent alumni (graduated within the past two years) can schedule in the KSU Navigate app or by clicking the button below. Alumni who graduated before 2023 and wish to meet with Career Exploration and Development should schedule their appointments via the alumni button below.

Employment Prep and Career Resources

Get ready for life after college with tools designed just for you. From résumé and cover letter help to interview prep, job and internship search support, and networking opportunities, these resources help you explore careers and feel confident pursuing the opportunities you want—now and after graduation.

�� Career Academy

The �� Career Academy is a free, online resource designed to help you build the skills and confidence you need to take the next step in your career journey.
- Created just for �� students, the Career Academy lets you explore short, self-paced courses focused on all things career prep — from building your resume and practicing interviews to networking, personal branding, and more.
- Learn more and enroll in the Career Academy here

Job, Internship Search and Career Resources

Find Co-ops, Internships, On-Campus Student Employment, and Professional Jobs

Use the links below to find positions in Handshake.

U.S. Department of Labor Websites

- Learn about occupations including responsibilities, salaries, education required, and employment outlook
- Explore careers, salary and benefits, training required, and employment seeker services by state
- Quick search tool for Ohio employment data and more
- Learn about growing fields in the state of Ohio

State and Federal Jobs

- USAJOBS is the official, centralized website of the United States government for listing federal civil service job opportunities. Operated by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), it allows job seekers to search, apply for, and track applications for positions across hundreds of federal agencies worldwide.
-OhioMeansJobs is a public-private partnership and comprehensive job-matching website that connects Ohio job seekers with employers. It provides free services including job search tools, resume building, skill assessments, training programs, and assistance for veterans.

Get Started with Handshake-career network and job search platform

Find Jobs, Internships, and other Opportunities on Handshake

�� uses a job search platform called for the posting and application of all on-campus positions. Handshake is also the #1 place where students find jobs, internships and other opportunities, such as �� career-related events, career fairs and more. Completing your Handshake profile increases your chances of getting noticed by employers. After enrolling at ��, students automatically receive a Handshake account and can log in with their Kent.edu username and password.

If you select to unsubscribe from the Handshake email list, please note that it is an absolute unsubscribe, meaning that you will no longer receive any email notifications regarding career events, fairs, jobs, and internships postings.

Why should I fill out my Handshake profile?

Filling out your profile is important! It's a snapshot of information about you that can be shared with potential employers and peers. Handshake considers a profile complete when you include:

At least one work experience
At least one extracurricular activity or student organization
At least one skill

You can add each of those manually or upload your resume (in .pdf format) to fill out your profile. Handshake will import your content, then all you have to do is review, approve, and publish.

Additional Handshake Resources to Assist You

GoinGlobal

Country-specific career and employment info regarding:
- Job search resources
- Work permit/visa regulations
- County-specific resume/CV guides
- Interview and cultural advice
- Employment outlook/industry trends
- H1B employers searchable by visa applications to companies
- Over 40 country career guides and city guides for USA & Canada
- Worldwide professional job/internship listings

Professional Headshots

Headshots are professional images taken from mid-chest upwards of a person who is wearing business casual or business professional attire. We recommend all students have a professional headshot to post on their Handshake and LinkedIn profiles. Please note that we do not offer headshots during the summer term.

How to schedule:

Career Exploration and Development offers professional headshot photography appointments every week, and appointments for current students can be made on .

In KSU Navigate, under “What type of appointment would you like to schedule?" click “Career Advising”, then under “Service” click “Headshots”.

What to expect from your appointment:

Headshots are located in the Center for Undergraduate Excellence (CUE), Suite 109. Borrow professional attire for your headshot or take a few pieces home! TIP: Wear dark or bright colors to stand out against the white backdrop. Any student arriving more than five minutes late will be asked to reschedule. Headshot appointments will take approximately 5-10 minutes to complete. Depending on availability, you should receive your edited photo in 1-2 weeks following your appointment. This service is free for all current students and �� alumni. If you need it sooner, please contact career@kent.edu with your request!

�� Career Closet-Free Professional Attire

The �� Career Closet is your go-to place on campus for FREE professional attire!

Where is the Career Closet?

We are currently located in the Center for Undergraduate Excellence (CUE) and in the Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship (Crawford Hall, Suite 202)

Who can access the Career Closet?

Access is available to all �� students, staff and faculty.

How to Donate to the Career Closet?

Currently, we are not accepting donations.

When can I access the career closet?

Career Exploration and Development location hours: Monday - Friday 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship location hours: 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Internship Funding Opportunities

Unpaid Internship Awards (Fall, Spring, Summer)

Requirements/Eligibility:

Qualifications:

Demonstrate financial need, based on EFC and FAFSA
Participating in an UNPAID internship during the current term(s)
Enrolled in an Experiential Learning course (defined as a course number ending in 92) during the current term(s)
Undergraduate; Kent Campus students only

Students must submit the following documents with their application:

Resume
Offer Letter or equivalent documentation from your employer communicating your hire information including that the position is unpaid.

Applications Open

Fall – September 15 – October 15
- Awards distributed early November
Spring – February 15 – March 15
- Awards distributed early April
Summer – June 15 – July 15
- Awards distributed early August

Students may receive one award per term; awards are capped at $1000. After review of financial aid, some applicants may be asked to submit a cost of attendance adjustment form if it is determined that applying the award will impact your current financial aid package.

Summer Internship Relocation Award

Requirements/eligibility:

Must be participating in an internship experience that requires that you relocate outside of �� or your home. Our office defines relocating as establishing temporary residence outside of your home or dorm for the purposes of participating in an experience that would not be possible or reasonable without moving. Examples include: Living/renting out of state, international based internships, or commutes over an hour in distance while living at home.
Rising SO, JR, or SR (Kent Campus – UG) participating in a departmentally approved internship (must be earning credit in summer or subsequent fall term)
Demonstrated financial need – requires a FAFSA and submission of budget
Resume
Offer letter from employer/intern site including start and end date and wage/rate of pay (if applicable)
Submission of budget including:
1. Travel costs (bus, train, mileage by car, etc.)
2. Housing costs (rent and/or leasing information)
3. Other living costs (meals, groceries, daily commute)

Cooperative Education (co-op) Program: Obtain professional work experience while still in college

Cooperative Education (co-op) is a program which allows students to obtain professional work experience while still in college. It is a unique opportunity for students to apply their academic preparation to "real world" settings and situations. Co-op programs provide students the opportunity to combine classroom study with periods of paid professional employment directly related to a student's major and career goals.

Benefits of Participating FAQ

Criteria for Participation

Students must have one semester as a degree-seeking student at �� prior to the first co-op rotation.
Students must be enrolled as a half-or-full-time student (minimum 6 credit hours) in the semester prior to enrollment in the cooperative education program.
Students must have earned a minimum 2.0 overall GPA at the time of their co-op application.
Students must have no holds on their student record from any source (financial, academic, conduct).
Students must have received a completed grade and have resolved any outstanding non-completed grades for previous co-op rotations.
There is no credit given for co-ops. However, the name of the organization will be displayed on transcript noting it was a co-op.
Students are not permitted to start a co-op experience beyond the fourth week of the semester.
International students must receive work authorization prior to enrolling in each co-op rotation.
University College will assess all applicants holistically, considering their academic progress, related experience, academic and extracurricular activities, among others, to evaluate students' likelihood of success in the program.
Students must work 30-40 hours a week.
Cooperative education position must directly relate to student's major or concentration
Students must list the physical location's address where they will be working on the co-op application. For example, if there is a company headquarters, and the student is working at a branch rather than list the headquarters address, list the actual location of the branch the student will be located and working.

Cost

$500 Cooperative Education fee, plus one-hour equivalent of the KSU general fee ($73.70). Once registered, these fees will be assessed to your student account. You may pay your bill online at using a credit card, checking, or savings account. Fee can be waived for eligible students.

Non-credit card payments can be made at the Bursar’s Office or any of the KSU regional campuses. Payments by mail should be sent to ��, Bursar’s Office, PO Box 5190, Kent, Ohio 44242.

While on a cooperative education experience, students maintain full-time student status with the ability to access university services/resources (housing, health center, PARTA, library, campus event tickets, etc.), eligibility for loan deferment and insurance. Membership at the Recreation Center can be had for a reduced cost of $55 for the semester.

Financial Aid Eligibility

Students participating in a cooperative education program do not earn credit hours during the semester away. As a result, students are not eligible to receive federal or state grants, student loans, or institutional scholarships. However, students will be reported to their federal loan services as enrolled full-time, allowing for student loans to remain in the in-school deferment status and therefore not enter repayment.

Registration

Students must complete the .

Contact

Contact Career Exploration and Development at 330-672-2360 or career@kent.edu with any questions.

In Summary

Over 60% of all students participating in cooperative education and internships are offered full-time positions before graduation.
The cooperative/internship education experience leaves students with a sense of accomplishment and personal satisfaction.
Students have a clearer and more specific sense of their career objectives than students in traditional college programs.

Explore Majors and Careers

Not sure what major fits your goals—or what you can do with it? This section helps you explore majors and degrees at ��, discover career options connected to each major, and use tools like FOCUS 2 interactive assessments to match your interests with potential careers. You’ll also find support for graduate school exploration and graduate assistantship opportunities.

What Can I Do with this Major?

Check out to see what careers can match your major.
- Use this collection of information sheets on hundreds of academic majors to see outlines of common career areas, typical employers, and strategies designed to maximize career opportunities.
- (You might notice a few documents that are not ��-specific; this is a best-in-class resource from the University of Tennessee (UT).)
Explore majors and degrees at ��:

FOCUS 2-interactive assessments to match students with potential careers

Create an account in FOCUS 2 to begin uncovering and investigating career and major options today. You will be asked questions related to things already familiar to you such as your personality, life preferences, and more. After just 30-40 minutes, you will be provided a customized list of possible career aspirations. A deeper understanding of yourself will give you the confidence you need to make more informed decisions about your education at ��. This service is for current �� students only.

For free access to Focus 2, follow the directions below:

For first time users, who are currently enrolled students, to gain your free access code.
Once you have your free access code, go to the , and click on “Register”
New users fill out the requested information during the registration process and click CONTINUE
Returning users, log in with your username and password and then click CONTINUE

Suggested Assessments

Once you are logged in, begin by taking the Career Planning Readiness and Academic Strengths assessments.
Then take the Personality, Work Interests, Skills and Values assessments
Be sure to read the results of your Combined Assessments
Click on the list of matched careers and begin researching the most current information on industries

Get feedback on your results

Process the results with a .
- Follow the prompts to schedule your appointment. You will be asked to choose a category. Pick the area of work you are interested in or select "Exploratory" if you are undecided/exploring, and then select service "Focus 2 debrief"
Questions? Call 330-672-8370.

Graduation College Prep and Grad Assistantships

Since the decision to attend graduate school requires careful planning, start early and take advantage of our many resources.

Evaluating Applying Essays

Learn more about �� Graduate Studies

Why Consider Graduate School?

While in some fields an advanced degree is required to enter your chosen profession, or will increase your marketability, in others additional work experience is more relevant. Since graduate school is self-directed in nature, students who are self-motivated and have clear goals will more likely be successful in completing a graduate program.

Can you commit to a career field?

Are you interested in attending graduate school but are unable to select a specific field or degree program? You will want to spend some time clarifying your interests before completing your undergraduate program. Meet with a career advisor, talk with faculty members, and consider an internship in your field of interest. You may also want to consider gaining a year or two of work experience to help focus your goals.

Should I consider applying for a Graduate Assistantship?

Many graduate programs offer one of three types of graduate assistantships: administrative, teaching or research. These competitive awards typically provide compensation in the form of a full tuition waiver in addition to a monthly stipend for 10-20 hours of work per week. Students should first inquire through their academic program regarding the availability of assistantships. Learn more about Graduate Assistantships at �� by clicking the button below.

�� Graduate Assistantship Guide

Is graduate study worth the investment?

Investigate the employment outlook for your field of interest and talk with professionals and current graduate students about the benefits and potential drawbacks of that path.

Can you live the student lifestyle?

A full-time Master's degree will typically take two years to complete, while Ph.D. and some professional degrees require three or more years. Part time enrollment will require additional time and may even be discouraged in some programs. During this time period you will focus intensely on your academic subjects and typically forfeit a competitive salary, workday routine and leisure time.

Can you manage the financial commitment?

Ultimately you will need to decide if graduate school is of value and worth the investment. Before making that decision, you should investigate potential funding sources including fellowships or scholarships awarded by outside organizations. Institution-based aid most frequently takes the form of a graduate/teaching assistantship which expects part-time employment in exchange for a stipend and tuition reimbursement.

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