Career exploration is an important and integral part of the college experience.
Your student’s successful transition into a career and ultimate independence may be strengthened with your support of their career investigation. Please feel free to reach out to our highly experienced staff and schedule a remote or on campus visit with the Career Development Center as you explore SUNY Purchase as an option!
At Purchase, students will start exploring their career options through counseling and assessments of their skills and interests. They will make progress through experiential learning opportunities including internships, class projects, service learning, on or off-campus employment, mentorship and participation in campus programs. Our services include:
Career counselors work with students to identify and explore career interests. Self-exploration is the first step as students begin to focus on major and career decision-making. Career Interest Inventories can aid students in this process. Our career counselors work closely with the Academic Advising Center to help students choose academic majors that can start them on their career path.
Skill-building workshops on topics such as resume writing, interviewing, job search strategies, using LinkedIn, networking, and applying to graduate school are also offered. The alumni Mentor Network and professional career panels further expose students to careers. Experiential education activities such as internships, can help students develop skills for the job market and gain experience in specific fields of interest.
Purchase JobScore, lists internships, part-time jobs and full-time jobs with local and national employers. Our annual Job and Internship Fair gives students a chance to meet employers seeking to fill available opportunities and we host an Experiential Learning Fair in the fall. We also curate job search and diversity and inclusion resources to help students with their career search.
Your understanding of your student’s unique talents, interests, abilities and values can empower them to better prepare for and make career decisions, so they can achieve real career satisfaction in the future. You can learn more about our graduates’ Life After Purchase through our Career Outcomes.
We encourage parents to share job or internship leads available at your organization and encourage your employer to participate in our available Employer Services. We look forward to connecting with you!
We also encourage families to donate items to the Career Center Professional Closet. If you are interested in donating gently used clothing, you can have your student drop them off at the Career Development Center (Student Services, 214). Suggested items are: shirts, pants, blazers, dresses, skirts, suits, or other professional and business casual items. Questions? Please email career.development@purchase.edu.
