• Mission Statement
• Overview of Career Services
• The Career Planning Process
• Timeline for Career Success
• FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
• Career Services Programs

Career Services

Since its founding, Skidmore has been committed to developing a close tie between a liberal arts and science education, and career development. Career Services helps students and alumni discover that creative and critical thought, applied to knowledge of self and the labor market, is the key to successful career development.

Individual career counseling facilitates exploration of personal values, interests, skills, and aspirations, which are the building blocks of satisfying work-related decisions. Counselors are also available six times each week (including four evenings) for 20-minute "walk-in" sessions. These brief meetings are an ideal way for students and alumni to maintain contact with professional staff between appointments and get responses to quick questions.

A variety of seminars are offered to teach the developmental skills used in identifying post-graduate employment, summer job or internship opportunities, conducting the necessary research and networking which accompany effective job searches, and applying for graduate or professional school studies. Support materials on topics such as finding a summer job, resume and cover letter writing, interviewing, and using the Internet for effective searches are available online and as handouts.

Electronic and print resources (such as books, directories and periodicals) are available in the Career Services reference center to support the career research efforts of our students and alumni. Our clients are able to conduct online career research and search dozens of online databases for jobs, internships and graduate school information. In addition, the online Career Network, with over 2000 alumni and parent volunteers prepared to help students and alumni explore the world of work and identify appropriate job leads, continues to grow. Clients can run customized lists of Career Advisors to interview and job shadow. Perhaps the most exciting new elements of the Career Services website are our Majors & Career and Graduate School sections.

Career Services administers a sophisticated recruiting program. Our online Recruiting Program is available to seniors and recent graduates. Off-campus interview opportunities and recruiting events are available to seniors through the Boston and New York City Career Days programs. On-campus and off-campus networking programs link alumni with students. These events are useful for both gathering information about potential career fields and identifying job and internship leads.

In addition to subscribing to numerous job-listing newsletters, the office regularly publishes several of its own newsletters to keep the entire student body aware of pertinent opportunities and their deadlines. Students and alumni must register with the office to access the databases, apply for recruiting opportunities, and receive targeted e-mail regarding opportunities that fall within their specific areas of interest.

Michael Profita, Director, and Donna Marino, Associate Director, are happy to talk with students and alumni and encourage early student involvement with the office (it is wise to initiate contact no later than the student's sophomore year). Alison Doyle is Associate Director for Information Technology. Penny Loretto, Assistant Director, supports the employer relations function through extensive internship development and management of the Job Shadow Program, and provides additional counseling especially during peak periods. Shelly Bouchard, Staff Assistant/Recruiting Coordinator supports recruiting, office programming and administration.

The office is conveniently located in Starbuck Center.

Career Services Mission Statement

The Career Services office develops programs and furnishes services to help students make a successful transition from college to career. Students learn to formulate and pursue career goals and attain meaningful employment or gain access to graduate school. Alumni assess their current employment situation and negotiate career and job transitions through their involvement with the office.

Students/Alumni examine their values, interests and skills through dialogue with career counselors in order to establish a basis for selecting career goals. Students explore the relationship between academic majors and careers and gain an appreciation for the skills/values nurtured through a liberal arts education. Clients identify careers for further investigation, conduct detailed research and evaluate the suitability of career options through career counseling and by reviewing the office’s extensive collection of career related literature and websites.

Additionally, students/alumni gather information and gain perspective on career fields and work environments through communication with alumni/parent career volunteers from the Skidmore Career Advisor Network. Clients observe professionals in the workplace and gather further insight regarding work options through job shadowing experiences and networking events.

Students experiment with career possibilities by completing internships locally during the academic year and nationally/internationally during the summer months. Clients develop knowledge of a variety of work environments by completing multiple internships. Students experiment further with skill areas through campus and community leadership and volunteer opportunities as well as through academic research and project oriented courses.

Students/Alumni learn about a range of graduate educational opportunities and the process for effectively applying to these programs. Clients explore the relationship between graduate study and their career goals.

Students/Alumni develop job search strategies tailored to their target industry through consultation with career counselors. Clients participate in recruitment programs including consortium events, campus interviews, resume referrals and virtual career fairs and learn to retrieve job leads from electronic databases.

Students/Alumni develop written and oral communication skills necessary for conducting an effective job search. Electronic webshops and individual advising are offered to convey concepts regarding effective interviewing and resume/cover letter development. Staff conduct mock interviews and critique job search documents.

Revised 07/01/06