The Catholic University of America

  

Alumni Services

A Message to Upcoming Graduates and Alumni

Our office is open to alumni both online and in-person. Assistance can include:

  • Up to 4 appointments with a counselor (per year) consisting of:

- Resume and cover letter critiques
- Job search coaching and graduate school application process
- Access to our career assessments and interpretation of results by a counselor

  • Access to Cardinal Connection job and internship postings and alumni network
  • Career Fairs
  • Employer Information Sessions

Services and Resources

Full-Time Employment Opportunities

  • Opportunities are posted on Cardinal Connection. Individuals with disabilities may find www.business-disability.com helpful. Other sources of job listings can be found on the Career Services' website. The Fall and Spring Career Fairs and the Engineering Career Fair are other valuable sources of employment opportunities.

Credential File Service: Interfolio

  • Simplifies and speeds up process of getting references written and sent to graduate and professional schools or employers. The writer returns the completed letter to Interfolio, where it is stored in your personal file. Upon your request, the letters are photocopied and mailed to the places you designate. To set up a file, you need only to visit the Interfolio website.
  • Since reference letters can take upwards of 1-2 months to be completed, it is recommended that those intending to begin graduate studies in the fall establish a file during the previous fall (i.e., the fall of your senior year), preferably before Thanksgiving.
  • For complete information contact the Career Services Office.

Career Counseling

  • Discussing or formulating career plans, exploring possible career interests. This entails an examination of your values, aspirations, experiences, strengths and needs. Often career counseling is combined with materials from the career resource library and discussions with CUA alumni. This can include information regarding career outcomes of recently graduated undergraduate classes. Our counselors also assist alumni with career change decisions and procedures. Career Services provides further interesting reading about career exploration and decision-making. This can include information regarding career outcomes of recently graduated undergraduate classes. Our counselors also assist alumni with career change decisions and procedures. Career Services provides further interesting reading about career exploration and decision-making.

Job Searching

Resume Critique

  • Reviewing resume drafts for content, message, format, and appearance. Usually this entails a discussion of your career goals and qualifications, and how these are represented in the document. In times of quick need, resumes may be dropped off for a counselor's review and picked up with comments in two business days.
  • Career Services provides written guidance on resume writing.

Cover Letter Critique

  • Schedule an individual appointment to discuss strategies of effectively presenting your candidacy through letters. It includes a critique of letter drafts and discussions of how to improve the documents. It can also include application letters, thank-you's, acceptance or refusal of positions.
  • Career Services provides instructions on writing cover letters and other employer correspondence.

Interview Preparation / Mock Interviews

  • Practice interviews that simulate the real interview, followed by a critique by the counselor. To form the basis of the interview, you provide a resume and job description twenty-four hours before your scheduled appointment. We also will meet with you to discuss any specific concerns or questions you have about interviewing.
  • Written instructions on successful interviewing (general overview and behavioral interviewing) are also available.

Graduate School Decision-Making