Get Field Experience

There are various ways to gain professional experience while at Elmira. Whether it be by completing an internship in a specific field of interest and familiarizing yourself with the industry, making connections and enhancing skills during your community engagement, or taking on a leadership role in one of our student clubs and organizations, the Office of Career Services is here to support you in attaining experiences aligned with your career goals.

 

Types Of Experiences

 
first year experience community volunteers at Eldridge Park

Community Engagement Is A Professional Experience

Community engagement provides learning opportunities, instills civic responsibility, immerses students in the local area, and helps strengthen the community of Elmira. All full-time students at Elmira College must complete 60 hours of community engagement in a local non-profit service organization. This general education requirement must be completed within two years of enrolling at Elmira College and take place within 50 miles of the campus. The Office of Career Services oversees this program with established guidelines and procedures that you'll need to follow as you complete your community engagement. We provide consultation, guidance, and support as needed throughout any aspect of your community engagement.

 
Two students meet with a recruiter at a job fair

Career-related Internships

Elmira College students annually complete over 12,000 hours of internship experience.

All full-time Elmira College students are expected to participate in a Career-Related Internship with an organization that aligns with their career goals. The Office of Career Services oversees the Internship program and we are happy to provide students support and assistance in finding an organization that suits their needs. Internships are started once a student’s Community Engagement hours are completed. We strongly encourage exceeding the minimum requirement, as well as completing multiple internships.

The experiential learning gained through internships develops and enhances the skills that will be necessary for entry-level positions and beyond. Some pre-professional programs have internships built into the curriculum, such as clinical hours with the nursing program and student teaching hours with the education program.

 
Students present during the Student Research Conference

Pre-graduate Internships

For students planning to go to graduate school directly after completing their degree, the Pre-Graduate School Internship is an alternative to the Career-Related Internship. This program allows students to work with an Elmira College faculty member to prepare for the academic responsibilities of graduate school. Students will be responsible for designing, with the help of your supervisor, and completing a project aligned with graduate school goals. This experience should be treated as graduate-level work, as it will be evaluated on the same level.

 
Elmira College students visit the New York Stock Exchange

Explore Your Career Options

As you start to consider career options best suited for your skills, interests, and personality, interest inventories are a great place to start. We provide you access to resources to help explore different career options. Once you've reviewed the career inventories, schedule an appointment with us and we can coach you about what you learned and what next steps you can take.

  • 16 Personalities 16 Personalities provides a comprehensive overview of your personality type including descriptions of strengths and weaknesses, career paths, workplace habits, and relationship qualities.
  • Career One Stop Links and assessments to find out more information on potential career paths based on your interests and skills.
  • Career Values Survey A hard copy inventory that will help you think through your career values or preferences.
  • Focus2 Career Assesses your involvement in the career planning process and introduces you to activities that support decision-making in your education and future career.
  • Hue Are You Determine the "true color" that reflects your personality and work style.
  • MyPlan Designed to help you explore options and provide clarity and insight into the decision-making process.
  • O*Net Interest Profiler Helps you identify your work-related interests, focus on career search activities, and enables you to link your career interests to O*NET occupations.
  • What Can I Do With a Major In...? Find a major of interest and search through potential career paths with that major.
 
A career counselor helps a visitor in the Career Closet
The Career Closet has a variety of professional items

Look Your Best With Our Career Closet

The Career Closet can help you obtain the professional clothing you need to impress at a job fair, interview, or internship. Let the Office of Career Services help you put together an outfit with shoes and accessories, all while teaching you how to build an affordable, professional wardrobe. And the clothes are yours to keep. 

The Career Closet welcomes donations of clothing. To donate, email Career Services at eccareers@elmira.edu or call (607) 735-1830. You can also support the Career Closet with a monetary donation by visiting www.elmira.edu/give, selecting “Other - See Designation Below,” and specifying “Career Closet.”

 

Advance Your Education

The decision to attend graduate school is an important one. We can help you decide if it’s right for you and, if so, start the process of preparing for your next step. Career Services provides online research tools as well as valuable information about graduate school exams.

The decision to attend graduate school is a very important one; one that takes time, planning, and forward-thinking. Starting the process early will give you time to think about what you want to do, allow you to consider all possible options, and maximize your efforts in preparing your application materials. Research programs in your field of interest to provide you with a better understanding of what is offered.

Researching Graduate Schools

Graduate Admittance Exam Information

 

Market Yourself

Get useful tools and tips for boosting your professional profile and marketing yourself to employers.

A student is pictured in the finance trading room

Resume Writing

A resume serves as an employer's first impression of you. On average, a recruiter spends 10 seconds, or even less, reading a resume. A resume doesn't get you the job, however; the resume gets you the interview. It's important to impress the reader by highlighting your relevant qualifications and experiences…and doing so quickly. Utilize the Office of Career Services to help you create, update, and finalize your resume – and to help you stand out from the competition. Having trouble getting started? Use our Resume Worksheet, available on MyEC, to help you start the brainstorming process!

Cover Letter Writing

Just like a resume, your cover letter is an important marketing tool used to introduce you to a prospective employer. Cover letters allow you to further explain your qualifications and skills, and how they are relevant to the position and organization in which you are applying. Writing an impressive and effective cover letter can be a differentiate when employers are narrowing down the candidate pool. Need help tailoring your cover letter(s) to the jobs you are applying for? Use the Cover Letter Quick Guide, available on MyEC, to get started!

LinkedIn

Are you on LinkedIn? Use this professional social media platform to discover where Elmira College alumni work, what they do, and how you can connect with them!

Visit Elmira College on LinkedIn | LinkedIn for Education

TEDTalks

TED (Technology, Education, Design) is an organization which posts short presentations or talks online from inspiring speakers and thought leaders…in 18 minutes or less. Watch one of the 2400+ talks to listen to influential people sharing their experiences and ideas on any topic or subject imaginable.

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