Susan L. Wagner ’82 Career Advising Program
The Susan L. Wagner ’82 Career Advising Program
What do you want to be when you graduate? Rest assured that most Wellesley students are unsure about their career paths and even those that feel certain often do — and should! — change their course. When beginning your career journey, it can be tempting to imagine that it will be one straight line. However, as countless alums will tell you, that’s not the way it works — and that’s a good thing! As the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports, the average worker will have 12-15 jobs in 5-7 different career fields in her lifetime.
Career Exploration
Regardless of what year you are at Wellesley, we are here to help you explore potential career paths. Every student is matched with an Advisor for Career Exploration (ACE), who is available for conversations about your values, strengths, and interests. Your ACE will provide the mentorship, tools, connections, and space for self-assessment and reflection to identify the paths you want to pursue. Schedule an appointment in Handshake to meet with your ACE as follows:
- First Years & Juniors: Marisa Crowley, ACE for the Class of 2026 & 2028
- Sophomores & Seniors: Ariane Baker, ACE for the Classes of 2025 & 2027
Career Advising for Specific Industries and Fields
You may already have some inclination about what industry or field you might like to work within. You also may still be quite uncertain — and that is both normal and completely okay! You don’t need to know exactly what you want to do to meet with a specialized Career Advisor — simply having curiosity about a field or industry is a great place to begin.
To meet with an industry/field specific Career Advisor, make an appointment in Handshake by selecting “Career, Internship, and Graduate School by Industry/Field.“ If you aren’t sure which Advisor covers your field of interest, email careereducation@wellesley.edu and we’ll point you in the right direction! The categories are broadly encompassing, so no matter what your career interests are, there is an Advisor who can work with you to explore the fields you are considering.
Sign up for Industry newsletters by filling out your Career Interest profile in Handshake. You’ll receive advice specifically related to the industries of your interest, along with highlighted events, resources, jobs, internships, and fellowship opportunities in your field of interest. Subscribing to multiple newsletters is a great way to explore career options!
Career Essentials: Resumes, Cover Letters, Interviews, & More!
Through the Career Essentials workshop series, you will develop skills and the foundational knowledge necessary to navigate career development. Learn about resumes, cover letters, interviewing, informational interviewing, negotiation, and personal statements.
Recruiting Timelines for Specific Industries and Fields
Many industries have different recruiting schedules—learn about timelines and career paths, and explore your interests with the help of our industry/field specific Career Advisors, and through the drop-downs below!
Career Advisors
Embark: First Year Career Retreat
Embark — a retreat for all interested first-year students — is a free weekend-long immersive program designed to equip you with a toolkit to begin your career exploration. Join us to connect with Career Education, discover how to identify and utilize your values and strengths through our assessments and activities, hear career stories from your Wellesley sibs, and learn about the variety of opportunities that are available to you as a Wellesley student, like funded internships, study abroad, and research.
Peer Career Mentors
Explore Employment Around the World with GoinGlobal
GoinGlobal is the leading provider of both country-specific and USA city-specific career and employment information. Our unlimited access subscription database features 38 Country Career Guides, 53 City Career Guides for the United States and Canada, corporate profiles and more than 16 million internship and job listings within the USA and around the world.
Graduate School in International Affairs, Political Science, Policy, etc
This resource covers:
Masters Degrees
- Master in Public Policy (MPP),
- Master of Public Administration (MPA),
- Master of International Affairs/Relations/Foreign Policy/Foreign Service,
- Master of Security Studies/National Security
- Master of Political Science
Joint Degrees
- JD/MPP, JD/MPA
- MBA/MPP, MBA/MPA
PhD in Political Science/Government/Politics or PhD in Public Policy
Getting Started in Politics, Advocacy, Government at the Local & National Levels
Local and state government offers students a great opportunity to see how agencies and legislation work on a smaller scale. For students passionate about their state or a particular issue, state politics is a wonderful place to get started! Below, I highlight a few ways to get involved in politics at the local (including at Wellesley!) and state level. In terms of gaining experience at the national level in US politics and policy, DC is the place to go. This document will address finding a range of internships in DC as well tips for networking. We’ll start with the three branches of government, briefly address other government agencies, move to international organizations, and finish with think tanks and nonprofits. For students interested in international affairs and government, intern and/or study abroad to demonstrate your regional expertise and intercultural communication and adaptability skills.
Careers in Higher Education
This resource will give you an overview of the career opportunities available if you want to pursue a job in a college or university setting. There are two basic career pathways in Higher Education — academic affairs and student affairs.
Careers in Human Services
The term “human services” is a broad umbrella that captures a range of career pathways. In this resource, we will outline those pathways that are focused on mental health and wellness. In addition, although we highlight here some career pathways that are common.
Careers in Nonprofits
While all nonprofits share a commitment to bettering society in some capacity, they are incredibly diverse in terms of size, focus, and type. In the United States alone there are millions of nonprofits ranging from small, community-based organizations, to cultural and educational institutions such as museums, universities and colleges (like Wellesley!) to large foundations supporting causes around the globe.
Careers in K-12 Education
There is a wide range of career opportunities in K-12 education. This resource covers various roles that one can play in a school, as well as a diversity of school types and structures.