Your degree. Your plan. Let’s go get it.
Career coaching, résumés, internships, and jobs for Allen students and alumni. Lower Level of Arnett Hall · Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
- 2-minute quizFind your career codeYour superpower, your drive, and careers that fit.Take the quiz →
- One-on-oneBook career coachingRésumés, interviews, internships, and next steps.Email Mrs. Harper →
Need someone to talk to? Counseling Services is right across the hall.
What’s your career code?
Tell us your major (or that you’re still deciding), then answer 12 quick questions. Get your three-letter code, your career superpower, what drives you, and careers that fit you and your major.
- S or DSpark or Deep: where you get your energy
- P or FPlan or Flow: how you work
- L or VLogic or Values: how you decide
- +Your drive: what keeps you going
Inspired by the questions career counselors use. It’s for exploring, not a diagnosis. Nothing is saved.
Your degree gets you in the room. These skills get you hired.
Employers look for more than a major. These eight career-ready skills, defined by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, are the ones they ask about most, and you build every one of them at Allen.
- 01
Communication
Speak and write clearly, and listen well.
Build it at AllenClass presentations, papers, and student org meetings. - 02
Critical thinking
Solve problems and make decisions with sound reasoning.
Build it at AllenResearch projects, case studies, and labs. - 03
Teamwork
Build relationships and work toward shared goals.
Build it at AllenGroup projects, athletics, the band, and student organizations. - 04
Leadership
Inspire and guide others toward a goal.
Build it at AllenStudent Government, Greek life, and club officer roles. - 05
Professionalism
Show up, follow through, and own your work.
Build it at AllenInternships, campus jobs, and every deadline. - 06
Technology
Use digital tools to work smarter.
Build it at AllenYour laptop, Canvas, and Microsoft 365. - 07
Career & self-development
Know your strengths and keep growing.
Build it at AllenAdvising, career coaching, and this quiz. - 08
Equity & inclusion
Work well with people of every background.
Build it at AllenHBCU community, service, and the Boeing Institute on Civility.
Source: NACE Career Readiness Competencies.
Four years. One plan.
You don’t have to figure it all out on day one. Take one step each year, and graduate with a résumé, a network, and a plan.
- Year 1
Explore
- Visit Career Services and meet Mrs. Harper
- Take a free career interest assessment on O*NET
- Join one student organization
- Start a simple résumé, and keep adding to it
- Year 2
Build
- Confirm a major that fits your interests
- Create a LinkedIn profile
- Practice interviewing with free online tools
- Find a campus job or volunteer role
- Year 3
Experience
- Apply for internships and summer programs
- Attend the Career & Graduate School Expo
- Ask faculty about research or references
- Polish your résumé with Career Services
- Year 4
Launch
- Apply for jobs or graduate school
- Request letters of recommendation early
- Practice salary and offer conversations
- Graduate, and stay connected as an alum
Working, switching careers, or coming back?
Plenty of Yellow Jackets are building a career while balancing a job or a family. Career Services can help you turn the experience you already have into your next step.
Every fall and spring: the Career & Graduate School Expo. Meet employers and graduate programs right here on campus. Bring your résumé.
See upcoming events →Already graduated? Career help doesn’t stop at commencement. Allen alumni can still reach out for coaching, résumé help, and job leads.
Alumni career resources →
Free tools. Real results.
Start with Allen’s own career system, then use these free, trusted tools to explore, prepare, and apply.
Yellow Jacket Career Connection
Allen’s 24/7 career management system, powered by Purple Briefcase, open to students, alumni, faculty, and staff.
- Job & internship listings
- Career preparation resources
- Event announcements
- Allen’s major & career plannerFOCUS 2 CareerA free, self-guided system to find majors and careers that fit you, and build a plan. Takes 1–2 hours and saves as you go. Email Career Services for Allen’s access code, then click Register.Open ↗
- Explore careersO*NET Interest ProfilerA free 60-question quiz that matches your interests to real careers.Open ↗
- Research careersOccupational Outlook HandbookPay, job growth, and education requirements for hundreds of jobs, from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.Open ↗
- Résumés & job searchCareerOneStopFree résumé guides, job search tools, and scholarship finder from the U.S. Department of Labor.Open ↗
- Practice interviewsInterview prep guideGoogle’s free guide to the STAR method, common questions, and AI practice tips.Open ↗
- Government jobsUSAJOBSSearch federal jobs and internships. Filter by “Students” and “Recent graduates.”Open ↗
- Grow your skillsFree online coursesFree courses from top universities and companies, in tech, business, writing, and more.Open ↗
- Grad school prepFree official GRE practiceTwo free, full-length practice tests from ETS, the company that makes the GRE.Open ↗
Got 15 minutes? Do one of these today.
- 5 minUpdate your LinkedIn headlineMajor + the job you want, like “Business Admin student · Future financial analyst.”
- 10 minLook up your future salarySearch your dream job in the Occupational Outlook Handbook to see real pay.
- 15 minPractice one interview answerAnswer “Tell me about yourself” out loud using the STAR method from Google’s free interview guide.
- 20 minAdd one win to your résuméClub role, campus job, or project. Start each line with an action word.
Let it help. Don’t let it fake it.
- Do use AI to brainstorm résumé wording, practice interview questions, and check your grammar.
- Don’t let it invent experience, skills, or titles you don’t have. Employers check.
- Always make the final draft sound like you, and have Career Services take a look.
Not sure what to say? We wrote it for you.
Pick what you need, add your details, and send. Every email is professional, polite, and ready to go.
To:
Subject:
Tip: use your @allenuniversity.edu email, and reply within one business day when someone answers.
Hire a Yellow Jacket.
Looking for interns, new graduates, or future leaders? Connect with Allen University students through Career Services.
- Post an opportunityShare a job or internshipSend the details and we’ll share them with students who fit.Start the email →
- Meet studentsRecruit at the Career & Graduate ExpoMeet students and graduates face to face at our fall Expo.Ask about the Expo →
- Share your expertiseHost a session or workshopLead an info session, résumé workshop, or industry talk.Propose a session →
Allen University follows the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Principles for Ethical Professional Practice in recruiting, and welcomes employers who share its commitment to equal opportunity.
- Every full-time student has a laptop
- Majors from business and biology to criminal justice and music
- An HBCU community since 1870
Real people. Decades of experience.
Career Services · Lower Level of Arnett Hall · Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Karla H. Harper
Thirty-plus years in higher education, including leading career services, with a commitment to student-centered support. She shares internship opportunities on LinkedIn, so follow her to see them first.
kharper@allenuniversity.edu803-376-5728Follow on LinkedIn ↗
Your future is worth the conversation.
Bring your résumé, your questions, or just your curiosity.