The Career Development Center is located in Melrose 010 -- stop by and say hello! The number for the Career Development Office is (503) 883-2733. Our office hours are from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday. Drop-ins and appointments are welcome.

What services do you provide in the Career Development Center and how can I access them?

The office of Career Development offers students assistance with the following:

• Career Counseling/Coaching
• Job Search Support
• Internship Resources
• Résumé and Cover Letter Review & Résumé Paper
• Networking Assistance
• Advice on Choosing a Major
• Grad School Resources
• Mock Interviews
• Salary Negotiation Tips
• Consultations on how to market yourself

Students can access these services by setting up an appointment with our Career Development Staff or by coming into the Career Hub. Students are also welcome to start with the Career Liftoff Inventory, a resource used to assist students in their search for careers.

The Career Hub has a variety of resources available to students from information about career fields, graduate schools, jobs relevant to different majors, and information about résumés and cover letters. There are also pamphlets detailing internships that are available to students. The Career Hub has an informational screen, displaying relevant career information and upcoming career-related events, as well as an interactive touch-screen with internship information.

All the Career Development Staff and student employees are trained to critique and look over résumés and cover letters. Résumés are reviewed on a walk-in basis Monday-Friday from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm without an appointment. Individual appointments can be made with Michael Hampton, Donna Montoya, or Kristi Mackay by either coming into the Career Hub, calling (503) 883-2733, or emailing career@linfield.edu. 

Part-time, full-time, work-study, and many campus employment positions are posted on Cat Connect. Visit us if you need help navigating this resource.

For more information about volunteer opportunities, visit the Office of Community Engagement and Service in Riley 216 or call (503) 883-2326. If you are interested in the possibility of having community service translate into an internship, see our internships page.

There are a variety of surveys available, including the Career Liftoff Inventory which gives alumni the opportunity to see where their strengths in certain fields are and which jobs might be suitable for them.

Please see our Graduate School link for more information. There is information on how to start looking for graduate schools, the admission tests required, and there are other online resources available.

Linfield has an Alumni networking group on LinkedIn called Linfield University Alumni. We encourage you to join, and take advantage of this group to reach out to other alumni, learn about alumni involvement opportunities, and get invitations to alumni gatherings and other events.

Alumni can also sign up for the Cat Connections Program where students can connect with Linfield alumni. Who a person is connected with can be chosen based on the alumni's expertise in certain fields, their geographic location and/or their experience with a graduate program. Alumni can apply to help other students or alumni as well.

Official and unofficial transcripts can be requested through the Office of the Registrar. Be sure to give yourself plenty of time to have the request processed!

It is never too early or too late to come to the Career Hub. The earlier that a student starts using our services, the more our staff will get to know them and understand how to best assist them. Students can use our services to help them in their career search.

It's natural for students not to know what they want to major in or what career they are going to enter into after graduation. It would be good for students to find what classes appeal to them so that they can figure out what they would like to do. Students do not have to major in something just because they think it will guarantee them a job later. A job that intrigues a student will be more satisfactory than one that is done for other reasons. Students are welcome to check out our Major Selection page or to come into our office for assistance in figuring out what they want to major in and also for what types of jobs would suit them.

Internships are a good opportunity to gain experience in a field that your child might be interested in. While some internships are unpaid, students will nonetheless receive valuable real-world experience from doing an internship. Students can apply what they have learned from internships to their careers. It also could serve as a foot in the door to the company if your child wants to continue working there. For more information, please visit our Internship page.

It may seem daunting for your student to find a job after graduation, but there is good news! Career Development offers a variety of resources and support for returning and graduating students. It is never too late to start the process of finding a job, but the sooner your student begins, the better. Here are some ways students can set themselves up for success:

• Make an appointment in the Career Hub to learn how to start the job search.
• Make an appointment to learn how to connect with alumni and employers in fields of interest.
• Stop by the Career Hub for resume / cover letter assistance.
• Make an appointment for a mock interview to practice a job interview.
• Go to the student resource page of Career Development to search different online job boards.
• Get on CatConnect to search for jobs specifically posted for Linfield students .

No matter when your student starts the job search process, or what stage he or she is at, it is important for them to connect with Career Development so that we can guide them through the resources and process towards life-long career success.

Register for Cat Connect as an employer. Once registered and approve, you will be able to post and manage your job and internship openings.

Please feel free to contact the Career Development Office directly via phone (503-883-2733) or email (career@linfield.edu) should you have any further questions.

Recruiters are welcome to contact Athena Mann (amann2@linfield.edu or 503-883-2443) to obtain more information about on-campus recruitment opportunities. Recruiters should also register for Cat Connect.