Career Success Programs & Events

Students listen to a guest speaker at a Life Beyond Degree event.

The intent of Career Success programming is to offer all students the opportunity to engage in career programs that create connections between students with particular career interests and professionals who have such expertise. Be on the look-out for announcements about these programs throughout the year. Please use Handshake to register for events that look interesting to you so you can stay up to date on any information that changes.

See our Upcoming Events

COVID-19 has necessitated that we adjust how we offer our signature programs. Beginning in academic year 2020-21, our signature programs were offered virtually. Moving forward, Career Success will follow University guidelines for programs and events.

Learn About Our Signature Programming

What are Career Immersions?

Career Immersions provide students from the College of Arts and Sciences the opportunity to gain insights into career options by visiting industry-leading companies and organizations. Career Immersions consist of site tours, as well as panels, presentations, and networking opportunities with recruiters and hiring managers, many of whom are Ohio State alumni. Local and regional immersions are planned, as well as visits to a select group of top U.S. destinations.

Visit our events page to discover upcoming Career Immersions!

Are you interested in learning more, or are you an alumni who wants to host a Career Immersions? Contact Scott Kustis (614.247.8698), Director of Industry Connections for Career Success.

Career Connections consist of networking nights focused on popular Career Communities for arts and sciences students. The goal of the series is to connect you with alumni and other key professionals who’ve all secured a career in your career community of interest. Students will learn about career paths related to their interest and gain insight on job search tactics to use for entering the field.

Life Beyond Degree connects students to department alumni (or alumni from related majors) for the purpose of introducing career paths that may not be immediately apparent, highlighting emerging industry trends, and supporting the development of career readiness competencies among arts and sciences students.

Coffee Chats provide students an opportunity to learn about the value of an Arts and Sciences degree in the workplace. Each chat is an informal, small group discussion with an employer, often one who is an Arts and Sciences alumnus. Ask questions about their time at Ohio State, their career path, and what helped them get to where they are.

Executive Coffee Chat allows student to meet executives and other C-Level (CEO, CMO, CFO, etc) professionals to hear their professional journeys. Executive Coffee Chat speakers teach students about specific topics from the business world, and discuss why industry has a renewed interest in hiring employees with Arts and Sciences degrees.

ASC Launch Your Career - Prep Event (event icon)

Launch Your Career helps student learn from subject matter experts, who address specific topics that will help you in your discovery of career options and search for resume builders. The speakers will cover a wide array of topics over the academic year. If you have a topic to suggest, please share it with us – we love getting input from students! Send your suggestions to asccareer@osu.edu. Our Launch Your Career programs will make sure you have the information you need.

Learn about our Career Fairs, Expos & Preparation Events

Arts and Sciences Center for Career and Professional Success sponsors a variety of events to broaden your awareness of career options and help you connect with employers. Follow our Events page to stay up to date about these and other career development opportunities. From August to April, new information is added weekly!

To track the dates and times of career panels, employer information sessions, career fairs, webinars, and other events directed as supporting your transition from Ohio State to the workplace, check our events calendar on a regular basis.

Summer Internship & Opportunity Fair (event icon)

Career fairs provide an opportunity for students and recent grads to network with employers and learn about internship and career opportunities. Many employers enjoy recruiting at job fairs to assess face-to-face whether potential candidates have the communication skills, relevant experiences, and other qualifications needed to advance in their selection process. Because you must “work” the fair to make a positive impression with employers, you are strongly encouraged to review the Career Fair Strategies tip sheet when preparing for your first career fair. Many employers also participate in virtual career fairs, which allow employers and job seekers to meet in a virtual environment.

Preparation for a virtual event is quite similar to a traditional career fair. Connect with a Career Coach for helpful tips for preparing for a career fair on Handshake. View the College of Arts and Sciences Career Center fairs.

For detailed information about these career fairs please click the links:

Spring Career Fair

Summer Internship and Opportunity Fair

Career Expos are recruiting events focused on a specific industry or career community. Some common Career Expos include:

Science Career Fair
Quantitative and Data Career Expo
Technology, Data and Analytics Career Expo

Employers may hold sessions for students and recent grads to learn more about their company and promote positions posted in Handshake. Information sessions are formal recruitment events so you’ll want to wear business casual clothing. Office hours are casual opportunities to meet with a recruiter in between your classes. It’s good to have an “elevator pitch” prepared for these events.

Student organizations have the opportunity to schedule a “how-to” presentation to guide their members in being more successful when communicating with employers, finding internships, and learning other key career development tactics. Each term, the office organizes career panels for you to learn about the career paths of alumni and others committed to supporting your transition from college to career.

Presentation Topics

Getting Started with Your Career Success – The process of exploring your interest and preparing for life after graduation is not easy and can be overwhelming at times. In this session, you’ll learn about the resources and services Arts and Sciences Career Success offers that will help you discover your interest and obtain the experience and skills necessary to succeed in the workplace
Identifying Your Workplace Skills - Zeroing in on the skills that you are developing in and outside of the classroom will make it easier for you to write strong resumes and cover letters. Having this awareness is also key when responding to interview questions that are directed at helping the employer to rate your competencies against other candidates
It's time to Brag - Writing Resumes and Cover Letters – Are you ready to begin the process of applying for an internship or job but uncertain of what to include on your resume, or how to communicate your skills and experience? Resumes are often your first opportunity to impress an employer. During this session you’ll receive guidance for creating an effective resume and access to helpful tips and resources
Beyond the Classroom: Finding Experiential Learning Opportunities - You know that landing a great job or getting into the best graduate school requires a stellar academic record. But what else do you need to accomplish during college to make yourself marketable? This session addresses which forms of experiential learning support your career goals as well as how to find the experiential learning options that are available to you on campus and beyond

Let's Talk About Jobs and Internships - Not sure how or where to start your internship search? Swing by the Internship Search Strategies presentation to learn the best places to begin along with insider tips that will help you stand out from the crowd when applying for an internship
Interviewing Effectively - Preparing for an upcoming internship or job interview? Give yourself the confidence you need to succeed in that interview through this interactive session. Learn the best techniques to help you before, during, and after the interview
Responding to Commonly Asked Interview Questions - You know the basic techniques for interviewing…but do you really know what employers are looking for when they ask a question? During this session, you will learn about the thought processes behind interview questions and best practices for answering them
Career Fair Strategies - Career fairs are important ways to connect with employers for internship and job opportunities. This session addresses the best ways to prepare before a fair, how to execute at the fair, and how to follow up afterward
If You're Not Networking, You're NOT Working - Networking opportunities are endless. During this interactive session you will learn how to start networking, the variety of ways networking can occur, and best practices for networking
Using LinkedIn to Network and Obtain Internships - Did you know that most recruiters expect students to have a professional LinkedIn profile? This session will show you best practices on setting up your profile, as well as how to build your professional network and find internship and career opportunities
Put Your Best HANDSHAKE Forward - So you've heard about the Arts and Sciences online job and internship database, Handshake, but you aren’t sure how to start using it. This session will guide you through completing your profile, show you how to effectively search for positions, and highlight additional job and internship search resources available through the system.

Request a presentation

Before Attending an Event

The Arts and Sciences Center for Career and Professional Success has compiled many guides and tip sheets to help you prepare for networking and communicating with employers. Before you attend an event be sure to navigate through these resources to find information that will aid when you meet contacts. Make sure you do your research; you never know who you might meet and where a connection may lead!

After Attending an Event

After you have attended an event, you will want to be sure to follow up with the appropriate contacts you have met. Why follow up? It helps to build rapport with a contact you have just met and shows interest by giving you another opportunity to market your skills and abilities. It also lets the employer know you are a professional and comfortable communicating in a professional setting.

Below are some general tips to keep in mind when following up with employers:

Follow up in a timely manner, no matter how busy you are.
If you plan to follow up by phone and are nervous, consider writing a short script about what you want to say.
Keep a copy of your resume nearby in case you need to refer to it.