The power of experiential learning
Whether you’re a freshman just beginning your college journey, a sophomore starting to shape your path, or a junior looking to level up your experience, internships, research, cooperative education or immersion trips are the perfect launchpad for your future. These experiences aren’t just about adding a line to your resume—they’re about gaining real-world experience that classrooms may not offer. They allow you to:
- Build your skills: Apply what you’ve learned in a professional setting and gain new skills along the way.
- Discover your passion: Figure out what excites you (or what doesn’t!) so you can shape your career goals.
- Expand your network: Meet mentors, industry professionals and peers who can open doors for you in the future.
- Boost your resume: Employers value hands-on experience and internships can set you apart from the crowd.
Schedule an appointment to connect with your school or college career center or Syracuse University Career Services to see how we can help take your search to the next level.
Getting Started
Always start with Handshake to support your first step in the search process. This will allow you to see all jobs and employers who have been approved by a career center at Syracuse University to support your success.
- Update your Handshake profile to 100% complete. You can visit the Handshake Help Center to learn more about completing your profile.
- Visit Jobs in Handshake and save your preferred filters.
Take a look at how Handshake recommends Getting Started with Handshake by visiting the Help Center.
- Freshmen: It’s never too early to start exploring. Seek part-time roles, volunteer opportunities, or on-campus jobs to gain a foundation. This is your chance to start building skills and confidence.
- Sophomores: You’re at the perfect stage to start applying for internships related to your interests. Use this time to explore different fields and industries to see what resonates with you.
- Juniors: By now, you’ve probably narrowed down your focus. Seek internships that align with your career goals and give you in-depth, hands-on experience in your chosen field.
Summer Experience Survey
Freshmen, Sophomores and Juniors, take one minute to tell us about your plans for the summer by completing a very short survey. Whether it’s an internship, research, volunteering, or classes—we want to hear all about your milestones on the way to graduation!
At this point you should be comfortable with the basics of job search, applications, and interviews. If you’re not, that’s okay! Whether you’re just getting started or can’t decide between entry-level employment or graduate school, schedule an appointment to connect with your school or college career center or Syracuse University Career Services to see how we can bring you up to speed and boost your confidence in this final stretch.
First Destination Survey
Understanding where our graduating Seniors go is vital to the work at career services. This information helps us celebrate and support each generation of students, whether they are freshman, sophomore or juniors. We also share aggregated information with campus partners in academics and vital student services programs to help them enhance each student’s experience on campus. Whether you’re attaining your first job, continuing your education, entering the military, volunteering, or taking some time off to collect your thoughts—we want to hear about your plans as you approach graduation!
Visit our Outcomes page to learn more about others just like your and to share about your experience.
