Maximizing Use of the Career Center

Duke’s Career Center provides guidance and support for students as they navigate their Duke experience and prepare for a career after Duke! Your student can learn to make the best use of the Career Center, whether they are a first-year student or about to walk across the commencement stage—yes, the Career Center is for young alumni too. Jen Agor, Assistant Director for the Duke Career Center, outlines year-specific milestones and how students can use the Career Center to maximize their Duke and post-graduation opportunities.

Important Dates

April 27 - May 2 • Spring final examination period
May 10 • Marking the Moment: Duke Class of 2020

Student Spotlight

Evi Alexopoulos T'20 shares how her Duke experience has prepared her for post-graduation success. As a biology and global health double major, Evi's experience in labs, internships, and research have certainly influenced her career path. She also talks about finding mentors, creating meaningful friendships, and exploring all of Duke's career and academic resources as crucial to her readiness for life after Duke. Listen to this month’s podcast to hear more about Evi’s journey.

Moments with Mary Pat

This month, Vice Provost/Vice President Mary Pat McMahon reflects on the influences that led her to finding a career after college.

This video is part of a Duke Career Center series of favorite Duke voices talking about navigating changes within their career paths.

In Case You Missed It

President Price Creates Two Strategy Groups to Plan Post-Crisis Agenda

Two new strategy groups – Team 2021 and Team 2030 – will devise a structure for addressing the shorter-term issues facing the university as it prepares for the traditional start of the new academic year in August, as well as longer-term challenges and opportunities that come about as a result of COVID-19. Read more from Duke Today.

Duke Student Assistance Fund

Duke continues to provide resources to help students who are experiencing increased adversity as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. Applications are now open for funding from the Duke Student Assistance Fund, which has been established to assist Duke students with unexpected and extraordinary expenses during this time. Students may submit applications for grants using their Net ID.

Alumni Express Support for Students

The Duke Alumni Office recently published a video playlist of alumni sharing support for students during these difficult times. The video below from Chidinma Nnoromele T'17 previews some of these ForeverDuke messages.

Additional opportunities for students to connect with alumni during this time include the alumni network and Ask A Blue Devil, where students can request advice from or submit a question to Duke alumni.

New AVP & Director of Career Center Announced

Following a national search, Greg Victory has been named the next Fannie Mitchell Executive Director of the Career Center and Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs at Duke. He will begin in this role July 1st. Victory comes to Duke from Tufts University, where he has been Executive Director of the Tufts Career Center since 2016.

In an email last week, Victory sent his regards to families: "I am excited to have been selected to lead the Career Center at Duke University and am ready to roll up my sleeves to build a world class career readiness program to benefit your Blue Devil. Duke Parents & Families are essential partners in a commitment to career-everywhere, and I am looking forward to learning from and collaborating with you very soon."

Fall Semester

A team of faculty and staff are working to create a plan for the fall semester. The University will make a decision over the summer. Once determined, we will email this information to our parent and family community.

COVID-19 Summer Opportunities

Future employers and graduate programs will understand that any gaps in students' learning and professional development during this time were unavoidable. However, they will also be interested to hear stories about how students utilized their summer of social distancing.

Departments from across Duke have compiled opportunities and suggestions for ways students can optimize their summer. A few opportunities are listed below.

The Career Center and Directors of Academic Engagement (DAE) are great resources if your student doesn't know where to begin.

Building Skills & Exploring Careers Online

The Career Center created a comprehensive list of ways to build skills online during the summer. Students can explore new experiences even without an internship, research opportunity, or summer program.

Remote Research Assistantships

MUSER, the undergraduate research-matching database, is offering a round of summer applications for research assistant positions to be carried out remotely. Students can contact a disciplinary DAE for more information. Application deadlines are quickly approaching!

Create a Portfolio

Student portfolios can be shared with prospective employers, and students can include a link to it on their resume and application materials for fellowships and other opportunities. This guide includes directions for building a portfolio in Pebble Pad, but students can also use any website platform that works best for their materials: SquareSpace, WIX, WordPress, etc.

DukeReach

DukeReach directs students, faculty, staff, parents, and others to the resources available to help students in need. Parents and family members can contact DukeReach directly if you are worried about your student, including for reasons related to sickness, mental health, and academic challenges. Staff members will connect students of concern and support them in managing all aspects of their well-being. Find out more on the DukeReach website.

Upcoming Events

Spring Move Out Processes to be Finalized

Students who had on-campus housing this semester received an email earlier this month from Dean Joe Gonzalez previewing changed move out processes for the semester. Details are still being finalized and more information is forthcoming. In the meantime, Housing and Residence Life has published an FAQ that will continue to be updated. We thank you for your support navigating this difficult situation.

Duke Summer Sessions

Expanded summer courses for Summer Session 1 are posted and Summer Session 2 courses will be listed by April 30. Please refer to the Summer Sessions FAQ for answers to many COVID-related questions and implications for summer courses.