Assess Yourself: What Are You Bringing on Your Career Journey?

ACE
Advisors for Career Exploration

Where do you begin when you don’t know where to begin with your career path? What are new opportunities you could explore once you find a field that fascinates you? How do you prioritize which experiences to pursue when there are a few, several, or many options that interest you?

20+ Questions to Jump-start Your Career Exploration

ACE
Advisors for Career Exploration

In this resource, you will find questions meant to prompt your career exploration. Take time to reflect on each question as a strong understanding of oneself will be essential in order to effectively navigate the twists and turns of your unique career path. Get to know your values, personality type, strengths and interests. These all deeply inform your satisfaction with career choice.

Learn About Careers in Public Health

Marisa Crowley
Marisa Crowley ’05

Public health is a wide ranging, interdisciplinary pathway with the goals of protecting and improving the health of individuals, families, communities, and populations at local and global levels.

A Brief Introduction to Fellowships and Scholarships

Kate Dailinger
Kate Dailinger

Fellowships and scholarships offer funding to support a range of purposeful activities, including undergraduate research, language study/other study abroad, self-designed projects, teaching and service, graduate or professional study, or even internships and professional placements. They can open doors for you to things you might not be able to pursue otherwise.

There are opportunities for students and graduates of every nationality and at every stage of their careers. What might be the right fit for you?

Job Shadowing

ACE
Advisors for Career Exploration

What better way to learn about a particular career path, industry, company, or role than experiencing it yourself? If you want to learn more about a specific path before committing to an internship or job, consider “shadowing” an individual who currently works in the field as a way to experience a typical workday in that career.

How to Use a Career Fair as an Exploration Opportunity

ACE
Advisors for Career Exploration

Career fairs are a great opportunity to explore and learn more about professional paths and opportunities and to practice networking. By attending a career fair, you’re able to speak with representatives from multiple organizations during one event. In your conversations, you will be able to learn about each organization — its values, work culture...etc. — and the types of opportunities they typically hire for.

Informational Interviews

ACE
Advisors for Career Exploration

Informational interviews are a common way to gather information about various careers by speaking with professionals in the field. Through informational interviews, your can explore career paths and job opportunities, as well as gain advice and insight into career industries and companies.

“A strong Davis Projects for Peace proposal is always one that is grounded in a real knowledge of and investment in a community, providing a foundation that gives the student both inspiration and credibility as she strives to make real change.”

How to Conduct Career Research

ACE
Advisors for Career Exploration

Regardless of where you are in your career — whether you are unsure where to begin or you are preparing for a final round interview — conducting research can help you learn more about and prepare for potential career opportunities. There are many ways to gather information when you’re in the beginning stages of exploring your options, including career research and networking. In this resource, you’ll find ideas and general resources to get started.

Leverage Your Experience Abroad

Wellesley Career Education logo
Wellesley Career Education

Co-authored by Wellesley Career Education and the Wellesley Office of International Study.

This resource provides tips to help you leverage your study abroad experience upon your return.

Maximize Your Experience Abroad

Wellesley Career Education logo
Wellesley Career Education

This resource was co-authored by Wellesley Career Education and the Wellesley Office of International Study.

Learn how to maximize your study abroad experience by connecting to the Wellesley network, exploring beyond the classroom, and reflecting on your experience.

Thinking of Study Abroad?

Wellesley Career Education logo
Wellesley Career Education

This resource was co-authored by Wellesley Career Education and the Wellesley Office of International Study.

While it is easy to see the academic benefits of study abroad, it is also important to identify its career benefits. The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) has a list of competencies that contribute to the career readiness of today’s college graduates. Global/intercultural fluency was one of the marketable competencies on the list. Furthermore, in a NACE survey, employers identified their top four competencies: critical thinking/problem solving, professionalism/work ethic, teamwork, and communications skills. The great news is that you could develop all of these skills as part of your study abroad experience.

The Wellesley Hive Mentee Resource: What is Mentorship?

Wellesley Career Education logo
Wellesley Career Education

The Wellesley Hive is a flexible, interactive virtual space for professional networking and mentorship. Whether you are a student or an alumnae (at any career stage), the the Hive is a platform to connect with the mentors in the Wellesley network. This resource is an overview of how to use the Hive to find short-term or long-term mentorship, informational interviews, job shadowing, and more.

The Wellesley Hive

Wellesley College Graduate Fellowships (WCGF—seniors & graduates)

Kate Dailinger
Kate Dailinger

Wellesley College offers a number of fellowships and scholarships for graduate study or research open to Wellesley seniors and graduates. Two awards are open to women graduates of any American institution (the Schimke and the Shackford). Awards are usually made to applicants currently enrolled in or applying to graduate/professional school for the following academic year; there is a single common application process for most of these awards, and the campus deadline is typically in January.

Yenching Academy Scholarship at Peking University (seniors & graduates)

Kate Dailinger
Kate Dailinger

The Yenching Academy of Peking University builds bridges between China and the rest of the world through an interdisciplinary master’s program in China Studies for outstanding graduates from all over the globe. This initiative brings together young people who show promise to lead and innovate in their fields in an intensive learning environment where they can explore China and its role in the world — past, present, and future. The Academy aims to thereby shape a new generation of global citizens with a nuanced understanding of China and its role in the world.

Wellesley is an official Partner Institution for the Yenching Academy: campus deadline typically in November.

Elisabeth Luce Moore '24 Fellowship at the National Palace Museum in Taipei (seniors & graduates)

Kate Dailinger
Kate Dailinger

This one-year, full-time position is available to Wellesley College graduates, thanks to a long-standing arrangement between the college and the National Palace Museum. Each fellow’s responsibilities and job description will be determined, to some extent, according to the Museum’s current staffing requirements as well as the fellow’s personal background, interests and skills.  

Thomas J. Watson Fellowship (rising seniors)

Kate Dailinger
Kate Dailinger

The Thomas J. Watson Fellowship offers graduating seniors a one-year grant for independent study and purposeful travel and exploration outside of the United States, to enhance their capacity for resourcefulness, imagination, openness, and leadership and to foster their humane and effective participation in the world community. Campus deadline typically in August.

Schwarzman Scholars Program (rising seniors & graduates)

Kate Dailinger
Kate Dailinger

Supports leadership development & a special one-year Master’s program at Tsinghua University in Beijing, taught in English. Eligible are graduating seniors, current graduate and professional students, and recent graduates from any country and any major (knowledge of Mandarin is an asset but is not required). Official deadlines typically in May and September.

Rhodes Scholarship (rising seniors & graduates)

Kate Dailinger
Kate Dailinger

Did you know that citizens of any country are now eligible to apply for the Rhodes Scholarships, for graduate study at the University of Oxford? Campus deadline for Wellesley applicants for Global Rhodes is typically in early June and for the Canadian and US Rhodes typically in late August. Application deadlines for other Rhodes competitions may fall even earlier (see their website, and Career Education deadline listings). All prospective Wellesley Rhodes applicants are encouraged to seek advice from Kate Dailinger, of Wellesley's Career Education, and learn more through this resource page.