Job and Internship Search Preparation
Saint Louis University Career Services has many resources for you to use during your job search process, both online and in person.
Handshake
SLU's Job and Internship Database
Handshake is your comprehensive resource for all things related to SLU's Career Services. Find job and internship postings, information about career fairs and other events, sign up for on-campus interviews, view sample resumes and cover letters and more.
Please note: newly admitted students to Saint Louis University should not create their own Handshake account. A Handshake account will be created upon enrollment in courses.
Career Counseling
Career counselors are available for virtual appointments covering any career-related topic. This includes mock interviews, resume and cover letter reviews, career counseling, career planning, job or internship searches, and much more.
Schedule an Appointment With a Career Counselor
Resumes and Cover Letters
Career Services can support you in developing your job or internship application materials. These services include document critiques, sample documents and electronic document storage via Handshake.
In-person document critiques can be done from 1-2 p.m., Monday through Friday in our office. You can also upload your documents to Handshake to be reviewed online. Resumes, cover letters and other documents can take up to three business days to be reviewed by Career Services.
A resume summarizes your qualifications for employment and is often required when you apply for a job. It typically outlines the type of position you are seeking and highlights your education, experience, skills and other relevant information. A cover letter introduces prospective employers to you and how your skills, education and experience fit their open position.
The primary purpose of a resume and cover letter is to get you an interview. The goal of the interview is to be offered the position. Resumes are generally reviewed within 24-72 hours. Allow extra time for review if you submit a resume before a University holiday or the weekend.
Upload Your Resume for a Review
Resume and Cover Letter Handouts
- Writing a Cover Letter (PDF)
- Creating an Effective Resume and a List of Resume Action Verbs (PDF)
- Undergraduate Sample Resume (PDF)
Internships
As you explore your various career options, an internship can help you:
- Apply knowledge you've learned in the classroom in a professional setting
- Find out if a career field is right for you (or not)
- Make connections with people doing the kind of work you want to do
- Get real-world experience that will impress employers more than major or GPA
Internships for Credit
The Handshake experience request goes to your faculty sponsor for review. This ensures that everyone is on the same page for the internship and learning objectives.
Once the faculty sponsor has approved, you will receive a Learning Contract and Liability Waiver via DocuSign, our fully electronic document management system. Not sure which class you’ll be registering for? Check with your instructor or review the full list of classes already set up for the internship experience.
Internship Search Strategies
The Internship Search Strategies course, SLU's experiential learning preparation course, is designed to support students from any academic program who are interested in participating in an experiential learning activity. Students will complete online modules that will walk them through the progression of preparing for and conducting an experiential learning activity search, making the most of their learning experience, and reflecting and telling the story of their experience.
Students considering participating in the following types of learning activities should consider participating in this course:
- Internship
- Co-op
- Practicum
- Clinical
- Undergraduate research
- Field placement
To register for the course, complete the form via the button below:
Billiken Horizons Internship Program (BHIP)
This program is meant to connect students who are eligible for federal work-study with on-campus employment opportunities. These opportunities are geared towards areas of academic interest and contain project-based work and transferable office skills.
You can apply to jobs of your choice in Handshake; all openings are under the Billiken Horizons employer profile (search ‘Billiken Horizons’ to pull up the employer page). You must provide a resume and a copy of the On-Campus Employment application. The applications then go to the hiring manager/department that will be hosting the student and they choose whom they wish to hire.
Scholarly Undergraduate Research Grants and Experiences (SURGE)
This program is meant to provide a path to connect students with faculty who are conducting research, creative endeavors, and other scholarly projects at SLU.
You can apply to opportunities posted in Handshake under the SURGE employer profile (search ‘SLU SURGE’). You must provide a resume and a statement of purpose (cover letter) explaining why you want to be involved with this project.
The applications will go to the faculty member overseeing the project and they will choose whom they wish to hire.
If you are ready to report an experiential learning opportunity, you can do so on the Handshake platform. Please see the PDF guide provided below to complete this process:
Career Treks
Career Services has hosted career trek opportunities for students to travel to new cities and network with alumni and professionals in the area. Students get to experience first-hand what work and life is like in a different city. There is one career trek opportunity per semester.
To learn more about upcoming opportunities, contact Karl Aldrich at karl.aldrich@slu.edu or contact our department. Check out previous career treks below.
From March 10-15, the Saint Louis University Career Services Department provided a Washington D.C. Career Trek for 10 students. The students met with many organizations including the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Brookings Institution, Capital One, Smithsonian Institution, Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Dream.Org, and U.S. Senate Staff. Students also attended an alumni dinner to help them network further.
Starting on Oct. 26, 2023, the Saint Louis University Career Services Department provided a Chicago Career Trek for 17 students. The students met with Aon, Deloitte, Accenture, and LinkedIn. Students also attended a SLU alumni dinner with professionals in the area.
Job Search
Networking
Did you know that only 20% of jobs are ever advertised? The remaining 80% represent the "hidden job market." This is where networking comes in. Usually, companies will look to people within the organization or to individuals who come recommended to them by people within the organization. This type of recruitment is very cost-efficient for companies.
Networking is important for everyone, regardless of occupation or career path and involves establishing, building and maintaining professional relationships.
Interviewing
Successful job applicants take time to research a desired position, practice answering different types of questions, plan an appropriate wardrobe and are prepared to follow up quickly with a thank you note.
Enhance Your Skills with Big Interview
Job Search Academy
Job Search Academy is a free, virtual career development program created through our partnership with Indeed to help students and alumni excel in their job search. It is a one stop shop that presents all of Indeed's resources and educational programs in one place, helping make the job search more accessible.
Employers Visiting Campus
Employers and other organizations visit campus throughout the academic year. The most common ways employers connect with students on campus are through career fairs and events, on-campus interviewing, and information tables and sessions. Check Handshake for more information on our career fairs and when employers are on campus.
Organizations representing a diverse range of career opportunities schedule on-campus interviews at SLU. Students will have an opportunity to schedule an on-campus interview for full-time, internship and summer opportunities. Off-campus interviews for jobs and internships may be scheduled at any time throughout the year.
All on-campus interviews are held at the SLU Career Services office in Griesedieck Hall, lower level, suite 130, unless otherwise noted. You must register in Handshake to take part.
Contact Career Services at 314-977-2828 or career_services@slu.edu if you have any questions.
If a student is unable to attend a scheduled interview or meeting for a virtual fair, they must use Handshake to "cancel meeting," "decline interview," "cancel sign-up" or "withdraw application," or notify Career Services at least 24 hours prior to the scheduled time as to why they cannot attend. If they do not take these steps, they will be considered a "No Show" and will immediately be suspended from on-campus interviewing and blocked from the Handshake database. The student must write a letter of apology to the company and submit a copy to Career Services. Once confirmation is received that the letter has been sent, the suspension will be lifted and the block removed.
Students who are invited for an interview and do not sign up or elect to decline the interview through Handshake will follow the above protocol.
Should a second offense occur, students must meet with the director of Career Services. Disciplinary action will be discussed at that time.
In an effort for Career Services to maintain good standing with our employers, once a student has accepted an internship or full-time job offer, they may not interview for other positions through Handshake.
A violation of this policy may result in immediate suspension from on-campus interviewing and the use of Handshake.
If informed by an employer that a student has reneged on an accepted offer, the student will immediately be suspended from on-campus interviewing and blocked from the Handshake database. The student must meet with a Career Services staff person to discuss the rationale and consequences of their decision. If deemed necessary, the student must write a letter of apology to the company and submit a copy to Career Services. Once confirmation is received that the letter has been sent, the suspension will be lifted and block removed.
Should a second offense take place, the student will be permanently blocked from participating in on-campus interviewing and permanently blocked from use of Handshake.
Reciprocity Assistance
If you are looking for an internship or job outside of St. Louis, you may be eligible
to use the career-related services of other colleges and universities through our
reciprocity assistance program.
For example, if you are job hunting in Chicago, SLU Career Services may be able to
put you in touch with a university there that can help. In turn, SLU Career Services
can assist students from that university who may be job hunting in St. Louis.
Services offered through other schools may be limited, as institutions offer different levels of reciprocity and access. SLU Career Services cannot guarantee assistance from any other school.
Below, you can request reciprocity from other Jesuit institutions. Contact Career Services with any questions.
If you are a non-SLU student requesting access to SLU's Career Services, contact our office by sending the name and email address of your university's career center director to career_services@slu.edu.
The following services may be available through SLU if you are a current undergraduate or graduate student or if it has been less than three years since you graduated.
- Three months of full access to our job/internship database, Handshake, with the exception of on-campus recruiting activities
- Resume critique service
- Walk-in hours from 1-2 p.m., Monday through Friday
- Access to career fairs at no charge
- Complimentary 30- to 45-minute counseling/job search session. Subsequent sessions at a charge of $75 for career counseling and $25 per career assessment (includes appointment for interpretation).
Included Jesuit Institutions:
- Boston College
- Canisius College
- College of the Holy Cross
- Creighton University
- Fairfield University
- Fordham University
- Georgetown University
- Gonzaga University
- John Carroll University
- Le Moyne College
- Loyola Marymount University
- Loyola University Chicago
- Loyola University Maryland
- Loyola University New Orleans
- Marquette University
- Regis University
- Rockhurst University
- Saint Joseph's University
- Saint Peter's University
- Santa Clara University
- Seattle University
- Spring Hill College
- University of Detroit Mercy
- University of San Francisco
- University of Scranton
- Xavier University
If you did not attend or are not an alumnus of a Jesuit college or university, the following services may be available through SLU if you are a current undergraduate or graduate student or if it has been less than one year since you graduated.
- One month "browse-only" access to our online job database, Handshake
- Career counseling appointment for a $100 fee and career assessments for $25 each
- Access to career fairs for a $10 charge