Undergraduate Students

Begin your career development journey here.

Welcome to the Career Center! The center is a place where you can learn to explore your interests, values, and strengths and use that self-knowledge to influence your decision-making throughout your time here at Duke. This is also a great place for you to discover how to navigate your Duke experience as well as learn professional development skills.   

Your Career Development Process

You can expect to continuously participate in a process of reflection and self-awareness during your time at Duke and also the entirety of your career and life. You will continually use your past experiences to identify short- and long-term professional goals to implement next steps that are aligned with life stage, purpose, and your individual definition of success. You will incorporate your own preferences and life experiences in this process of continual learning and decision-making. We are here to be your thought partner in reflecting on your experiences and skills, researching opportunities, testing your strengths and interests in the world, and making intentional decisions toward your career goals.

Whether you’re exploring majors or searching for information about your chosen field, this website will help you connect your studies to typical career areas and types of employers that hire people within that focus, as well as strategies to make you a more marketable candidate.
As you engage in and use the Duke Career Development Process and skills that we teach students, you will be prepared to make decisions about what comes next for you.

Learn more about aspects of professional development:

We are here to be your thought partner in reflecting on your experiences and skills, researching opportunities, testing your strengths and interests in the world, and making intentional decisions toward your career goals.

Opportunities to Connect with the Career Center

Advising

During advising appointments, we look at what you are interested in, explore your likes and dislikes, identify skills you prefer to use and ones you want to develop, and reflect on past experiences to guide future decisions. We also examine how your strengths can impact your interest areas, how your personality can direct certain work environments, and how your personal values guide your choices while studying at Duke as well as career decisions. We will talk about some big questions like what is your purpose? What gives you energy? And what do you care about? This will most likely get you thinking critically and deeply about where and how you choose to spend your time.  We also address your specific job search-related questions about resumescover lettersconnecting with othersinterviewing, and more! Our best advice is that you focus on being open to opportunities, build a Board of Advisors, learn how to talk about yourself and experiences to others, and not be afraid to fail along the way. Our goal is to support you as you explore career options, interests, and opportunities. We look forward to meeting you! Schedule an appointment online in Handshake several days in advance.

Drop-in Advising

Bring quick questions or application documents (resumes, cover letters) to be reviewed by a career adviser or Career Ambassador Team member.  Drop-in Career Advising is available several weekdays. More information

Career Hub Alerts 

You can personalize your Career Hub alerts so that we only send you information that is valuable to you. You can choose topics, frequency, and layout! Click on the Personalize Your Hub button at the top of the page for more information.

Workshops, Programs and Events

A number of workshops, discussions, career fairs and unique advising opportunities are offered each year to help you explore and make decisions.

Handshake

View and apply for thousands of opportunities available around the world (many posted especially for Duke students). On-Campus Interviews (actually on campus or remote) are managed through Handshake. You will want to keep an eye on Handshake for career events and opportunities. Log in and update your profile today–https://duke.joinhandshake.com

What if I’m Not Sure About an Offer?

The Career Center team knows how challenging it can be to decide between multiple job or internship offers and we get that sometimes you have a case of FOMO (fear of missing out), which motivates you to continue searching for …

By Monique K. Turrentine Holmes
Monique K. Turrentine Holmes Associate Director, Employer Relations
Read more »

Karsh Conversation: The Intersection of Law, Entertainment & Athletics

The Career Center will be hosting the next installment of Karsh Conversations on Tuesday October 3rd at 6pm in the Divinity School (Westbrook 0012W). Karsh Conversations: The Intersection of Law, Entertainment and Athletics will feature Piper Mitchell, Esq, Director of Human Resources here at Duke.

By Kai Kelley Jr. (he/him)
Kai Kelley Jr. (he/him) Assistant Director, Entertainment, Media & Arts Career Community
Read more »

Design Your Duke Experience

The Career Center has 6 cool suggestions for you to begin to Design your Duke Experience!

Are you deciding about how you can begin to be actively engaged within Duke? Well, never fear, as you continue throughout your semester take …

By Alicia Rhodes (she/her)
Alicia Rhodes (she/her) Assistant Director, Career Services
Read more »

15 Questions to Guide Career/Company Selection

Choosing the right career or company is a significant decision, and asking yourself thoughtful questions can help you make an informed choice. Here are some great questions to consider:

These questions should help you assess whether you align with a …

By Sh'Maughn Wright, He/Him/His
Sh'Maughn Wright, He/Him/His Career Specialist
Read more »

Lockin China: 80 Days Event for Global Young Talents

If you’re an international student from China or interested in working in China, you might be interested in the Lockin China 80 Days Event.

Lockin China is a platform that focuses on the development of Chinese overseas talents. This Autumn, …

By Hal Matthews (he/him)
Hal Matthews (he/him) Associate Director, Global Careers
Read more »

Sidebar

Career Readiness Resources

Duke Catalyst

Before declaring your major, before your first job, before that interview, before you leave Duke what are you doing to …

What’s Career Got To Do With It? Podcast

A much-loved podcast brought to you by four Career Center team members who hope to provide a space for honest …

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