CAREER SERVICES

REALIZE YOUR PURPOSE. EXPERIENCE MORE.

Career development and vocational discernment are lifelong processes that you have the opportunity to explore during your four years at Wartburg. 

We can assist you in: 

  • Identifying and reflecting on your strengths, passions, values, interests, and skills. 
  • Understanding how your characteristics relate to your professional life. 
  • Identifying resources that will connect you to areas for further exploration.
  • Developing and pursuing your long-term plans for life after Wartburg.

Career Services has a variety of interest and personality inventories to help you pinpoint your interests and possible corresponding career choices. Some popular options include Strong Interest Inventory (SII), Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), and Life Values Inventory. The Student Success Center staff can help you learn about the majors available at Wartburg and help you decide which major is right for you.

Launch Your Career
Job Search Resources

handshake logo

ON-CAMPUS JOBS     FULL-TIME JOBS     PART-TIME JOBS     INTERNSHIPS     VOLUNTEER SERVICE

Every Wartburg student has an account set-up for them.  Click on the above link and enter your Wartburg Username including the @wartburg.edu and your password.  If you don’t remember your password, click “Forgot Password” on the Student Login page.

At Wartburg, we partner with employers in a variety of ways. We offer access to quality students via unlimited job and internship postings on our online system (Handshake), on-campus interviewing, fall and spring career fairs, and events throughout the year. We look forward to working with you to develop a customized approach to support your recruiting efforts.

Career Services and Student Life coordinate on-campus recruiting for full-time, part-time and internship positions. In addition, you can also schedule information tables in the Student Center to promote your organization by calling us at (319) 352-8383. 

Diversity
If your organization values human differences as an asset, works to sustain a culture that reflects the interests, contributions, and perspectives of members of diverse groups, then consider hiring Wartburg College graduates. 

Hiring International Students
By completing a course of study at Wartburg, these students demonstrate a wide variety of skills. They are completely bilingual, and many speak multiple languages; they have adapted to life in another culture; they have excelled academically, and have lived independently. They possess a sense of determination and are driven to build workplace skills and succeed at the highest levels. We encourage you to consider hiring these students for internship and full-time positions.  International students are eligible for internships (pre- or post-graduation), or short-term employment (up to a year) with virtually no requirements placed upon the employer. With a little more effort and minimal expense, employers may hire international students for up to six years (in three-year blocks).

Share your experiences

  • Volunteer to be a guest speaker or panelist to provide advice and inspire students during in-person and virtual events.
  • Alumni-in-Residence: Return to campus one or two days to meet with students one-on-one to discuss career paths, occupations, industry information, the hiring process and more.

Recruit Wartburg students

Off-campus opportunities

  • Job Shadow Host: Help students investigate a career field and make connections by hosting students for a one-day site visit.  Participate in the Orange Connection Job Shadowing program held every Winter Term.

How we can help you with your career transitions
We offer one-on-one advising sessions for alumni who are looking for jobs or considering a different career path. For more information contact Career Services at 319-352-8330.

Office Phone 319-352-8260 | Fax: 319-352-8605 | Hours: Monday-Friday 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Résumés, Cover Letters, and Interviews

Your résumé and cover letter are marketing tools that the average employer takes about 20 seconds to initially review. They’re not reading; they’re skimming. So you need to make it clear how you can add value to the employer with both of these documents.  Neither your cover letter or your résumé can get you the job you want; hiring managers look at your interview conduct to determine whether they want to extend a job offer. Stop by the Student Success Center or call (319) 352-8615 to schedule an appointment for help organizing your career search process.

Use the tabs of resources above to get a head start on these important career search tools.

 A strong cover letter will answer two questions:  Why are you the right fit for the position? And how will you add value to the organization? A standard cover letter contains four paragraphs. Each paragraph represents a separate part of your message to employers. Make sure you provide a glimpse of your personality and communicate your value.  Customize your cover letter to each position you’re applying for.  You want to entice the employer to interview you. 

Paragraph 1-The Opening
 
Capture the employer’s interest and explain why you are applying for the position.  State your employment objective (the position or area in which you are interested) and describe your academic qualifications (degree level and major, if relevant). You may also describe how you learned of the position or organization (a personal referral, posting on the employment Web site, ad in the newspaper, etc.)

Paragraph 2-The Body 
Describe your “competitive advantage” over other candidates. Relate your qualifications to the specific job requirements and type of organization and use examples to back up these qualifications. Describe your educational and work experience and how it would make a “good match” with the needs of that specific organization

Paragraph 3 –The “Sell” 
Research the company or organization and incorporate any relevant research into this paragraph.  Highlight anything that impressed or excited you about the company or organization – show why you are interested in working at the organization.  Show how your skills and their needs are a perfect match by using concrete examples.

Paragraph 4-The “Close” 
Always thank the employer for considering your application. Provide a phone number and e-mail address where you can be reached. Request an interview at the employer’s convenience and indicate that you will call to arrange an interview.  End the letter with Sincerely and your name.

Cover Letter Samples

A résumé is a one-to two-page summary of your education, experiences, skills, and accomplishments. Résumés are a marketing tool designed to move you to the next stage of the employment process – – the interview. It is the main tool in your job search and its development should require significant time. Strong résumés don’t have to be lengthy. Remember when highlighting your experience, start with action verbs focused on meeting the needs of the employer. To start, it is helpful to assess your skills, interests, values, experience, educational history, and goals.

The Chronological Format is most widely used and the easiest to prepare. Your qualifications are exhibited through previous job descriptions, starting with your most recent position and working back through the years. This format is particularly effective if your work experience is directly related to your current job objective.

Career Services has over one hundred examples available for students to review in the resource library.

Samples (PDF) – General |  Business | Education | Public Relations | Psychology

The Functional Format enables you to highlight your abilities and potential rather than work history. You may focus on transferable skills that are applicable in any number of employment situations. It can be a desirable format for those whose skills have been developed through activities and education rather than specific job experience.

The Finished Product
Consider your audience. Does your résumé focus on those requirements? Is it readable for the employer? Is your format consistent? Did you use too many boldsitalics, or underlines? Your résumé should be error-free, well planned, and neatly organized.

Resume Videos:

Advance preparation for interviews helps you know what you want to say ahead of time, which helps you articulate your thoughts in a clear, concise manner.

Step 1: Identify your skills, interests, and career goals before you arrive at the interview.

Step 2: Research and study your prospective employer. Learn about their services or products, the number of employees, the financial situation, competitors, problems, the management style, culture, and employee benefits. 

Step 3: What you wear is important. Impressions are formed during the first few minutes of the interview. Dress appropriately for the organization.  Convey an image of professionalism. 

Step 4: You may wish to carry a briefcase or a professional-looking notebook with your questions written in advance. Used appropriately, a portfolio can put you ahead of other job candidates and make the difference in getting a job offer! 

Step 5: Follow-up is essential after all interviews. Be sure to write a thank-you note to your interviewer. If you have met with more than one person, which is fairly standard during the second interview, send a thank-you note to each person.  This letter is an opportunity to add any important information in support of your application that you may have neglected to mention or emphasize in the interview.  

Mock Interview Program: To schedule a mock interview, contact the Student Success Center at (319) 352-8615.

CAREER STAFF

Derek Solheim '93

Associate Dean of Students

Amy Tucker '10

Assistant Director for Career & Alumni Engagement

Jo Dorrance

Associate Director for Internships

Isabel Robbins

Office Coordinator, Student Success Center and Journalism & Comm., and Camps & Conference Assistant