Career Fellows

2017

• CCPD attended a think tank hosted by the Career Leadership Collective, where career center professionals were challenged to scale their reach across campus and serve more students.  CCPD launched Resume Lab which served 840 students during the first year.
   

2018

• Expanded Resume Lab to include topics such as internship and job search, interviewing and networking!  Rebranded as Career Lab to reflect the broader scope of service.
   

2019

• Received the inaugural gift from Jim Hernjak, ‘96, ‘97G, a dedicated volunteer who served Lehigh in various roles including: the Young Alumni Council, The Lehigh University Alumni Association (LUAA) Board of Directors, and Young Alumni Trustee for the Board of Trustees.

2023

• Expanded Career Lab to include 14 Career Fellows. The Career Fellow program was incorporated into CCPD's career integration plans across all colleges.  CCPD staff present in classrooms and guide students to continue their learning through Career Lab.

2024

• As a result of Jim Hernjak's philanthropic support, the Career Fellow program continues to thrive; serving 2,000+ students during fiscal year 2024.

We’re proud to share the positive feedback from Lehigh students who attend Career Lab each year. There were 1459 student check-ins to Career Lab in the Fall 2024 semester.

• Those students represented all of our colleges
• Of the 1459 student check-ins, there were 568 optional exit survey responses:
  • When asked: After today's visit, do you feel more confident in the topic you chose to address? 99.5% answered yes
  • When asked: How satisfied were you with Career Lab? 97.4% answered 4 or 5 (5 being the most satisfied)
  • When asked: How did you hear about Career Lab? 36.2% said they’d been to Career Lab before and 27.9% were referred by faculty/staff

Career Lab

If you’d like to work with a Career Fellow on topics such as resumes, cover letters, interviewing, you can visit the Career Lab in Maginnes Hall 500 Monday to Friday from 11am to 4pm. No appointment is needed—just stop in!

Workshops

Student organizations and clubs can request a professional development workshop facilitated by Career Fellows. Sample topics include resume and cover letter writing, networking and LinkedIn, how to market your organization/club role in interviews, and more. Workshops will be tailored for your organization/club. If you’d like to request a workshop, please submit a request form here at least two weeks in advance of your proposed workshop date.

If you're interested in becoming a Career Fellow, applications will be available on Handshake starting in January. The application period will close in February, and review of applications begins immediately. Interviews will be conducted in March, and offer letters will be sent via email in mid-April. If you have any questions about the position or application process, you may contact Aislinn Strohecker (aislinn.strohecker@lehigh.edu).

Qualifications

Required qualifications of a Career Fellow include:

• Ability to commit 4-8 hours a week for the entire academic year (excluding holidays and breaks)
• At least 2 weekday shifts (hours between 11 AM - 4 PM)
• Occasional evening availability for programs (hours between 5 PM - 9 PM)
• Ability to attend mandatory pre-semester trainings, monthly Career Fellow meetings, and twice per semester one-on-one meetings with supervisor (see below)
• Good academic standing (GPA above a 2.8)
• Current First-year, Sophomore, Junior, Master's, or Doctoral candidate (any major or program)
  • Current Senior if returning for a fifth year or as a graduate student

Preferred qualifications of a Career Fellow include: 

• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Excellent interpersonal and organizational skills
• Proven ability to balance multiple projects and prioritize effectively
• Capable of working both independently and as part of a team
• Confidence in public speaking
• Proactive in identifying student needs and offering thoughtful solutions
• Enthusiasm for and experience with helping and mentoring others
• Interest in career and professional development
• A student-centered approach
• A completed Handshake profile
• Previous engagement with the Center for Career & Professional Development

What Being a Fellow Entails

The main responsibilities of a Career Fellow will be as follows:

• Facilitate Career Lab
• Promote and represent CCPD throughout campus
• Understand and effectively communicate to students the programs and services offered by CCPD  (i.e. Career Lab, large-scale programming initiatives, career coaching appointments, Handshake, etc.)
• Assist with programming implementation (i.e. planning, organizing, marketing, executing, assessing)
• Participate as a team member during the Fall & Spring Career Expo
• Deliver presentations and workshops to campus partners on career-related topics (i.e. resumes, interviewing, networking, etc.)
• Provide services for other areas as needed (i.e. employer relations, operations, career education, marketing, etc.)
• Provide administrative support and support for special projects 

Benefits of Being a Fellow 

• $11/hour base pay for undergraduate students, $15/hour base pay for graduate students
  • Pay increase each subsequent year as a Career Fellow
• Comprehensive training on career development topics
• Ongoing professional development and opportunities to expand your career education skills
• A valuable on-campus leadership role where you’ll make a meaningful impact on the professional development of your peers