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Career Services

SIS students have access to both the AU Career Center and the SIS Office of Career Development. The following sections provide more information about the services, events, and programs available to SIS juniors, seniors, and graduate students.

SIS Career Week

SIS Career Week, February 27 to March 3, is a weeklong event for students to jump start their career development with resume help, info sessions, seminars, and the first ever, SIS International Affairs Career Fair! Register for all events and programs on Handshake.

Monday, February 27

Resume Workshop- join us for an interactive workshop on resume best practices

  • 10am-11am in the SIS Founders Room

Resume Review Drop-Ins- bring your resume and any questions you have to a drop-in session in the SIS Founder's Room. No appointment necessary.

  • 11am-1pm in the SIS Founders Room and virtually via Zoom
  • 4pm-7pm in the SIS Founders Room and virtually via Zoom

Networking for your Career Seminar- hear from AU Distinguished Practitioner in Residence, Sherry Mueller, about how to put your best foot forward and tips for making the most of your time at the fair

  • 2pm-3pm in the SIS Founders Room

Tuesday, February 28, 2-5pm 

Wednesday, March 1, 2-5pm

Registration Opens on Tuesday, January 31.
 
The 1st annual SIS International Affairs Career Fair will bring top employers to students and alumni for internships and full-time jobs in a variety of international affairs sectors. Don't miss this two-day opportunity to learn more about career opportunities and to network with employers. 

Registration Opens on Tuesday, January 31. Log into your Handshake account and look for the 2023 SIS International Affairs Career Fair under Events > Fair Search.

If you would like to request disability-related accommodations or accessibility information for the fair, please contact the event host, Claudia Coscia at coscia@american.edu.  

Thursday, March 2

During SIS Career Week, we'll be hosting a number of different seminars and info sessions for students to attend. Please sign up for all sessions you are interested in! Sessions and seminars are open to all AU students but some might have a specific SIS focus, so please read the description carefully.

All info sessions will take place on Thursday, March 2. More information about each session will be available soon. Some examples of possible sessions include: 

  • How to Ask for More: Navigating Salary Negotiation for Women and Gender Minorities
  • Peace Corps: Insights and Opportunities
  • AU Study Abroad: making the most of your international internship
  • SIS Undergraduate Advising
  • and more!

Thursday, March 2

We're partnering with international relations recruiters and SIS alumni to host a day of mock interviews and informational interviews.

Mock interviews allow students to have a 1:1 practice interview with an experienced SIS alumni hiring manager. Practice answering questions, introducing yourself, and get used to the interview process in a low-stakes environment and hear feedback and advice from real hiring managers.

Informational Interviews allow students to meet an employer/alumni for a 1:1 session. Ask questions about their organization, jobs, and what it takes to work with their company. Learn more about them and practice speaking with employers and introducing yourself in a low-key, stress-free environment.

More information about our partner employers and alumni will be available soon. Registration will be on Handshake.

Friday, March 3

Join us on Friday for the final event of career week, a networking reception and panel discussion hosted by Girl Secuirty, an organization that is driving change in national security through mentoring, workforce training, and professional advancement for girls, women, and gender minorities.

More information will be available soon.

Additional Events and Programs

Outside of Career Week, we have a variety of other opportunities to engage with our office and develop your career skills.

We offer one-on-one career coaching tailored to your personal career development needs and goals. Topics covered include career exploration, career planning, résumé and cover letter writing, networking, internship and job search strategy, interviewing, offer negotiation, applying to graduate school, and more. Appointments are made via email or through Handshake. Learn more here.

We organize a full calendar of innovative programs and events to help you explore career possibilities, develop professional interests and competencies, integrate academic learning with work, and connect with alumni and other industry contacts. To see a list of our upcoming events, search Handshake Events for keyword SIS. Learn more about our signature events and programs below.

Handshake is the university's online career platform where students and alumni can schedule career advising appointments, search and apply for thousands of internships and jobs, and sign up to participate in career events. To log in, enter your AU credentials. If you cannot remember your login information, click on the "Forgot Password" link to reset your password or contact the AU Career Center at careercenter@american.edu for help.

We regularly engage with alumni, recruiters, and other industry contacts to maximize opportunities for our students. From these relationships, we learn about hiring trends and gather employment data that we incorporate throughout all facets of our career support and regularly share with faculty and staff colleagues across the school.

During spring break, we give students the opportunity to spend a full or half day on the job with an alum. Visits may include observing daily work, an office tour, sitting in on meetings and/or helping with events, and informational interviews with other employees at the organization.

The SIS Mentoring Program connects students with alumni mentors for one academic year. Our volunteer mentors help students explore post-graduation pathways, learn how to create networks that support their goals, and move towards their next professionals steps. The program is open to juniors, seniors, and graduate students. Students and alumni do not need to be based in the DC area to participate.

When you become an SIS student, you join a diverse and remarkable community of over 25,000 alumni around the world. Our alumni serve as a source of inspiration, guidance, and support to current students, and we offer formal and informal networking opportunities in our events and programs throughout the year.

The SIS career team manages the SIS Career Resource Library, an expansive online library of self-service career resources available exclusively to SIS students and alumni. Current students and alumni may email siscareer@american.edu with their full name and AU ID for the password.

We send the SIS Career Digest email to juniors and seniors three times each semester with a list of opportunities and upcoming events, as well as profiles of successful student interns and alumni. Likewise, every Tuesday, we send graduate students the Career Compass to promote networking opportunities and to share internships and jobs sent to us directly by alumni and employers.

Well-written résumés, CVs, and cover letters open the door for students to meet and interview with employers. We strongly encourage you to work with our advisors to create polished application materials that will catch the attention of recruiters and hiring managers. To help you get started, we offer templates and advice online.

Faculty who find themselves unavailable to hold class are invited to request a career advisor and/or alumni guest speaker to present to their students. Topics covered can include career exploration, résumé and cover letter writing, networking, internships, job search strategy, interviewing, and offer negotiation. Our team is also happy to moderate discussions with one or more alumni to showcase career pathways and offer information and advice relevant to course material. Faculty may submit requests to Claudia Coscia at coscia@american.edu.