The Hameetman Career Center provides individual attention to students and alumni, helping to connect classroom learning to life after Oxy. Whether speaking with a first-year or a graduate, Career Services, National and International Fellowships and Pre-Health Advising counselors help students clarify academic and professional goals and develop strategies to achieve them.
- I have heard about the Hameetman Career Center. Where is it located and how is it organized?
- How many students are employed as of one year after graduation?
- How many students are served by Career Services annually?
- What procedure shoud students follow to obtain an internship?
- Where are Oxy graduates employed?
- How many Oxy graduates attend graduate school?
- What are some of the graduate schools attended by Oxy alumni?
- Does Career Services engage with parents and families about opportunities for Oxy students?
- Should my student apply for national and/or international fellowships, scholarships or other funded awards?
- What resources are available to assist my students when applying for national awards?
- How does Oxy prepare students for a career in medicine?
I have heard about the Hameetman Career Center. Where is it located and how is it organized?
The Hameetman Career Center (HCC) is located on the first floor of the Arthur G. Coons (AGC) building. The AGC building is the main administrative building centrally located on campus. The HCC is organized into three different departments: Career Services; Pre-Health Advising; and National & International Awards and Fellowship Advising. The largest of the departments is Career Services.
Career Services provides six core services: (1) career education and career advice; (2) access to internships; (3) pre-law advice; (4) employer, alumni, and parent engagement; (5) job search; and (6) employer recruiting events.
How many students are employed as of one year after graduation?
The Hameetman Career Center's annual surveys place the number of Oxy students who find jobs within one year of graduation at 95%. This percentage includes full time employment, part-time employment, national service, and volunteering.
How many students are served by Career Services annually?
Career Services helps more than 2,500 Oxy students annually.
What procedure should students follow to obtain an internship?
Experienced career advisors are available to provide guidance for all students interested in pursuing fall, spring, or summer internships. Students may schedule an appointment with a career advisor through Handshake (our new career management system) or come directly to the HCC during walk-in hours. Students can search, review and apply to hundreds of internship opportunities throughout the year through Handshake.
Throughout each semester, Career Services also offers a variety of career development workshops that focus on internship programs, including Conducting an Internship Search, Internship Search Bootcamp, Making the Most of Your Summer Internships, Resume Writing and Interviewing Skills. Students can also access a broad range of online resources 24/7 through their Handshake account.
Paid internship opportunities are also available through Oxy's InternLA summer internship program, and various degree programs. Students may also learn about various internship and research opportunities by speaking with faculty or the International Programs Office, Undergraduate Research Center, or Center for Community Based Learning.
Where are Oxy graduates employed?
Oxy grads work across all sectors and industries, including business, law, entertainment, financial services, medicine, art, technology, policy, government and more. There are alumni at major corporations such as Google, Facebook, Apple, Human Rights Watch, Goldman Sachs, Deloitte, Bain & Company, UN organizations, law firms and a variety of not for profit organizations, foundations and in higher education. You can also find alumni working in various capacities in local, state and federal government.
How many Oxy graduates attend graduate school?
An estimated 70-75% of Oxy alumni receive a graduate degree following their time at Oxy. Many alumni pursue a master's degree or Ph.D. degree either a few years after graduating from Oxy or even 10 or 15 years later. Overall, the Oxy average is 20-25% higher than the national average for graduate school enrollment. In 2015, Oxy ranked 26th among all American colleges and universities for the rate at which Oxy produces graduates who earn Ph.D.s in economics.
What are some of the graduate schools attend by Oxy alumni?
Oxy alumni are currently enrolled at many of the leading graduate schools, including:
- Columbia University
- Duke University
- Georgetown University
- Harvard University
- Johns Hopkins University
- Lewis and Clark
- Loyola Marymount University
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- New York University
- Queen's University Belfast
- Stanford Graduate School of Business
- Stanford Law School
- Stanford University
- Syracuse University
- Rhode Island School of Design
- University of California, Berkeley
- University of California, Los Angeles
- University of Southern California
- University of Washington
- Yale University
Does Career Services engage with parents and families about opportunities for Oxy students?
Yes. Families are an important part of each student's Oxy experience. Career Services welcomes parents and family members who can provide employment opportunities for Oxy students, especially internships, and full-time, entry level employment opportunities for seniors. Family members, who are interested in speaking with students about their career experiences, should contact Career Services at careers@oxy.edu.
Should my student apply for national and/or international fellowships, scholarships or other funded awards?
Students and alumni of Occidental College have a history of winning highly competitive, externally-funded grants and scholarships for service projects and academic study. Students with a record of academic achievement and accomplishments outside the classroom—including leadership, community work, on-campus involvement, or research experience—are encouraged to apply.
Each fellowship or scholarship has its own application process. Most awards require a research or study proposal, a personal statement or essay, academic transcripts, and letters of recommendations. Some also require an interview. Students may apply for certain awards directly, but many awards require the College to endorse or nominate candidates. Thus there is often an internal Oxy deadline before the national deadline.
Students usually apply for fellowships while they are undergraduates, though opportunities are also available to alumni.
What resources are available to assist my students when applying for national awards?
The Office of National and International Fellowships, faculty advisors and College staff are here to help Oxy students throughout the application process. The fellowships director holds individual advising appointments, provides application feedback, manages nomination procedures and helps candidates prepare for any scheduled interviews.
It is never too early to set up an appointment to discuss these enriching, valuable opportunities. Students may be eligible for a fellowship from the very first semester at Oxy, until several years after graduation.
Other campus resources available to assist students in the application process are the Writing Center, Career Services and the Office of Community Engagement.
How does Oxy prepare students for a career in medicine?
The Office of Pre-Health Advising (OPHA) at Occidental College provides information, resources, and in-depth advisement to students and alumni who are interested in matriculating to professional graduate programs in various health professions.
Occidental's rigorous liberal arts curriculum helps students build an excellent foundation for medical school and other allied health fields. Oxy offers excellent research opportunities for students to work closely with faculty of 10:1, Students have ample opportunities to interact and collaborate with faculty in and out of the classroom. Through those interactions, faculty and staff get to know our students well and become advocates of the students in all their future endeavors.
Contacts
Career Services
Phone: (323) 259-2623
Email: careers@oxy.edu
National and International Fellowships
Phone: (323) 259-2742
Email: jlocke@oxy.edu
Pre-Health Advising
Phone: (323) 259-2955
Email: prehealthadvising@oxy.edu
Pre-Law Advising
Email: mleon@oxy.edu