Career Resources for First-Generation & Limited-Income Students

Welcome to a team that values your journey and is committed to your success.

The WashU Center for Career Engagement is committed to supporting the unique experiences and success of our first-generation and limited-income students. We understand that many FLI students face additional obstacles when approaching processes related to exploring different careers, searching for internships/jobs, and applying to advanced-degree programs. Our goal is to provide the guidance and resources you need to thrive.

As a member of the WashU community, you have access to an array of services designed to help you navigate your academic and career paths effectively:

Personalized Career Coaching and Planning: Tailored support to help you identify your strengths, explore career options, and plan your future. Make an Appointment with a Career Coach.
Career Assessment: Career coaches offer in-depth assessments and discussions to help you understand yourself and explore possibilities. Make an Appointment with a Career Coach or get started on your own with Focus2 Career Assessment.
Skills Training: Seek tools and training to enhance your career readiness, professionalism and skill set. Chat with a coach or create a learning plan using LinkedIn Learning. Click here to sign up for your free LinkedIn Learning account (only available to current students, faculty, and staff).
Networking Opportunities: Connections to a global community of leaders, recruiters, influencer networks, and WashU alumni. Check our events and view potential mentors in WashUCNX.

Explore our comprehensive Career Resources and Tools, join career communities for targeted support, and engage with our dedicated coaches to maximize your WashU experience.

Helpful Resources & Programs

What Can I Do With This Major: Click “View Resource” and find information on common career paths, types of employers that hire, and strategies to maximize opportunity for 100 major fields.

Pershing Fellowship in Non-profit Leadership: A paid summer internship program in St. Louis offered through the Center for Career Engagement. The program provides experience, programming, and financial support to WashU undergraduate students interested in non-profit leadership.

Chancellor’s Career Fellows Program: A fully-funded career education experience for selected WashU second-year undergraduate students whose family income is less than $75,000. The goal of the program is to increase career access and future career success for under-resourced WashU undergraduates.

First-Generation College Student Career Barriers (and How to Overcome Them): With each generation, the transition into and out of college and then to the workplace becomes more accessible as we rely on each other’s mistakes, failures, and guidance to progress. Learn strategies to overcome seven common first-gen career barriers.

Stipends for Unpaid Summer Internships: The Center for Career Engagement has a program to help offset the costs of unpaid summer internships and provides a limited number of stipends to qualified undergraduate students.

Professional Clothes Closet: The Taylor Family Center for Student Success and the Center for Career Engagement are expanding the Professional Clothes Closet to ensure equitable access to free business attire for students for work, interviews, professional conferences and events. Shop on Mondays in the Office of Scholar Programs, Danforth University Center, Suite 300–bring your WashU ID to shop twice per semester.

2018-08-23–First year students during the Res College Cheers on the South 40

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