About Us

Our Purpose

The Career Center exists to empower career choice and action.
Our Mission

We coach and support Illinois students, while connecting them to opportunities, as they make career decisions and learn lifelong career management skills. We serve as leaders of the University of Illinois career services community and intentionally pursue leadership opportunities that move our work and field forward.

Success Pillars
  • Keeping students at the center of our work.
  • Doing the routine extraordinarily well.
  • Providing relevant services and resources that are grounded in career development and theory and informed by data.
  • Building and supporting our team while leveraging each person’s diverse talents, skills, and perspectives.
Values
  • Investing in relationships. We recognize that we cannot do it alone. We actively collaborate with a genuine desire and willingness to connect and pursue partnerships to widen our reach and enhance our impact. We keep an open mind, listen to each other, facilitate connections, and seek mutual benefit.
  • Encompassing knowledge and expertise. We learn from the past, seek insight from each other, and actively engage in inquiry to motivate and shape the future. We leverage expertise, data, resources, and stories to guide our decision making. Career and student development theories are strong foundations for our practice, and we engage in continuous learning.
  • Embracing purposeful creativity. We engage innovation and foster a sense of curiosity to be exceptional and relevant to the ever-changing landscape and student experience. Our creativity is powerful when it is connected to our purpose and informed by our experiences.
  • Believing leadership is an action. We acknowledge that we are all leaders, and everyone’s unique perspective and contributions is essential. We advocate for career services and influence the field on campus and beyond.

Who We Serve

We serve students from all majors and degree levels from the moment they arrive on campus.

We equip students with the vital tools and resources to empower and prepare them for the next step in their academic and career path.

We guide students through a journey of self-discovery and the career development process to help them successfully transition from the University to a thriving life and career.

Visit The Career Center for:

  • Career and major exploration
  • Job and internship preparation
  • Health professions advising
  • Graduate and professional school assistance

Those eligible for The Career Center’s services and programs are:

  • Students enrolled in residential degree programs.
  • Alumni for one year following graduation are eligible for one 30-minute career coaching session, on-site use of the Career Empowerment Hub (formerly called the Career Resource Library), and access to Handshake.
  • Alumni interested in health professions are eligible for pre-health advising at any time.
  • Students enrolled in online programs and students who did not receive a degree are not eligible for The Career Center services or programs.