Parents & Families: Greetings from Georgetown’s Career Center
Posted in Announcements News
May 5, 2020
Greetings From The Career Center!
Spring 2020 has been quite the semester. We went from what we expected to be a fairly typical spring on campus to studying from home, working from home, and facing one of the most economically challenging times in history. While we don’t know what the future will hold, we at the Cawley Career Education Center have pivoted to provide a suite of career development programs (new window) to help students (re-)create a summer that will be productive and fruitful, even in the face of uncertainty.
In this newsletter you will find:
- A (new window)series of summer career development opportunities (new window) that we have created for students this summer, in conjunction with the Red House and the Baker Trust for Transformational Learning.
- A summary of the impact of COVID-19 (new window) on Georgetown undergraduate jobs and internships, as well as what the Cawley Career Center has done to support these students.
- Ways for students to connect (new window) with our Center for career support throughout the summer. We are open and ready to help!
Please feel free to peruse the articles and encourage your student to reach out to us for any support s/he may need. We are here and open all summer.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to reach out at careercenter@georgetown.edu (new window). Take care and be well!
Best,
Susan Campbell, Director
Cawley Career Education Center
Parent/Family Quick Poll
Would you participate in a webinar to learn more about Georgetown’s Career Development Summer 2020 programs and services for returning students and recent graduates?
Please complete this form (new window) to indicate your interest and share any questions you may have. If a webinar is scheduled, it will be hosted by the Cawley Career Education Center during the week of May 18. Date and time TBD. You will be notified and asked to register.
In partnership with the Red House and Baker Trust for Transformational Learning, the Cawley Career Education Center is offering students a series of new and expanded credit and non-credit experiences to advance career exploration and professional skills development.
The Summer 2020 offerings are:
- REFLECT: Career Courses (new window) (1 credit courses). One-credit courses provide students with the essential tools of reflection, strategy, and resources designed to guide them toward paths of meaningful work and life beyond the Hilltop. Financial aid available; no cost if enrolled in other summer session courses.
- UP-SKILL: Career Co-Labs (new window) (skill modules – e.g., project management). Compact modules that offer job-ready skills through faculty coaching on material from existing courses, LinkedIn Learning modules, and corporate sources. No cost if enrolled in other summer session courses.
- EXPLORE: Career Pathways. Weekly seminars to explore and reflect on five career fields through conversations and presentations with alumni, faculty, and career coaches. No cost. Students can register via Handshake (new window).
- PLAN: Careers in a Time of Crisis. A series of opportunities for students to examine our current moment in the context of recession and the gig economy. No cost. Students can register via Handshake (new window).
- EXPERIENCE: VIEW – Virtual Immersions & Experiential Work. Career Immersions (new window) (short-term projects/”micro-internships”): A signature program, GU Virtual Immersions & Experiential Work (VIEW), that pairs students with alumni-sponsored projects for immersive, part-time, short-term (1-to-8 week) projects. No cost. Students will be able to apply to these opportunities via Handshake beginning May 15.
*Are you an alum or parent who has a project that a student could work on to develop resume-building skills? If so, please click here (new window) to learn more and to complete the Google Project Form.
Impact of COVID-19 on Hiring of Georgetown Undergraduates*

*As of April 23, 2020
Below are estimates as to how the changing job market is affecting Georgetown undergraduate students who have already obtained an offer for a job or internship. (Many students are still looking, as organizations often recruit in late spring/early summer (new window) even in a strong economy). We looked at our top 100 employers, and based on first destination data (new window), outreach to employers, and responses from our students we have estimated the following:
- % of Full-Time offers rescinded in the Class of 2020: 5.76%
- % of Internship offers rescinded in the class of 2021: 9.59%
The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) (new window) began surveying employers at the beginning of the crisis and has been updating numbers every other week. According to NACE’s current data (N=289), 61% of employers are NOT revoking any offers; 16% of employers are revoking offers to interns; 2% of employers are revoking offers to full-time recruits. Many employers are pushing back full-time start dates to the fall.
It’s unclear how accurate these numbers are given NACE’s survey design and, of course, the overall fluidity of the economy.
What is the Cawley Career Center doing to support these students and those whose summer plans have been impacted by COVID-19?
- We emailed all seniors on March 24, offering one-on-one support with a staff member. To date, 140+ have responded and have been paired with a Career Counselor or Industry Advisor.
- We have moved our advising services to a virtual platform (new window), while still being available on a daily basis to support all students.
- We have created new summer career development opportunities (new window) within the contexts of for-credit courses, non-credit panels with alumni, and short-term, resume building projects.
If your student is in need of career support of any kind, please know that we are available all summer to assist. We will continue to support Hoyas as needed in these unprecedented times.
Questions or concerns? Please feel free to email careercenter@georgetown.edu (new window).
Ways for Students and Families to Connect
Here is a summary of the services we offer to all students, including the graduates of the Class of 2020, during this upcoming summer:
- Drop-in Appointments via Zoom (new window): Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Eastern.
- One-on-One Appointments with Career Counselors and Industry Advisors. Students may sign up via Handshake (new window); appointment times vary by counselor.
- Newsletters (new window). We will continue sending out our General Newsletter* to all students every other week and will send out our opt-in Industry Newsletters monthly.
- Social Media. Students and their families are encouraged to follow us on Facebook (new window) and Instagram (new window) for more regular updates.
Questions? Students can always email us at careercenter@georgetown.edu (new window).
*Please note that all students are automatically signed up for the weekly General newsletter when they arrive on campus but must opt-in to industry newsletters (new window) based on their interest. Students should check their “Promotions” folder to ensure they are receiving the general newsletter each Monday!