CoLA Career Development
CoLA is dedicated to providing career development opportunities for students. Please view the resources below. If you have any questions, reach out to Rachel Wolters, Coordinator for Recruitment and Retention.
SIU's Career Development Center has numerous resources for students. They host employment events; have information on internships, externships, and experiential education; have lists of job search links; help students develop professional skills such as creating resumes/CVs and cover letters; host interview opportunities; and offer a professional clothing closet.
Upcoming Professional Development Opportunities
CoLA Career Week with Alumni: October 20-24, 2025
"What You Need to Know for Grad School" Info Session: Wednesday, November 12, 2025 11:00-1:00
Pre-Law Workshop with Simmons Law School: November 13, 2025: 11:00-1:00
Resume and Financial Wellness Info Session: Wednesday, February 11, 2026 11:00-1:00
Pre-Law Workshop with Simmons Law School: Spring Date TBA
CoLA Alumni Stories
SIU Extern Program
Spring Break
March 9–13, 2026
**Apply by November 15th!
Don’t have time for a full-semester internship? Spend your spring break gaining valuable professional experience through the SIU Extern Program!The Extern Program is a one-week, unpaid career preparation and exploration opportunity designed to help current students:
· Gain real-world knowledge in a field of interest
· Explore career options and clarify career goals
· Build professional connections and expand networks
Many past participants have discovered lifelong mentors, secured internships, and even landed full-time job offers through this program.
Current Participating Employers
(Apply to no more than TWO opportunities. You may only accept ONE offer.)
1. Ameren Illinois
2. Carbondale Fire Department
3. Chicago Executive Flight School
4. City of Murphysboro
5. Flex-Line Automation, Inc.
6. Guidon Design Externship
7. Kemmerer Village, Inc.
8. Lake Forest Country Day School
9. Lallemand Baking
10. Northwestern Mutual
11. NPT Special Education Cooperative
12. Pampered Chef
13. Piper Aircraft
14. Prysmian
15. Regional Brain and Spine, LLC
16. Sentinel Technologies
17. Seward House Museum
18. Southern Illinois Healthcare (SIH)
19. Stevens Industries
How to Apply
1. Go to siu.joinhandshake.com
2. Search for the employer’s name “SIU Extern Program”
3. Submit your application by November 15, 2025
SIU Career Development Center
www.careerdevelopment.siu.edu
618.453.2391
The Global Career Accelerator
CoLA has partnered with Podium Education to offer the Global Career Accelerator. Through this program, students take a 3 credit hour SIU course and complete virtual internships with global companies. Please see the SIU Global Career Accelerator website for further details. This course/internship is open to all majors.
Early Career Competitions
Jumpstart your resume with Early Career Talent Competitions.
These 3-day challenges, led by recruiters from top companies, give you the chance to:
● Gain real experience solving business challenges
● Connect directly with early career teams
● Compete for digital badges and interview opportunities
Open to all majors. No cost. No technical experience required.
Upcoming Competitions:
Fall Semester competitions are complete. Spring will posted when available.
👉 Stay in the loop on all upcoming free events: globalcareeraccelerator.org
Focus 2
CoLA students have access to the Focus 2 career development platform. This resource uses self-assessments to bridge a student's interests, major, and career paths. All majors at SIU are welcome to use the platform. If you are a non-CoLA major, you can check the label "non-CoLA major" when you set-up your account.
- CoLA Majors: Use the platform to identify your skill set and strengths. View potential careers with your major, and view current occupational information including average salaries and job outlooks.
- CoLA Undecided Students: Use the platform to identify your skill set and strengths. Consider majors at SIU that match your interests, and view potential careers for those majors. View current occupational information including average salaries and job outlooks.
Login through the Focus 2 Career Link. Access code is: colasaluki
CREATING AN ACCOUNT AND LOGIN
All new users must create an account by clicking on the “REGISTER” button on the above Link and fill out the "Create Your Focus 2 Career Account" form. An access code (colasaluki) is required to submit the form.
Prepare for Illinois’ Future Powered by Kaplan's All Access License
Through an Illinois statewide partnership, SIU students can now receive free access to Kaplan's test prep resources for graduate admissions exams, licensure exams, and credentialing exams, as well as skills development courses. For CoLA students, the GRE and LSAT courses are likely of the most interest, but there are over 40 test prep courses available.
LinkedIn Learning
SIU students have access to LinkedIn Learning. There are over 22,000 courses available. This page includes a few options related to Career Development that you might find useful as a starting point for this resource.