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Spotlight Story
Alma College to Offer Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

ALMA — Students will gain the skills needed to pursue a career in multiple areas of work; including mental health, human services and private practice, in the new Alma College

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Launch

Your life’s work is waiting. The world needs your strengths, passions, education, and experience. Where will the next step on life’s journey take you? There is much you can do now, as a student, to prepare to launch your life after Alma.

Build your network

  • Apply for a job shadowing experience with Scots on the Spot.
  • Conduct informational interviews with family, friends, alumni, or other connections to learn about their career paths and what the day-to-day is is like in their profession.
  • An informational interview is an informal conversation with someone working in an area of interest to you, whether that refers to a geographic area, career field, etc. Informational interviewing is an effective research tool and is best done after preliminary online research. Remember: this is not a job interview, and the objective is not to find job openings.
  • A great place to start is with your personal network. Reach out to alumni you know, family, family friends, etc. If you need additional support finding a contact in your career field, reach out to the Career and Personal Development Office.
  • Join the Alma College Professional Network on LinkedIn, which is an active, dynamic space for Alma College alumni, faculty, staff, and students to network and support career and professional development.

Launch your internship or job search

  • Searching for Jobs and Internships: Here are a few tips that can help you organize your job or internship search. You’ll want to put a system in place to help keep track of what you’ve done, and which leads you’ve followed. Make a checklist, take notes – treat it like a research project.
  • Cover letter building guide
  • Interviewing guide
  • Job and Internship Search guide
    Micro-internships: A micro-internship is a short term (20-40 hour) professional project, similar to that which could be completed by an intern or entry-level employee, and which can be completed entirely remotely.  Alma College offers two kinds of micro-internships.

    • For micro-internships with local nonprofit organizations and Alma alumni, see the PlaidWorks Micro-internship program. Students who complete these volunteer projects are eligible for a $250 – $500 grant from Alma College.
    • For micro-internships with companies, search and apply through Parker Dewey.
  • Academic internship programs: Academic internship programs combine a guaranteed internship placement with coursework for Alma credit. They are a great way to gain experience – living in a new city, working a professional internship, living in an apartment and cooking for yourself – with the support of peers, professors, and professional staff there to help you be successful. Check out our partner programs in Chicago, Philadelphia, New York City, and Washington, D.C.

Explore Graduate School

Thinking of applying to graduate school? It’s best to make a plan and start early. Below are some resources for your search, including a sample schedule, program search spreadsheet template, and links to helpful websites.

External Resources:

Considering a gap year?

Use the resources here to help launch your search and discovery process and make the most out of your time.

  • City Year: Founded in 1988, City Year is a national service program to unite young adults from diverse backgrounds for a demanding year of full-time community service serving in 29 U.S. cities, as well as in South Africa and the U.K.
  • AmeriCorps NCCC, State and National, and VISTA: AmeriCorps sends people power and funding to communities across the country. For decades and through our nation’s most trying times, AmeriCorps has come together to help those in need.
  • Peace Corps: The Peace Corps is a service opportunity for motivated changemakers to immerse themselves in a community abroad, working side by side with local leaders to tackle the most pressing challenges of our generation.
  • Service Year: Service Year Alliance is a year of paid, full-time service — a service year — a common expectation and opportunity for all young Americans.