WashU Career Interest Groups bring together communities of students, staff, faculty and alumni to focus on highly desired career paths.
These groups strive to help you learn about work cultures and roles, access industry and organization information, connect with alumni and professionals, and prepare to be a great candidate for internships and jobs. They are organized by industry, functional skill sets, or interest areas. Some align with departments on campus and others fill a gap by giving you access to employment areas that aren’t directly related to WashU majors.
Whether or not you join a Career Interest Group, the advising team is dedicated to helping you learn more about the work that intrigues you and figure out how to pursue it.
Active Career Interest Groups
Please see overview, expectations, and how to join in each group.
Overview: Where are you in your consulting career journey? Whether you are exploring the industry, considering applying for an internship, or in the middle of preparing for a case interview, the Consulting Career Interest Group has something for you!
What to Expect: This group does not have in-person meetings, but provides members with consolidated information on the industry, an alumni mentor program, notes from employers, campus events, as well as resume and interview prep. In the height of consulting recruiting season (August-October), plan to receive live updates on application deadlines and networking opportunities via email.
Canvas: You should be getting access to the Consulting Interest Group on Canvas in the next couple of days. This group will show up in ‘Courses’ in your Canvas account. Below are suggested tabs to check out based on where you are in the consulting internship search process.
- If you’re just starting out: General Consulting Resources- This folder contains an overview and more about opportunities within the industry
- If you’re doing a deeper dive into the consulting industry: Company Insight- This folder contains an A-Z list of popular consulting firms and updated overviews of each company
- If you’re considering applying for internships this upcoming cycle: Application Help- This folder contains resources to help prepare for behavioral and case interviews and help edit your Consulting resume
Management Consulted: On Canvas you can find out how to receive your free WashU subscription for Management Consulted. This resources has further interviewing and resume building tips, including some straight consultants working in a variety of firms!
Advising: If you want to discuss your individual search, practice case interviews or have any questions, you can make an appointment with Michael Chapin or any of our other advisors by calling 314-935-5930 or online scheduling.
Leaders: The Consulting Group is led by Casey Jenkerson and Michael Chapin.
To join: please email Amanda Martin.
Overview:This group focuses on undergraduate opportunities, both on Wall Street and in corporate America. Assisted by upperclassmen and supportive alumni, students quickly learn that early preparation is essential to be considered for many of these roles. Competition is fierce for many of these roles – with the sophomore Spring semester now becoming the key season for students to first engage with employers.
What to Expect: We don’t meet regularly. Instead you’ll get regular emails with a heads up about employers coming to campus, Road Shows, company visits, speakers, helpful tools and workshops. We’ll provide access to industry and company information, help you learn how to network and connect with alumni, keep you abreast of upcoming finance, banking and investment banking information sessions, job deadlines and workshops, and partner with you to navigate your career journey.
Canvas: You will get access to all the resources on our Canvas group. The group will show up in “Courses” in your Canvas account.
Advising: Sarah Sperry is available every Wednesday during the academic school year from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., or by request. You can make an appointment online with her, or another advisor, or by calling the Career Center at 314-935-5930.
Leaders: The Finance and Banking Group is led by Molly Burkot and Sarah Sperry.
To join: please email Amanda Martin.
Overview: The GPP work group is a resource for budding policy wonks, analysts and change agents who are interested in bridging their intellectual and personal passions with internship and post-graduate opportunities. Engaged student members report earlier placements and high levels of satisfaction with their academic to career outcomes.
What to Expect: GPP will help you to learn about career paths in government, politics, policy, advocacy, and international affairs, teach you search strategies specific to these careers and welcome you into a community of students, faculty, and alumni who are hoping to or have pursued careers in these fields.
We provide access to industry and employer information, help you learn how to network and connect with alumni, host relevant events and workshops, and keep you abreast of upcoming deadlines. As a member, you will receive:
- The GPP Work Group Newsletter, which highlights the topic of our weekly group meeting, internship and job opportunities, and relevant events across campus and the globe.
- Access to our group meetings at 1pm central on Fridays during the semester. Attendance isn’t mandatory, but we feature alumni chats and other topics to help you learn more about what post-graduate paths are out there, connect with alumni, and learn critical skills for the search and world of working in government, politics, policy, advocacy, and international affairs.
- Admission to our Canvas course, which houses tons of great information to help you with your search.
- Input into programming, including alumni we invite to join us and topics we cover in our sessions.
Advising: GPP work group serves as the primary way we advise students with your interests, particularly first years and sophomores. To learn more and connect, attend our 1pm sessions on Friday and subscribe to our podcast, GPP Podcast, where we cover pro tips for politicos, policy wonks, and change agents. Find it wherever you get your podcasts.
Leaders: The GPP Group is led by Susan Craig and Phoebe Richards.
To join: please email Amanda Martin.
Overview: All McKelvey students automatically receive information about internships, jobs, resources, events and alumni connections through McKelvey Industry Connect. If you do not have a major in engineering, but enjoy problem solving, analytics, design, research, leadership, or technology, you are welcome to join McKelvey Industry Connect to learn about opportunities of interest.
Advising: For quick individual help during the fall and spring semesters, use online scheduling to sign up for 15 min at Engineering Quick Advising Hours, Monday – Thursday afternoons from 1:30 – 4 pm.
To learn more: There is no Canvas site for this group; instead you’ll want to check out McKelvey Industry Connect. Log in to edit your preferences, or sign up to get added to the mailing list.
Overview: If you’re considering applying to graduate school, join this email list to receive a few emails a year about events for undergraduates interested in exploring or applying to graduate school. We cover graduate programs from masters degrees in business administration to PhDs in French literature. Check out PreGraduate School Advising from the Graduate School including videos of relevant talks (scroll to the bottom).
What to Expect: We don’t meet regularly. Instead you’ll get as-needed emails with a heads up about relevant events or helpful tips.
Overview: Examining all options health-related, this broad array of faculty, practitioners, career and academic advisors informs students on the wide variety of clinical, policy, research, administrative and governmental opportunities in the health field. This is combined with best practices, application timelines, MCAT preparation and gap year options to best meet each student’s career needs.
What to Expect: We don’t meet regularly. Instead you’ll get as-needed emails with a heads up about employers coming to campus, internship/post graduate opportunities, company visits, speakers, helpful tools and workshops.
Leaders: Multiple Career Center Staff plus Faculty and Staff across WashU.
To Join: Join the PreHealth listserv at the PreHealth Advising website.
Overview: Inter-disciplinarians by nature, pre-law students draw from the fields of anthropology, economics, history, philosophy, political science and other liberal arts fields. Advisors and faculty assist students in designing a course of study that addresses their individual needs and interests – becoming candidates for careers in academia, business, politics, and social services, as well as law.
What to Expect: We don’t meet regularly. Instead you’ll get as-needed emails with a heads up about employers coming to campus, internship/post graduate opportunities, company visits, speakers, helpful tools and workshops.
Leaders: Multiple Career Center, Faculty and Staff across WashU
To Join: Join the PreLaw mailing list on the PreLaw Advising website.
Additional Career Interest Group Resources
The following groups are not currently meeting or sending regular newsletters. However, we have created Canvas pages for each of these groups that you are welcome to access for industry resources, insights, and company information.
To gain access to the Canvas site for one or more of the following groups, please email Amanda Martin and allow up to a week before the group will show up on your Canvas Dashboard.
Overview: For pop culture junkies and creative problem solvers who love words, ideas and influencing.
Canvas: The StratCom Canvas page strives to help you learn about the fields of communications, advertising, public relations and marketing. There are resources to help you access industry and employer information, connect with alumni, and prepare to be a great candidate for internships & jobs.
Advising: April McLellan and Lauren Richmond are both advisors who specialize in these industries. Click here to schedule online.
Overview: The environment and sustainability of our planet crosses business, engineering, science, social science, philanthropy, policy, government, legal, and cultural topics.
Canvas: The Environment & Sustainability Canvas site includes information to help you connect to resources (people, organizations, internships, jobs, conferences, workshops) that pertain to your interest in environment and sustainability.
Campus activities and partners: If you are interested in policy aspects of environment and sustainability, please also join the Government & Public Policy (GPP) group. If you are interested in more science / engineering aspects of environment and sustainability, please also sign up for McKelvey Industry Connect.
There are many important groups on campus you may also want to connect with including the Office of Sustainability, Net Impact, InCEES, Green Action, Burning Kumquat, WashU Green Ambassadors, Student Green Council, WashU Environmental Justice Initiative, Interdisciplinary Law Clinic, Washington University Students for International Collaboration on Environment and Tyson Research Center.
Advising: Use online scheduling to make an appointment with Susan Craig (focus on policy) or Jennifer Finney (focus on science/engineering).
Overview: For students interested in working in LA or NYC at organizations such NBC Universal, The Daily Show, Creative Artists Agency, and Stick Figure Productions.
Canvas: The Entertainment Canvas page is a good source of industry resources. You may also be interested in the HollyWU Facebook group.
Advising: Use online scheduling to make an appointment with Cynthia Bowdry or another career advisor. Sarah Rigazio is also a good resource and can be contacted for company and industry insights.
Overview: For students from all majors interested in careers in Fashion and Retail/Merchandising.
Canvas: The Fashion Interest Group page on Canvas will give you access to general fashion resources, the fashion calendar, tips for interviews and company insights.
Advising: Use online scheduling to make an appointment with Jen Meyer (who specializes in art, art administration, design, fashion, fine arts, and museums/cultural institutions). Casey Jenkerson is also a good resource and can be contacted for company and industry insights.