Photo of a peer career advisor helping a fellow student

Career and Professional Development provides career-related advising to all Virginia Tech students. 
We work with students in all majors, all academic levels, first year through graduate level, on all aspects of career planning.

This includes:
- exploring self, careers, and majors.
- seeking experience during college, including internships, co-op, and other ways to get experience.
- developing professional competencies and skills.
- seeking post-graduation employment.
- planning for graduate or professional school.
- health professions advising: planning for admission to health professional school.

We offer advising through:

10-minute drop-in | no appointment.
See 10-minute walk-in advising for purpose, hours, prep, cautions, alternatives, locations, and other details. 

Appointments.
See scheduling advising appointments for all details.

More about help we can provide

(and a little heads up on things we can't do!)

Exploring majors and career options for majors:
We are happy to guide you in the process of exploring yourself, careers, and majors to help you on the journey to discover your fit and make informed decisions. We will help you through advising appointments. In advance, you can see exploring careers and majors. In your appointments we will work with you to help you determine what resources and next steps will help you.

Career advising by undergraduate major:
Career and internship advisors in colleges are faculty and/or staff for and in your academic major department and college. Our staff work with these advisors to share information and collaborate to assist students. The career advisor in your major might be different from, or the same as, your academic advisor in your major. Seek advice and guidance, and learn about careers related to your undergraduate major.

Looking for experience during college: internships, field studies, co-op positions, and more:
Excellent! Read about ways to get experience, including internships, and co-ops, and field study, and many other ways. Each year our Virginia Tech grads tell us that over 90% of them had career-related experience during college, but a third of them still wish they had gotten more experience. You can't have too much! In an appointment, we can help steer you to best resources to meet your goals, and help you make sure your goals are on track.

To enroll in the Undergraduate Cooperative Education & Internship Program (CEIP):
See program requirements and eligibility, and plan to attend a CEIP orientation; sessions are held several times each semester and are required for enrollment and to help you prepare for success during your co-op or internship. You will be connected with the CEIP advisor in the career center and the appropriate co-op and internship advisor in your academic major department.

Job search for post-graduation job:
Our job search guide gets you started on basics so your appointment time can be spent most effectively. In an appointment we can help you fine-tune your documents and job search strategies. Job search for graduate students covers the academic job search, industry job search, events, more.

Planning for graduate or professional school:
See planning for graduate and professional school; this will help you get started before your appointment, and make you aware of events for exploring whether grad school is right for you, the application process, and admission test practice and prep — all of which you will want to use to the fullest. In an appointment we can help you fine-tune your documents and plans.

Pre-professional advising and resources directs you to advising programs focused on professions of education, law, and health. Those programs provide resources and guide students preparing for professional school admission.

Health professions | planning for graduate education for a health career:
Health Professions Advising (HPA) is located in the Career and Professional Development office and assists students and alumni planning for health professional careers requiring graduate or professional education.

Federal jobs and internships advising:
Schedule an appointment and indicate you would like assistance with a federal search. We have advisors with training in the federal search process. See federal job search process for additional resources.

Please note that Career and Professional Development is not authorized to advise on academic course requirements. Please use these university resources for your academic advising needs: