Prepare for Your Professional Future

Franklin prides itself on offering top notch services that meet the demands of our student body. Franklin students told us they wanted expanded career development and we took that to heart.  

Cyndi Freeman, Director, Center for Career Development: With more than 20 years of higher education and workforce development experience, Cyndi has a wealth of knowledge and is a true champion for students.

Sarah Lathrop, Assistant Director, Center for Career Development: Sarah has been with Franklin for more than 15 years in various roles. However, the one role that Sarah has always taken to heart is making processes for students as painless as possible. Through her innovative problem solving methods, Sarah really does make it possible.

Tim Goetz, Senior Career Development Specialist: Tim has been a Franklin student advocate for more than 13 years. His ability to communicate with students in a meaningful way makes him a great asset to the university and to Franklin students. Tim takes your experience personally and wants you to have a top notch Franklin experience.

We can be reached at 614-947-6015, by email at careerdev@franklin.edu, or in person at the Otte Center for Student Services.

Need some ideas for careers you might like?

Whether you are just starting out, or wondering if another career would suit you better, self-assessments can help you consider different options and confirm types of careers that might be right for you.

What can a self-assessment help you do?

• Learn about occupations that are a good match for you
• Decide where you need more training or experience
• Identify the skills you bring to a job
• Write more personal, detailed resumes and cover letters
• Consider careers you may not have thought about before

Explore careers and complete an interest, skills, and/or work values self assessments here.

At Franklin University we believe that your education doesn’t just take place in the classroom, it takes place in the world around you as well. Helping you become more knowledgeable about your career development is just one of the ways Franklin makes it personal. The Center for Career Development offers students a Workforce Ready Toolbox to assist you in making your next career move. 

The most frequent question the center gets is, “What do you think about my resume?” And at the core, it is not what someone thinks about your resume, but is your resume serving you well in the advancement of your career and/or your strategic job search? A resume is a summary of your work history, skills, and education. A resume should be crafted and edited for each specific position for which you apply and it should be just one or two pages long. Also, your resume really isn’t about you - your resume is about how you can fulfill the needs of the employer.

The team in the Center for Career Development is available to assist you with your resume, cover letters, job search strategy, interview skills and post-interview. To submit your resume for review – please email your resume, a little about what you’re looking for, and some of the challenges you’ve faced to careerdev@franklin.edu 

A few resources to assist you with your resume, 

• Open Letter from the Director, Cyndi Freeman about your Resume
• Chronological Resume Template
• Option A Resume Template
• Option B Resume Template
• Option B #2 Resume Template 
• Option C Resume Template
• Option C #2 Resume Template

Additional resume templates can be found in MyCareer.

It's important to note that these resume templates are designed to help your resume, survive the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) and get into the hands of the hiring manager. 

For more information on the ATS, please refer to the Prep Talk Article here.

The Center for Career Development offers a robust series of training and workshops.  

OnDemand Videos and Workshops can be found on the Center for Career Development's Playlist on the Franklin University Youtube Channel.  

Upcoming training and workshops can be found on the University Events Calendar.  

Is your company/organization interested in recruiting Franklin University students or alumni for employment, learn more here.

Adjunct Teaching FAQS for Franklin Graduates

I loved my experience at Franklin.  Can I get my graduate degree at Franklin, and teach when I’m done?  

Great, and thank you so much for thinking of Franklin – that is awesome!  At the same time, it’s important to keep in mind that Franklin can only hire so many Franklin graduates to teach in the classroom.  It’s important for an academic program to have faculty teaching from diverse backgrounds, educational experiences, and varying professional credentials.  Franklin works diligently to maintain balance.  In order to do that, Franklin must limit the number of Franklin graduates hired as adjuncts.  Similarly, Franklin must limit the number of graduates from other institutions as well.  We wouldn’t want all teaching faculty to come from the same institution, Franklin or otherwise.

The same thing holds true, for say a neighbor like Columbus State.  They can only have ‘so many’ Franklin graduates on their teaching roster – as they are looking for a diverse experience for their students.  

So, do not be alarmed if you need to look a little further for adjunct teaching opportunities.  Consider those institutions that might not have a number of Franklin grads on the roster.  You want to network, network, and network. 

I could teach a number of different courses, but which ones ‘could’ I teach at Franklin?

Per accreditation guidelines, an adjunct must have completed 18 graduate credit hours in a specific field/discipline to teach at the undergraduate level.  Now there are exceptions to this, specifically with industry related ‘alternative criteria’ – I mean, consider if Bill Gates wanted to teach Microsoft Excel?!   But, we share this to offer perspective and set reasonable expectations. 

For more information, please refer to the ‘Determining Qualified Instructional Faculty Guidelines’. 

MyCareer, powered by GradLeaders

From the Student Dashboard, students will see

To arrive at the Workforce Ready Toolbox Resources

Students are encouraged to craft a resume with the knowledge that a resume is a living document that requires tailoring for each position they apply to as well as adding new skills, knowledge, and education.

Students can submit their resume for review by sending it to resumereview@franklin.edu.  

In that email, please share

1. A little about yourself
2. How far along are you in your degree program and/or are you an alumni
3. What kind of jobs are you looking for (including a link to a job that interests you is a huge help)
4. Anything else we might need to know, to be helpful

Resumes will be reviewed by someone in The Center for Career Development and returned with comments and recommendations, in 3-4 days. Students are encouraged to return the next draft for another look. At that time, students will receive instruction on how to tailor their resume for a particular position and to work in an Applicant Tracking System (ATS). Following that next draft, the resume will be forwarded to a field specific external reviewer (if needed). From there, the resume will be returned to the student.

Students will have access to examples and encouraged to draft their cover letters to compliment their resume and to highlight his/her/their alignment with the position description.

Students will learn how to

1. Create a stationary
2. Select a format that is functional
3. Highlight alignment with an employer's 'pain points'
4. Submit a cover letter and resume as one document for review

Students will be able to learning techniques on how to conduct a strategic job search utilizing available resources.

Students will learn how to:

1. Plan a strategic job search, staying on point and organized
2. Select the right job search engines
3. Create the right materials for each search engine
4. How to incorporate networking into a job search

Students will be encouraged to create a professional and effective LinkedIn profile for networking, as well as job search.

Students will learn, how to:

1. Create a polished and professional profile
2. Take a high quality profile photo
3. Use keywords in profile headline
4. Identify skill sets
5. Craft an about you section/career story
6. Include accomplishments in the experience section
7. Cultivate recommendations that matter
8. Customize profile URL
9. Understand professional positioning and how that can help a potential employer

Students will have access to resources and opportunities to provide for a range of interviews.

Students will learn, how to:

1. Understand the most common types of interviews
2. Prepare for interviews
3. Understand behavioral questions
4. Practice for an interview
5. As the right questions to ask following the interview
6. Deliver appropriate follow up 

Benefits of an Internship

• Gain Industry Experience
• Test out a Career Path
• Expand your Professional Network
• Secure a Job

Considerations about an Internship

• Internship Goals
• Time Commitment
• Compensation (Paid, Unpaid, and College Credit)
• Local vs. Remote

Where to Search for Internships

• Franklin Job board
• Handshake (Free!)
• Your Local Community
• Your Network
• Online Resources
• Networking Events

For more tips regarding Internships, visit here.  

Description: An internship is a unique learning experience that integrates academic studies with practical work experience.
  
Process: To start the process, the student should check with an Academic Advisor for the most up-to-date list of programs for which internships are available.  Generally, a student may participate in any internship as long as the prerequisites for that internship are met.  For example, a BSAD student may apply for a marketing internship as long as the student meets the prerequisite requirements for the marketing internship.  An international student on an F-1 visa is eligible only for an internship in their major area or graduate coursework.  

With proper completion of requirements, a student may earn between one (1) and four (4) hours of major area, university elective or graduate coursework credit, as determined by the Academic Supervisor (program chair or designee).  (See page 21 for guidelines in determining the number of credit hours that can be awarded.) Tuition is charged based on the standard undergraduate or graduate tuition rate.  Undergraduate internships are listed as a 15-week course.  Graduate internships are listed as 6- or 12-week courses.  The internship dates are not required to align exactly with the trimester schedule.  

Definition of Terms

• Academic Advisor - The student’s assigned Franklin advisor on academic matters.
• Program Chair  - The head of an academic program
• Academic Supervisor - The designee from the academic program who will help guide the student through the internship.
• Internship Supervisor - The person assigned by the employer offering the internship who will supervise the student through the work of the internship while on the job.

Requirements: Prerequisites vary depending on the internship field. To apply for an internship, undergraduate and graduate students are required to have a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 and 3.0, respectively. See individual prerequisites in the current Academic Bulletin under Course Descriptions.  The Academic Supervisor may choose to adjust the requirements to accommodate a student with extenuating circumstances. 

Throughout the internship the student is encouraged to treat all people with respect without regard to age, religion, race, ethnicity, color, national origin, ancestry, immigration status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital or familiar status, disability, veteran or military status and be committed to following ethical guidelines and laws concerning confidentiality and professional practice as prescribed by the employer.

Getting Started: The student will consult his/her Academic Advisor for guidance through the process of applying for an internship.  The Academic Advisor will also provide contact information for the Academic Supervisor who will be responsible for the student during the internship.  

At least one week prior to beginning internship employment, the student must have completed all steps required for approval as described in this Internship Manual and be registered for internship credit.  Credit will not be given for (a) work begun before approval of the internship, (b) work already completed or (c) for current employment.

Step 1:  The student consults with an Academic Advisor in Student Services to discuss internship credit, prerequisites, and GPA requirements.  The Academic Advisor will provide the student with a copy of this Internship Manual. The student should read this Internship Manual carefully.
 
An international student in F-1 status with questions about Curricular Practical Training (CPT) must consult with an International Advisor at the Office of International Services and Programs (OISP) regarding eligibility and immigration status requirements. (See Appendix F).

Step 2: The student acquires an internship.  Suggested resources include:

• Ohio Means Jobs
• Handshake
• Your Local Community
• Your Local Network
• Online Resources
• Networking Events

Step 3: The student meets with the Internship Supervisor (the person who will directly supervise the student’s work at the internship site) to: 

• Discuss the learning objectives for the internship. 
• Complete the Internship Information form. 
• Discuss information needed to complete Internship Application & Learning Agreement (Appendix A) and obtain the signature of the Internship Supervisor on the form.
• Obtain an Internship offer letter from the Internship Supervisor authorizing the internship

Step 4: The student schedules a meeting or phone call with the Program Chair to discuss the internship application and determine eligibility of the internship for credit.  (The Program Chair may designate another professor as the Academic Supervisor for the internship.)  Provide the Program Chair (or designee) with the Internship Application & Learning Agreement (Appendix A).  

• Discuss the draft of the learning objectives attached to the Internship Application and Learning Agreement.  If requested by the Academic Supervisor, the student will revise the Internship Application & Learning Agreement to reflect the results of this discussion.  Note that these learning objectives are likely to expand during follow-up meetings between the student and the Academic Supervisor where new learning opportunities will be explored.
• If the Program Chair (or designee) approves the internship for credit, he or she will sign the Internship Application & Learning Agreement.  Upon approval, the Program Chair or designee will serve as the Academic Supervisor for the duration of the internship.  Note that the Program Chair will also need to approve the internship if the student is working with a faculty member (Academic Supervisor) designated by the Program Chair.
• Schedule additional meetings with the Academic Supervisor and determine the due date of the Internship Portfolio (see Appendices B & G). 

Step 5: The student submits the signed Internship Application & Learning Agreement (Appendix A) to an Academic Advisor who will register the student for the internship.  An international student on an F-1 visa must also apply for Curricular Practical Training (Appendix F) with the Office of International Services and Programs (OISP) in order to request authorization to work off-campus.  The Curricular Practical Training Application must be submitted to OISP at least one week before employment is scheduled to begin. 

Step 6: The student begins the internship.  During the internship, the student: 

• Completes all required activities and assignments as determined by the Internship Supervisor and the Academic Supervisor.
• Maintains an Internship Portfolio containing the following required materials:
• Forms
• Internship Application & Learning Agreement (Appendix A).
• Meeting & Communication Plan (Appendix B)
• Log of work and learning accomplishments
• Work sample(s) screened for confidential or proprietary information 
• Evaluations (See syllabus for more details) (Appendix G)
• Final Internship Portfolio Report
• Meets periodically with the Academic Supervisor to discuss progress toward completing the learning objectives.  As learning is accomplished, the student will likely become exposed to additional areas for learning that will need to be discussed with the Academic Supervisor and added to the scope of learning for the internship.

Step 7: The student completes the internship and requests a formal Performance Review with the Internship Supervisor.  The evaluation form (Appendix C) is used to facilitate this discussion and once completed, the form becomes part of the Internship Portfolio. 

Step 8: The student schedules a final meeting with the Academic Supervisor to review the completion of all requirements as documented in the Internship Portfolio.

Step 9: The Academic Supervisor evaluates the Internship Portfolio, discusses learning accomplished, and completes the Academic Supervisor Evaluation of the Student form (Appendix D).  Each program may have additional requirements such as an oral or written presentation.  Upon completion of this meeting, the Academic Supervisor submits the final grade for the student’s internship.

For specific assignment guidelines and complete details on how the internship will be evaluated and credit awarded, please refer to the Evaluation section of the Internship Syllabus. (Appendix G)

Click here to view the internship manual.

Are you an employer, looking to hire an intern - great, thank you for thinking of Franklin!

For more information, please email careerservices@franklin.edu 

Coming soon!

Should an organization reach out to Franklin University, about finding an intern - we will list those opportunities here.