Career Building Experiences

Your career is built through more than your coursework. Career-building experiences give you opportunities to apply what you learn, explore your interests, develop professional skills and make connections that can help you prepare for life after PC.

The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) identifies eight career readiness competencies that prepare students for success in the workplace and lifelong career growth. Career-building experiences provide meaningful ways to develop and put these competencies into practice.

At the Chirico Career Center, we help you identify, pursue and reflect on these experiences so you can build confidence, tell your story and prepare for what comes next.

Credit Internships
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An internship is a structured, supervised work experience that enables students to gain practical, professional exposure to a particular career field. At Providence College, juniors and seniors can receive academic credit for an internship by enrolling in an internship course run by a faculty member.

The Chirico Career Center operates as a clearinghouse for the paperwork and process and is not involved in the direct placement of students in internships. Students are responsible for researching and selecting potential internship positions and initiating contact with employers. The Chirico Career Center can support students through individual coaching sessions and through various resources provided by the center.

Current students can find information on the credit internship process in FriarHub.

Non-Credit Internships
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What is a Non-Credit Internship? Not every internship needs to be completed for academic credit. A non-credit internship allows students to gain hands-on experience, build professional skills and explore career interests without enrolling in an internship course. Students work under the supervision of an employer but do not receive academic credit or have a faculty supervisor.

Job Shadowing
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Job shadowing is a great way to explore a career by spending time with a professional and getting a firsthand look at their day-to-day work. It gives you the opportunity to learn more about a career field, ask questions and gain valuable advice on the skills and experiences that can help you prepare for your future.

Each year, Providence College offers an Alumni Job Shadow Program that matches students with alumni working in careers of interest for a shadow experience from mid-May through mid-June. Students can also create their own job shadow opportunities. If you make a meaningful connection while networking, consider asking if you could continue the conversation through a shadow visit to learn more about their work and career path.

Career Programming
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Learning about different careers is an important part of building your own career path. Hearing how professionals got their start, what they learned along the way and what advice they have for students can help you explore possibilities and identify steps you can take now.

Through Career Treks, students visit organizations to learn about the company, explore career opportunities and connect with PC alumni and other professionals. Our Careers In… series brings alumni back to campus throughout the year to share their career journeys, provide insight into a variety of industries and offer advice to students interested in similar paths.

Certifications
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Earning certifications is a great way to build your skills, strengthen your resume and demonstrate your knowledge to employers. The Chirico Career Center offers certification workshops throughout the academic year and during breaks to help students prepare for certification exams.

Students can pursue certifications in Microsoft Excel, Excel Expert, PowerPoint, Word and Outlook, with workshops covering the material needed to prepare for each exam. Students can also take advantage of LinkedIn Learning to develop new skills and earn additional credentials.

Coming Soon: Generative AI Foundations certification.

Additional Ways
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Providence College has career building opportunities that expand beyond the Chirico Career Center.