Welcome to your go-to hub for tools and guidance to navigate your academic and professional journey. Whether you’re seeking internships, preparing for interviews, or exploring graduate school, our resources are here to support your success.
Dive in and achieve your career goals with confidence.
In This Section
Career Readiness
Your Liberal Arts degree is preparing you for the job market in more ways than you might realize! The skills you’re building every day—how you think, communicate, collaborate, and lead, are exactly what today’s employers are looking for!
Below you will find your go-to hub for tools and guidance to navigate your academic and professional journey. Whether you’re seeking internships, preparing for interviews, or exploring graduate school, our resources are here to support your success.
Your degree isn’t just an academic achievement; it’s your career foundation! Dive in and achieve your career goals with confidence.
NACE Career Readiness Competencies
Career readiness (NACE) is the process of building eight core skills through academic and extracurricular experiences for success in the workplace and your future career. Explore these career readiness competencies, including sample behaviors and ways to develop each skill in our interactive table below!
Proactively develop oneself and one’s career through continual personal and professional learning, awareness of one’s strengths and weaknesses, navigation of career opportunities, and networking to build relationships within and without one’s organization.
Sample Behaviors
- Show an awareness of own strengths and areas for development.
- Identify areas for continual growth while pursuing and applying feedback.
- Develop plans and goals for one’s future career.
- Professionally advocate for oneself and others.
- Display curiosity; seek out opportunities to learn.
- Assume duties or positions that will help one progress professionally.
- Establish, maintain, and/or leverage relationships with people who can help one professionally.
- Seek and embrace development opportunities.
- Voluntarily participate in further education, training, or other events to support one’s career.
Ways to Develop this Skill
- Complete a self-assessment: FOCUS 2
- Apply to part-time jobs, internships, and/or volunteer opportunities in Nittany Lion Careers and Penn State Workday.
- Learn about careers by exploring resources like Vault and “What Can I Do With a Major In”
- Complete LinkedIn Learning training to sharpen and add skills to your resume
- Schedule an appointment with a Liberal Arts Career Coach through Nittany Lion Careers
Clearly and effectively exchange information, ideas, facts, and perspectives with persons inside and outside of an organization.
Sample Behaviors
- Understand the importance of and demonstrate verbal, written, and non-verbal/body language, abilities.
- Employ active listening, persuasion, and influencing skills.
- Communicate in a clear and organized manner so that others can effectively understand.
- Frame communication with respect to diversity of learning styles, varied individual communication abilities, and cultural differences.
- Ask appropriate questions for specific information from supervisors, specialists, and others.
- Promptly inform relevant others when needing guidance with assigned tasks.
Ways to Develop this Skill
- Create your LinkedIn profile and get it checked by a career coach
- Network with professionals during career fairs, information sessions, workshops, and other events.
- Do an informational interview with an alumnus through LionLink
- Join the Liberal Arts Alumni Mentor Program
- Complete an online training with LinkedIn Learning
- Schedule an appointment with a Liberal Arts Career coach to practice your interview skills
- Join a student organization that challenges you to engage and communicate with smaller and larger audiences.
Identify and respond to needs based upon an understanding of situational context and logical analysis of relevant information.
Sample Behaviors
- Make decisions and solve problems using sound, inclusive reasoning and judgment.
- Gather and analyze information from a diverse set of sources and individuals to fully understand a problem.
- Proactively anticipate needs and prioritize action steps.
- Accurately summarize and interpret data with an awareness of personal biases that may impact outcomes.
- Effectively communicate actions and rationale, recognizing the diverse perspectives and lived experiences of stakeholders.
- Multi-task well in a fast-paced environment.
Ways to Develop this Skill
- Enroll in Penn State classes or a minor that focuses on data and analysis
- Learn time management skills through the Liberal Arts Chaiken Center for Student Success
- Talk to professors about how projects completed in class will translate to the world of work
- Test out your knowledge learned in the classroom through real world experiences such as student organizations, internships, volunteer work, research, part-time jobs, and education abroad
- Participate in case competitions and simulations on campus
- Complete LinkedIn Learning training to sharpen and add skills to your resume
- Schedule an appointment with a Liberal Arts Career Coach to talk through opportunities to test out knowledge
Demonstrate the awareness, attitude, knowledge, and skills required to equitably engage and include people from different cultures and backgrounds. Engage in anti-oppressive practices that actively challenge the systems, structures, and policies of racism and inequity.
Sample Behaviors
- Solicit and use feedback from multiple cultural perspectives to make inclusive and equity-minded decisions.
- Actively contribute to inclusive and equitable practices that influence individual and systemic change.
- Advocate for inclusion, equitable practices, justice, and empowerment for historically marginalized communities.
- Seek global cross-cultural interactions and experiences that enhance one’s understanding of people from different demographic groups and that leads to personal growth.
- Keep an open mind to diverse ideas and new ways of thinking.
- Identify resources and eliminate barriers resulting from individual and systemic racism, inequities, and biases.
- Demonstrate flexibility by adapting to diverse environments.
- Address systems of privilege that limit opportunities for members of historically marginalized communities.
Ways to Develop this Skill
- Review community and belonging resources, including potential courses at Penn State
- Participate in community and belonging-focused events at Penn State
- Enroll in Penn State classes or a minor that focuses on community and belonging
- Learn a new language and attend cultural events on campus to get outside of your comfort zone
- Participate in an embedded program or education abroad experience
- Explore Community Connection and Belonging opportunities within the College including student organizations, funding, educational events, speakers, and more.
- Communicate and take an interest in learning about people’s differences by joining a student organization
- Complete a diversity-focused LinkedIn Learning training
Recognize and capitalize on personal and team strengths to achieve organizational goals.
Sample Behaviors
- Inspire, persuade, and motivate self and others under a shared vision.
- Seek out and leverage diverse resources and feedback from others to inform direction.
- Use innovative thinking to go beyond traditional methods.
- Serve as a role model to others by approaching tasks with confidence and a positive attitude.
- Motivate and inspire others by encouraging them and by building mutual trust.
- Plan, initiate, manage, complete and evaluate projects.
Ways to Develop this Skill
- Join and take on extra duties and responsibilities in a student organization, run for leadership roles (committees, special projects, executive roles)
- Apply for a leadership position within part-time jobs (crew leader, liaison, mentor, coach, etc)
- Connect with Liberal Arts faculty to discuss teaching assistant positions.
- Apply to be a Resident Assistant (RA) at Penn State.
- Complete a leadership training (Truist Leadership Certificate, LinkedIn Learning, Penn State Leadership Trainings)
Knowing work environments differ greatly, understand and demonstrate effective work habits, and act in the interest of the larger community and workplace.
Sample Behaviors
- Act equitably with integrity and accountability to self, others, and the organization.
- Maintain a positive personal brand in alignment with organization and personal career values.
- Be present and prepared.
- Demonstrate dependability (e.g., report consistently for work or meetings).
- Prioritize and complete tasks to accomplish organizational goals.
- Consistently meet or exceed goals and expectations.
- Have an attention to detail, resulting in few if any errors in their work.
- Show a high level of dedication toward doing a good job.
Ways to Develop this Skill
- Take LA 283: Professional Development for the Liberal Arts Student
- Complete LinkedIn Learning training to sharpen and add skills to your resume
- Apply for undergraduate leadership programs/externships/conferences, internships and jobs. Start your search in Nittany Lion Careers.
- Network with employer at upcoming events
- Create professional habits in time management, attention to detail, goal development in your academics and out-of-classroom experiences.
- Manage positive social media presence. Create and update your LinkedIn profile.
Build and maintain collaborative relationships to work effectively toward common goals, while appreciating diverse viewpoints and shared responsibilities.
Sample Behaviors
- Listen carefully to others, taking time to understand and ask appropriate questions without interrupting.
- Effectively manage conflict, interact with and respect diverse personalities, and meet ambiguity with resilience.
- Be accountable for individual and team responsibilities and deliverables.
- Employ personal strengths, knowledge, and talents to complement those of others.
- Exercise the ability to compromise and be agile.
- Collaborate with others to achieve common goals.
- Build strong, positive working relationships with supervisor and team members/coworkers.
Ways to Develop this Skill
- Complete LinkedIn Learning training to sharpen and add skills to your resume
- Participate in case competitions
- Explore internships and job opportunities in Nittany Lion Careers.
- Apply for research opportunities with Liberal Arts faculty.
- Actively participate in school group projects, student organizations, and special projects
- Part-time employment to support team engagement
Understand and leverage technologies ethically to enhance efficiencies, complete tasks, and accomplish goals.
Sample Behaviors
- Navigate change and be open to learning new technologies.
- Use technology to improve efficiency and productivity of their work.
- Identify appropriate technology for completing specific tasks.
- Manage technology to integrate information to support relevant, effective, and timely decision-making.
- Quickly adapt to new or unfamiliar technologies.
- Manipulate information, construct ideas, and use technology to achieve strategic goals.
Ways to Develop this Skill
- Complete LinkedIn Learning training to sharpen and add skills to your resume
- Enroll in a technology-focused course and/or minor
- Stay current on new and upcoming technology trends (LinkedIn, AI, etc.)
- Apply for research and internship opportunities to gain experience.
A four-year checklist that helps Penn State Liberal Arts students build academic, professional, and personal experiences to prepare for careers, graduate school, or other post-graduation paths
What can I do with a major in...
Discover a range of career paths for each major, from diverse industries and job titles to the core skills you’ll develop along the way. Learn where to start, which roles best align with your major, and which employers actively seek candidates with your background.
Résumé and Cover Letters
Make your resume and cover letter stand out with strong action words! This list offers impactful verbs to showcase your achievements and responsibilities more effectively.
Need inspiration for your cover letter? Check out this sample to help you craft a professional and compelling introduction for your application.
Ready to write a standout cover letter? Download this template to help you organize your thoughts and make a great impression.
Curious about crafting an academic CV? This sample provides a clear format and examples of content to include for a professional and polished presentation.
If you’re pursuing graduate school or research opportunities, this sample shows how to highlight coursework, research, and academic achievements in a clear, organized format.
If you’ve participated in education abroad programs, this sample shows you how to highlight your international experiences, skills, and cross-cultural competencies effectively on your résumé.
See how to format and highlight your academic achievements, research, and relevant experiences with this résumé sample for grad school applications.
Showcase your internship experience with this résumé sample, tailored to highlight the skills, projects, and achievements gained during your internships.
If you have research experience, this résumé sample demonstrates how to present your background, skills, and findings effectively for research-focused applications in academia or industry.
Looking to update your résumé? Download this customizable résumé template designed to help you showcase your skills and experience for grad school applications or job opportunities.
Internships
Looking to stand out in today’s job market? Internships can open doors, build your network, and help you land that dream job by giving you real-world experience and a competitive edge.
Starting your internship search can feel overwhelming, but with the right approach, it’s a powerful step toward your career goals. From defining your interests to building connections, each part of the process gets you closer to landing a meaningful internship.
Internships provide invaluable real-world experience, skill development, and professional networking opportunities that set you up for future success. They’re key to boosting your employability, refining your career goals, and fostering personal growth.
Managing multiple internship applications can be challenging. This Internship Search Tracker makes it easy to keep everything organized—from deadlines to follow-up actions—so you can stay focused on landing the right opportunity.
Check out these great Liberal Arts resources to kick off your internship search
The Kleppinger Internship Program provides funding to Liberal Arts students completing internships in specific Pennsylvania-based government relations firms, as well as in state, county, and municipal entities.
The Virginia Todd Chapel Executive Internship Program provides $6,000 to Liberal Arts students completing full-time, in-person internships in the business or private sector.
Education Abroad
Want to expand your horizons? Studying abroad helps you gain global perspectives, immerse yourself in new cultures, and build skills that employers value in today’s connected world.
Penn State offers a wide range of funding options—including scholarships, grants, enrichment funds, and financial aid—to help students afford education abroad experiences. From Liberal Arts Enrichment Funds to national fellowships and need-based scholarships, most students can find support to make studying abroad more accessible.
Interviews
Get ready to make a great impression — this section helps you research the company, reflect on your experience, and build your interview strategy.
Curious what different interview formats look like? Learn about behavioral, situational, technical and traditional interviews and how to prepare for each.
Get familiar with common interview questions and practice your responses so you can feel confident and prepared for anything that comes your way.
Networking
Effective networking goes beyond just exchanging business cards—it’s about building lasting, genuine connections. Here’s a quick guide to help you navigate each stage of the networking process: preparing before, engaging during, and following up after. With the right approach, you can strategically grow your network, build meaningful relationships, and make a memorable impression.
Informational interviews are a great way to explore career options and make professional connections. In this resource, you’ll find practical tips on reaching out, asking the right questions, and making the most of these career-focused conversations. Whether you’re curious about a specific role or want to understand an industry, informational interviews can provide valuable insights to guide your career journey.
From your profile photo to your headline and story, every detail counts in showcasing your qualifications and goals. Highlight your experience, stay active, and connect with relevant companies to jump-start your career.
This fillable PDF helps you plan and organize your networking approach. Set goals, prepare questions, and create a strategy to make the most of your networking opportunities.
Staying organized is key to building strong professional relationships. This contact management sheet helps you track who you’ve met, where, and why it matters—plus notes for follow-ups. Use it to keep your connections clear, intentional, and easy to maintain long after the first interaction.
Graduate School
Preparing for grad school takes time and planning! This timeline offers a general guide to keep you on track—from early college years through final application steps—helping you make your grad school journey as smooth as possible.
Writing a standout grad school application? This guide covers the essentials—from crafting personal statements and statements of purpose to drafting letters of intent—with tips to ensure your story shines through.
Need a strong letter of recommendation for grad school? Use this template to request a faculty recommendation that highlights your achievements and goals, tailored for grad school applications.
This Grad School Application Tracking Sheet helps you organize and monitor your graduate school applications, including deadlines, requirements, and application statuses. Download it to stay on top of your admissions process and manage your applications effectively.
Job Search
This Job Search Tracker helps you organize and track your job applications, including company details, application status, and follow-up actions. Download it to stay on top of your job search and manage opportunities efficiently.
A quick, encouraging guide to help you stay confident, positive, and focused while navigating your job search.
Use a mix of Penn State–specific tools, networking, and online resources to discover internships and full-time opportunities that match your interests and goals.
Government Internships and Careers
Explore career guides, federal job application tips, internship listings, and success stories to help you start a meaningful career in government.
Explore resources to help you find a state or local government job.
Research
Explore the wide range of research happening across the College of the Liberal Arts and see how our faculty and students are shaping new ideas and discoveries.