Career Development Services

Preparing students for their careers from the start of enrollment to beyond graduation.

The Benedict College Career Development Services helps our students prepare for their careers from the start of enrollment and beyond graduation.

The department enhances students’ personal and professional growth and development through their matriculation and into their career field of choice by the plethora of care services that are afforded to students and by establishing business and community partnerships for the college.

CDS Resources

Useful Career Resources for Students

Schedule an Appointment through Handshake

Need assistance with your career options?  Whether you want your resume critiqued or you need direction on where to look for jobs and internships. We are here to assist. Make an appointment with your Career Counselor:

How to make an appointment in Handshake with a Career Counselor:

  1. Sign in to your Handshake account
  2. Click the Career Center Tab in the top right corner of your screen 
  3. Below the Benedict Banner, click on Appointments
  4. Click on Schedule A New Appointment and
  5. Choose A Category: Resume Development, Interview Practice, Career Counseling, or Service-Learning Counseling
  6. Then select among the available times

VitaNavis SuperStrong (Career Assessment) 

The VitaNavis® platform is an academic planning and career readiness solution dedicated to ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to consider all of their possibilities in the world of work. Please activate your account by using this link here. 

School Code: benedict-explore

The Career Development Center offers individualized career counseling assistance and career readiness workshops to include:

  • Resume Development
  • Elevator Pitch
  • Interview Skills
  • Job Search Techniques
  • Career Counseling by appointment
  • Career Exploration Sessions
  • Career Assessments
  • and more…

We have a number of online resources that provide you 24-hours access to tools to aid in your career development. You can gain information on every aspect of your career: from interview prep to skills to achieve industry certifications. Please take a moment to set up your student accounts at the following: 

Linked In Learning (Personal and Professional Development) 

LinkedIn Learning is an on-demand library filled with high-quality instructional videos covering a vast range of software, business, and creative skills.  With more than 16,000 courses taught by industry experts—and more added every week—LinkedIn Learning is designed for all levels of learners, and it’s available whenever you’re ready to learn. You can access it from your LinkedIn profile. Please activate your account by using this link here. 

Handshake (Career Management)  

Handshake is a career services management platform that connects college career development centers to students and employers while providing an interactive platform for career mapping and career pathways that also manages analytics, records, job postings, and events with seamless reporting.  

StandOut (Interview Preparation) 

Standout is a video interviewing tool that uses artificial intelligence to help students practice answering interview questions while providing the interviewee with access to comprehensive feedback and advice as they prepare for face-to-face and online job interviews. 

Firsthand (Career/Company Information) 

The Firsthand system provides current researched and analyzed information from government and industry sources, professional groups, news reports, career and job-search resources, and a variety of other sources and compiled this information into a valuable career planning resource that assists students with gathering industry/company specific information. 

What can I do with my major?

Check out this career exploration tool to help research and determine which employer industry is the right fit for your major.

Career Exploration and Jobs Analysis Tool

Research jobs and occupations from all around the world with this tool to learn about salaries, wages, job requirements, and duties.  Even search for open positions in your related field of study by location.

The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) developed a definition of Career Readiness through a task force of college career services and HR/staffing professionals. NACE defines career readiness as “the attainment and demonstration of requisite competencies that broadly prepare college graduates for a successful transition into the workplace.” The eight NACE competencies, listed below, illuminate the 21st-century skills students should possess in order to be career-ready.

8 Career Competencies that Employers want in a job candidate:

  • Career & Self Development
  • Communication
  • Critical Thinking
  • Equity & Inclusion
  • Leadership
  • Professionalism
  • Teamwork
  • Technology

Employers Looking to Hire Benedict College Students

Annually, local and national organizations from business and industry, government, education (school systems, graduate and professional schools) and nonprofit agencies visit the campus in search of top talent who will become industry leaders in a 21st Century workforce.

Employers are vital stakeholders and instrumental in our Career Pathways effort.

If interested, please do not hesitate to connect with #TheBestofBC!

Opportunities include

  • on-campus recruitment of qualified students;
  • classroom informational sessions in where businesses speak directly to talent to share company opportunities with targeted majors;
  • serve as guest lecturers in courses to impart expertise and knowledge on relevant topics;
  • register as members in the Purple Briefcase Career Management System to directly post jobs and internships, and
  • search student profiles;
  • participate in campus career fairs; and
  • host career field studies for students and faculty at the companies physical location.
  • Address: 2601 Read Street, Columbia SC 29204
  • Phone: 803-705-4726
  • E-Mail: CareerPathwaysInitiativeandService-LearningProgram@my.benedict.edu

Benedict Faculty Looking to Engage Students in Career Development

Benedict faculty can help students in their career pathway by hosting guest lecturers, from a variety of career fields, in their classrooms.

  • Host a Guest Lecturer​
  • Schedule a Career Field Study
  • Request a Professional Development Session​
  • Contact our office
  • Guest lectures provide an opportunity to supplement instruction and extend learning for students.
  • Guest lecturers bring topic related expertise and offer real-world, firsthand experience that may help contextualize theoretical pedagogy that students are learning in courses.
  • Opportunities for students to engage with industry experts exposes them to a variety of career fields and workforce options.

Benedict Alumni Looking to Engage Students in Career Development

Benedict alumni can help current students in their career pathway thru mentorship, advice, expertise, and connections.

  • Volunteer to be a Guest Lecturer
  • Become a Mentor
  • Provide Career Field Study Opportunities
  • Conduct a Professional Development Session
  • Shared experiences
  • Part of #TheBestofBC family
  • Leaving legacy
  • Assist students with school-to-career transition
  • Step 1 – review our list of services to identify where you may be most willing to serve. Your mentoring, advice, expertise, and connections can be the experience that propels a current student to realize their post-secondary aspirations and ascertain their career dreams. We need your help!
  • Step 2 – Contact our office
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