Career Connections

The experiences you Have at Nebraska will build a foundation for your entire career.

Sydney Trench standing in an elementary school classroom

Prepare for Your Career: Learn by Doing

At Nebraska, you won't have to wait to get your hands dirty with experience in your career field. From day one, you'll have the chance work with professors and other students to engage in unique hands-on learning opportunities—like internships, work study and pre-professional clubs—so you'll have relevant experience before you graduate.

University of Nebraska Lincoln

UNL on Exposure

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Two students in biohazard suits inspecting a crime scene with black lights

There was a murder in the basement of Filley Hall — or at least, the staging of a homicide crime scene. Students in UNL's forensic science capstone class spent the better part of spring semester meticulously processing the scene, examining evidence, conducting laboratory tests and testifying in mock court. The course is a culmination of everything they've learned in the major.

University of Nebraska Lincoln

UNL on Exposure

Two students operation a tabletop printing press

Huskers enrolled in English 379 are rolling through a series of hands-on experiences this semester. The course is an exploration of the history of reading technologies (from antiquity to the digital age) and how they transformed the world. Students were able to get hands-on with tabletop presses, allowing them to experience the letterpress printing process developed by Johannes Gutenberg.

Ra'Daniel Arvie standing against in a hallway

Develop Critical Career Skills

Nebraska will support you every step of the way on the path to your dream job. With the guidance of caring professors, you'll grow and develop skills like leadership and effective communication that will set you up for success after graduation. You'll have the opportunity to work 1-to-1 with a Career Services Advisor to find the right internships so you can kickstart your path to a career you'll love.

Erika Swenson sitting on bleachers

Don't Wait to Start on Your Career Path

At Nebraska, you can work alongside faculty and peers to launch businesses, manage nonprofits or make research discoveries that have never existed before—all before you graduate. From the moment you get to campus, you'll meet friendly people who will challenge you to challenge everything.

University of Nebraska Lincoln

Nebraska Today

Lydia Storm in a lab setting looking at a vial of liquid

Q&A with Lydia Storm, a forensic science and biochemistry double major from Lawrence, Kansas. Storm—the winner of a College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources' Change Maker scholarship—is working to encourage elementary school-aged girls to pursue studies and experiences in STEM fields.

Ethan Bütt sitting on a chair

Get Hands-On with Internships

Internships are important experiences to have in college because you learn by getting a taste of a potential career. They can also help you decide if you're on the right path to get there. Nebraska's Office of Career Services is here to support you and your career goals from day one, offering advice and connecting you to opportunities to grow your skills by immersing yourself in your field.

University of Nebraska Lincoln

Nebraska Today

a student posing in front of a house

Senior journalism and broadcasting major Jennifer Yuma has always known she'd be a writer. After taking a few journalism courses at in the College of Journalism and Mass Communications her freshman year, her dream to become an entertainment writer at a lifestyle magazine solidified.

Samantha Wolff tutoring and elementary aged girl in a classroom

Gain New Skills and Earn Money With Work-Study

Work-study jobs are paid on-campus positions for students offered based on financial need. You can find work-study jobs in almost every area of campus, from Campus Recreation, to Housing and more. Learn a new skill and earn money toward your tuition while working conveniently on campus through a work-study job.

University of Nebraska Lincoln

Nebraska Today

a student teaching in an elementary classroom

Students are hired to work as tutors in local elementary classrooms and after-school programs within the Lincoln Public Schools system. Tutors partner directly with LPS classroom educators to help improve reading levels and math performance, among other supports.

University of Nebraska Lincoln

Nebraska Today

two students eating ice cream

Currently in its first year, the Dining Student Leadership Program is a pilot program actively recruiting up to 35 first-year students who qualify for federal work-study. Participants will not only gain valuable experience for other fields and professions, but will provide an essential service to the campus community.

counselor sitting at a desk talking with a student

1-to-1 Career Services Support

The Office of Career Services is a great resource for building your future, even if you're not sure what you want to do yet. Career Advisors can help you at every stage of your job search, from building your resume, to polishing your interview skills—and that's just the beginning.

From a conversation with Director of University Career Services, Tracy Lungrin:

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  • Hey Tracy! Can you tell us what you do at Nebraska?

  • My role is to oversee a team that coordinates career advising and development, internships, and employer connections throughout the campus career network.

  • So what happens when a student walks into your office?

  • We work with students at all levels of their career development. We help students answer three big questions: "Who am I?" "Who do I want to be?" and "How do I get there?"

  • Honest question: how does knowing "who am I?" help you prepare for a career?

  • Helping students understand their interests, skills, values, strengths and environment preferences is critical to helping them become more self-aware. Knowing yourself can help you find a major and career that matches your individual preferences.

    Students come in with lots of ideas (some from themselves, others from family) and we offer support and guidance to test those ideas to see if they're a match for the student's future.

  • That seems really personalized. Do you work 1-to-1 with students to figure that out?

  • We do. We have career advisors in almost every college, and we have a great team at the Explore Center who helps students who are undecided explore their options.

  • How do you work with students to test their ideas about their preferences and potential career path?

  • Beyond coursework, job shadowing, interviewing professionals in the field or joining a career- or major-related club are great ways to learn.

    Ultimately, volunteering, getting a part-time job (in a relevant area), or an internship (with hands-on experience) are often the best ways a student can test possible career paths.

  • How do you help students put themselves out there?

  • We help generate ideas of how they can explore—maybe it's starting with classes and a club. Then, if they like that but they're still unsure, they can work up to a reaching out to someone for a job shadow.

    As students gain more confidence, they can stretch themselves to applying for jobs and internships that connect to their chosen career interests. It's definitely a process.

  • What if a student realizes that what they're doing is not for them? Is that normal?

  • It's VERY normal. It might feel like a real setback, but learning what you don't like only propels you forward. You learn so much about yourself when something doesn't work out. It helps you pivot with new insight and awareness.

  • The idea is that you can take these experiences—good and bad—and then use them to inform your next step, right?

  • Precisely: Experiment / Learn / Fail / Repeat

    It's a process to find out who you are and what you want—how you get there looks different for every individual.

  • How can students get started with this process now?

  • Put your career interests to test as soon as you can. If you have strong interests in one or more fields, try out job shadowing or go on college visits and ask about majors and careers.

    Don't just do a lot of research online, go talk to people in the field. That's how you really learn!

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Connect Clubs to Career

With more than 500 Registered Student Organizations to choose from, you are bound to find a support group of other students with similar goals and gain experience toward your career, no matter your academic discipline or dream job. Explore examples of clubs catered to academic programs, or tap the link below to search a list of all clubs and organizations.

See All Registered Student Organizations