Quick Links: Staff Profiles | Counseling Services | Scheduling an Appointment | Hours of Operation | Directions We serve the career-development needs of SAIS students and alumni, providing high-quality, client-oriented services designed to assist students and alumni in managing their professional careers. Our services range from providing guidance in goal setting to helping students gain experience in their chosen professional field while crafting an effective job-search strategy. Our clients also include employers of SAIS graduates to whom we market the SAIS education and provide professional services enabling employers across all sectors and regions to hire SAIS students and alumni as interns and full-time employees. Click here to learn more about how we work with employers. Staff SAIS is fortunate to have seven staff members working to assist students in all aspects of their professional development. There are three counselors who, in addition to general counseling responsibilities, have more specific knowledge in certain employment sectors. Counselors and support staff also serve as liaisons to Career Clubs and work with academic programs in the development of programming and opportunities. To learn more about the background and expertise of our counselors, and meet the entire Career Services staff, click here. Counseling Services Three full-time counselors are available in Career Services to help students effectively manage their careers throughout the professional development process. We are here to help students develop individualized career plans and solve unique career related problems; however, we expect students to know the resources available and to do the work necessary to make the appointments as efficient and effective as possible. Before their first meeting and follow-up career planning meetings with a counselor, students and alumni should confirm the following: - They have registered in SAISWorks and are familiar with all Career Services policies and procedures.
- They have completed and/or updated all profile information in SAISWorks.
- They have reviewed the Professional Development Plan and done the appropriate research on areas of interest.
- They have uploaded an up-to-date resume to SAISWorks.
- They have sent appropriate application documents (cover letter, essays, etc.) to the counselor, if reviewing job application materials or conducting a mock interview.
Students can choose from four types of counseling sessions: Self-Assessment Review (60 minutes)
Career Services offers the three self-assessment tools for current students* seeking to clarify and explore their career goals: International Career Direction Assessment (ICDA), Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), and CareerLeader**. After taking these online assessments, students can meet with a counselor to review the results and discuss any impact on their professional development and career choices. *These services are limited to full-time students at the DC campus.**First-year MA students may meet with a counselor after they complete the Career Course.
Counseling Appointments (30 minutes)These appointments are designed to support students throughout the development and implementation of their internship or job-search strategy. Some of the common issues covered in these sessions include:
• Preparing a Professional Development Plan
• Researching sectors, fields and employers
• Providing linkages to SAIS alumni and professionals in all fields and sectors
• Identifying and pursuing year-round or summer internships
• Assisting with the job-hunt process. Mock Interviews (60 Minutes)Students can schedule a time to conduct a mock interview with a counselor. Students will need to provide a job description of the employer of interest and any application materials. The meeting will include practicing interview questions followed by feedback on style.
Drop-In Appointments (15-20 minutes)These are best suited for a student that has already developed a strategy for a job or internship search and needs to review application materials, follow up on a specific topic from a previous meeting, or discuss a specific question. Please see our posted drop-in hours below. Note that these are subject to change, please check the Weekly E-mail or contact Career Services for more up-to-date information.
| Summer 2010 | Monday | | | Tuesday |
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| Wednesday | | | Thursday | | | Friday | | | During the summer there are no regularly scheduled drop-in hours.
Career advisors are in the office during regular business hours and have flexible schedules to often schedule same-day or next-day meeting. |
Scheduling an appointment* To schedule an assessment or counseling appointment, please stop by Career Services in Nitze 212 or call our main number at 202.663.5710. All appointments are scheduled through our Program Coordinator, who will help match you with one of our career counselors based on sector focus or professional development needs. To schedule an appointment, students and alumni must be registered and have a current resume on SAISWorks prior to meeting with a counselor. Appointments normally last approximately 30 minutes to 1 hour. * First-year MA students may meet with a counselor after they complete the Career Course. Hours of Operation The Career Services office is open year-round Monday-Friday from 9 a.m - 5 p.m. During the school year, we are open additional hours on Wednesdays until 7 p.m. We will be closed on all University holidays. | 
