Resources

Professional Development Process

Career Services | Current Students

Quick Links: Professional Development Process | SAISWorks | SAIS Resume Collection Documents Guidelines | International Students | Career Clubs | InterviewStream

Career Services strives to help students throughout all the stages of their professional development.  We provide this support in three different ways:

Click on any of the above links to learn more.  We also encourage you to explore the rest of this page to learn more about the professional development process and how you can take charge of plotting your career course.

Professional Development Process

The professional development process is a five-stage process that follows a logical progression starting with developing a clear career focus and understanding the career goals which lead a student to enroll in SAIS.  Career Services provides support throughout a student's two years at SAIS.  The steps include:

1

Self Assessment & Marketing Resources - Self assessment and reflection is a continuous process and the foundation for a successful job or internship search.

2

Career Research & Networking - Online resources enable you to expand your knowledge of targeted employers, sectors and fields.

3

Set Goals & Target Your Search - Target your job or internship search to focus on key values and interests through developing a strategy for expanding experience (an internship) and finding a job.

4

Gain Needed Skills and Experience - Both through Professional Skills Courses and career-related internships during their time at SAIS, students gain necessary skills and experience to make a successful transition to their chosen area of employment at graduation.

5

Prepare Search Materials - Focus on polishing your professional skills and strengthening the manner in which you market yourself to people who matter (employers and people connected to employers). 

 6

Implement Search Strategy - Each student has a responsibility to implement his or her professional development plan and realize the career goals they have set for themselves.

SAISWorks 

Career Service's online database is not only the primary source for SAIS job and internship postings for students and alumni, it also houses a number of primary resources for career research.  Click here to learn more about the features and how you can utilize this premier job search tool.  

 

SAIS Resume Collection Documents Guidelines

All resumes that are submitted to our office as part of resume collections, resume books, Career Services sponsored events and interviews, must conform to the SAIS Resume Template.  Click on the following links to  see the SAIS Resume Collection Documents Guidelines, view a Sample SAIS Resume or download a Resume Template.  All cover letters must also conform with the standard business format.

International Students

Career Services is aware of the unique career development needs of the school's diverse international student community.  In addition to the range of services available to all students, there are a series of events and programs specifically for international students throughout the academic year.  These include:  international alumni mentoring discussions; presentations by employers hiring international students; sector-specific career documents on institutions such as the United Nations and the World Bank; and professional development workshops on themes of special interest to international students.  For answers to career questions facing international students at SAIS, click here.

Career Clubs

Career Clubs are an excellent opportunity for students with similar professional interests to work together on exploring the field and employers within that sector.  Career Services works closely with these groups to develop programs and resources for specific fields of interest.  Students are highly encouraged to get involved with at least one of these clubs to utilize their resources and to play a role in creating a professional development environment at SAIS.

InterviewStream

InterviewStream is an online tool that can help you refine your message to best sell your skills in a professional and effective manner.  InterviewStream also takes away the stress and challenge of fine tuning your message with someone you don't know. You can record and watch your responses until you get them right. All you need is a webcam, microphone and speakers or headphones to conduct an interview right now! When your answers are fine tuned, you have the choice to e-mail your interview to classmates and friends for objective feedback. The website also provides tips of non-verbal behavior and communication missteps.   To get started, SAIS Students and Alumni must login to SAISWorks to get started.