STUDENT AFFAIRS

What To Expect When You Meet With an NCA Adviser

From choosing an academic major to interview prep, NCA advisers are here for you every step of your journey at Northwestern (plus six months after graduation)

Ready to take the next step in your career journey, but not sure where to start? Northwestern Career Advancement’s (NCA) career advisers are here to help.  

NCA works to foster excellence in career development, preparation and professional opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students as well as alumni by providing comprehensive career services and programming. 

You don’t have to have committed to an area of study, know your career interests or even have specific questions in mind to meet with NCA, according to Director of Career Development Tracie Thomas. 

“Students often think of NCA as being a place where you go for resumes and cover letters,” Thomas said. “But NCA offers so much more to students struggling with the internship and job search. NCA can help with connecting majors to careers, career exploration, and industry specific internship and job search strategies.”  

Here’s how to get started with NCA’s services. 

Schedule an Appointment 

You’ll be assigned a career adviser based on your school—see yours here or on Handshake.  

To schedule an appointment: 

1. Log in to Handshake using your NU credentials 
2. Navigate to the “Career Center” tab on the left-hand side menu 
3. Select “Appointments,” then “Schedule a New Appointment” 
4. Choose your appointment type. If you don’t know which to pick, select “Not sure where to start” 
5. Select the date and time you’d prefer and the appointment medium (Zoom or in-person) 
6. Fill out the question: “What can we help you with?” 

Thomas noted that NCA is open during academic breaks, so students can make an appointment whenever it works best for them. 

Areas of Expertise 

NCA is a hub to get help with all things career-related. 

Students don’t need to have a set career path or even a major to get help from their career adviser. 

“Those are some of my favorite conversations. One place to start is ‘What decisions are you trying to make right now?’ Often students are trying to make too many decisions at once, and this can be overwhelming.” Thomas said. “Because everybody is different, you want to think through what the best path and course of action is for you, because not everyone’s process is going to look the same. 

Thomas emphasized that NCA advisers work to gain a holistic view of where students are, and from there, they can help students create a plan of action. 

Career advisers routinely assist with resume and cover letter drafting. These appointments include a live editing process, so there’s often no need to send your documents in advance. 

“We always want to talk through the student’s goal for using their documents.” Thomas said. “What kinds of industries are they applying for and who is the audience. We also want to help students represent skills that they may have gained from coursework, student activities or campus jobs. 

Thomas noted that students often undersell their skills, particularly those they’ve gained through coursework, high school activities or extracurriculars at Northwestern. She said advisers can help students recognize and highlight those assets in their materials. 

Career advisers can also help with interview preparation in the form of a mock interview, where they ask students questions, emulating those they may be asked by a potential employer. 

“We like to provide a safe atmosphere for students to try out their answers, especially to difficult questions, and then we can help them shape those answers,” Thomas said. 

NCA can also help with graduate school application advising, interpreting career assessment results and much more. 

What To Expect 

Meetings typically are 30-minutes long, and take place in-person (at 620 Lincoln Street) or on Zoom. Students can come with any career question, even if they don’t know exactly what they’re looking to do next. 

“Our advisers are school based rather than industry based, but all of the advisers are knowledgeable about a number of careers.” Thomas said. “I think what you’re going to find when you come in is someone who’s just really excited to meet with you and help you.” 

Other Ways to Access NCA’s Services 

NCA offers walk-in hours at 620 Lincoln St. and a live chat from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. 

These 15- to 20-minute meetings are great for students to be able to “speak to someone immediately about an urgent concern that they have,” according to Thomas. 

To access the live chat: 

1. Navigate to Microsoft Teams 
2. When prompted, enter your Northwestern email address 
3. When redirected to Online Passport, sign in with your NetID and password 

Advisers also hold drop-in hours at the schools they cover, so keep an eye out for email blasts from NCA. 

Thomas emphasized the resources available to students through NCA’s website, including industry-specific resources, those for international students, guides to informational interviews and networking, and more. 

No matter how students access NCA’s services, Thomas emphasized that career advisers are here to help. 

“You will have access to appointments for six months after you graduate,” Thomas said. “However, our goal is always to get you to that first destination. So if it’s even a little over six months, we’ll help you. You will have access to Handshake events and job postings for the rest of your life.” 

She also emphasized that students do not need to come into NCA with anything prepared, but they do need to come with an open mind. 

“Come with curiosity and come knowing that this is a safe space for you,” she said.