Career & Professional Development


Take charge of your potential for career and professional success, both in college and beyond.

Located in Schaeffer Hall, First Floor

The Alex Lee Career and Professional Development Center helps you discover your true personality, explore academic majors and career options, find internships and part-time work and prepare for life after graduation.

The services provided are designed to empower Lenoir-Rhyne students and alumni in maximizing their potential for career and professional success.

Whether you’re a student just starting out in the working world or a seasoned graduate with years of experience, we offer career and professional development resources to help you make the most of your LR degree.

Gunnar Anderson

Small class sizes make it easy to get to know your professors and classmates on a personal level. Through the career center students have the opportunity to network and find internships or jobs.

Gunnar Anderson ’22, Finance/Management

Services & Resources


We work with employers and thousands of Bear alumni to build strong professional networks and help connect you with internships and job opportunities.

The center offers the following services and assistance for students and alumni.

  • Internship micro-grants
  • Career Closet - free professional clothing for students
  • Focus 2 self-assessment system (Note: New users should create a new account under the “New to Focus 2” section using the access code Bears4Life)
  • Big Interview - learn about and practice for your interview (use LR email and password to create your free account)
  • Choosing a major that fits you well
  • Career and personality assessments
  • Career research and decision-making
  • Career Connectors - linking alumni with current students and alumni
  • Confidential counseling and coaching
  • Resume writing and review
  • Interview preparation and mock interviews
  • Job search tips
  • Internship search and application
  • Graduate school application tips
  • Professional networking strategies
  • Presenting yourself professionally
  • Assistance with work-study or off-campus part-time jobs while in school

We are committed to helping you refine your skills and develop professionally in order to find your dream job or graduate school.

Students


Free, confidential career counseling and coaching is available to all LR students and alumni. Contact Katie Wohlman, director of career and professional development at katie.wohlman@lr.edu or 828.328.7699 for an appointment.

  • Résume Review

    If you are ready to craft a resume but not sure how to get started, make an appointment to talk with us about how your resume can showcase your unique skills and abilities.

  • Mock Interviews

    Nail your interview with an employer for an internship or full-time job. Make an appointment to practice the interview—from delivering the best handshake to answering the tough questions and bringing closure to the interview.

    The mock interview lasts approximately 30 minutes and is followed by a 20-minute critique. During the review, you will learn what you did well and how you can improve. Mock interviews can be conducted in person or virtually.

  • Career Workshops

    We collaborate with faculty, recruiters and other individuals to enhance career development skills.

  • Job Search Assistance and Strategies

    We can share our job boards, employer contacts and strategies for finding the job of your dreams.

  • Graduate School Preparation

    We assist in the application process and provide information on the GRE, GMAT, LSAT, LSDAS and the MCAT. We can also assist in providing test preparation materials and resources.

  • Networking

    Most people get their jobs through people they know. If you are curious about how to build your professional network, make an appointment with us to discuss ways you can get to know employers in the Hickory area (and beyond) and improve your chances of being considered for internship and job opportunities.

  • Work-Study Program

    The LR Work-Study Program allows current undergraduate students the opportunity to earn income while developing essential workplace skills for post-graduation careers.

    Graduate students are eligible to work on campus as graduate assistants (GA). To apply for a GA position, visit the Work at LR page. 

    • Federal Work-Study (FWS)
      The FWS Program is designed to promote access to part-time employment to help students with indirect educational expenses. The Financial Aid Office, based on federal regulations and confidential information regarding the student's financial status, determines eligibility for FWS. Eligible students will receive an award of FWS and an annual earnings limit on their financial aid award letter. The offer of FWS on a financial aid award letter is not a guarantee of work.
    • Departmental Work-Study (DWS)
      The DWS Program is designed by LR to allow students who are ineligible for FWS access to part-time employment to help with their indirect educational expenses. Students who do not receive an award of FWS may seek and apply for on-campus positions that are funded through individual departments.
    • America Reads/America Counts (AR/AC) 
      The AR/AC Project, a federal community service program, is an off-campus tutoring program designed to allow college students to help elementary school-aged children improve their reading and mathematics skills while helping themselves with their indirect educational expenses. Students must have received an award of FWS on their financial aid award letter to be eligible for the AR/AC Project. Students are required to provide their own transportation to and from the tutoring site.

Alumni

  • Career Resources for Alumni

    Once a bear, always a bear. 

    The center offers free career coaching and resources to LR alumni for life. Contact our office to set up an in-person or virtual appointment and learn more about our services.

    Prepare for upcoming job interviews and practice your answers with Big Interview. You'll get hands-on practice with mock interviews tailored to your specific area of interest. LR alumni, use access code 1890.

  • Recruitment & Networking

    Alumni are welcome to attend our career events as job seekers or recruiters.

    If you are interested in hiring LR students or alumni, reach out to us for more information or sign up for a Handshake account.

    If you are interested in networking opportunities or providing career advice to current students or other alumni, join our Career Connectors program.

Recruiters


We want to help you connect with our talented students and alumni. The center offers many services to help you identify the right candidates for your openings.

We provide services for undergraduate and graduate students at the Hickory, Asheville, and Columbia campuses. Lenoir-Rhyne operates on the semester system, and students graduate in May, December and August.

For more information about recruiting, or if you have questions, please contact Katie Wohlman, director of career and professional development, at katie.wohlman@lr.edu or 828.328.7699.

Faculty & Staff


We love to partner with faculty and staff to support your programs’ career and professional goals.

To schedule a class visit or to plan a meeting to discuss how we can work together to help our students, please contact Katie Wohlman, director of career and professional development, at katie.wohlman@lr.edu or 828.328.7699.

  • Faculty & Staff Opportunities

    Faculty and staff at LR work with the center in a variety of ways. Contact us if you are interested in any of the following opportunities or would like to discuss partnering with us.

    • Conduct in-class résumé workshops
    • Conduct mock interviews for all students
    • Assist with finding internship contacts
    • Co-facilitate career fairs
    • Identify companies to visit classes, share case studies
  • Work-Study Employment

    If you have a work-study position and are looking to recruit an eligible student, contact the director to post a position or sign up for a Handshake account.

Parents


If you are a parent of an LR student or alumnus/a, you know first-hand the value of a Lenoir-Rhyne education.

The Career and Professional Development Center is eager to support your students from before they step foot on campus to years after they graduate. Career services are free for life as an LR Graduate. 97% of our graduates are either enrolled in graduate school or have a full-time job within six months after graduation, which is 13 percent higher than the national average. 

News & Events

A student shakes hands with a representative from First Citizens at Success Fest 2023

Within six months of graduation, 97 percent of 2023 graduates are fully employed or attending graduate school, exceeding the national average by more than ten points.

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Procession with the cross into Christ Chapel

LTSS faculty, staff, alumni, students and friends shared memories and looked ahead as they gathered at the Decommissioning Service for the Columbia campus.

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