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Alumni Resources and Opportunities

A student and alumni attendee shake hands at a networking event

AU offers career services for life. There are also many opportunities for alumni to give back with their time, expertise, experience, and networks. Below are the many ways in which alumni can remain engaged with the Eagle community whether seeking career development or helping fellow Eagles. 

The AU Career Center and Office of Alumni Relations, in partnership with Create Your Own Career Path Career Coaching, are hosting two free webinars for alumni this fall:

I Want a New Job, Now What? | Wednesday, October 2 | 12PM (Noon) | Zoom

New Year, New Job | Wednesday, December 4 | 12PM (Noon) | Zoom

Learn more and register on Handshake. 

Career Services for Alumni

Alumni maintain access to all the Career Center resources, events, and programs listed on our website, including job and internship fairs and one-on-one career advising. Below are some helpful tips for alumni-specific access. 

The AU Career Center focuses its services for CAS, SPA, SOC, and SOE alumni. Did you graduate from Kogod, SIS, or WCL? Access school-specific career services: 

  • Schedule an appointment with a career advisor for tailored guidance and advice on job searching, graduate school, and professional development. If you graduated more than one year ago from CAS, SOC, SPA, or SOE, you are invited to meet with our alumni career advisor for up to three 45-minute appointments per calendar year at no charge. 
  • Graduated less than one year ago? You still have access to your school-specific career advisors through the same link. 
  • Graduated from Kogod, SIS, or WCL? Contact the school-specific career office (linked above) for more information. 

Handshake
AU alumni maintain access to Handshake, AU’s comprehensive career management platform. Access Handshake to apply for jobs, book advising appointments, connect with employers, register for events, access additional resources, and more. To create a Handshake account, or to recover your student account:

  • If you still have access to your AU portal username and password, log in with your AU portal credentials at https://american.joinhandshake.com 

  • Otherwise, please email careercenter@american.edu and include the following information:

    • Your full name while attending AU

    • Your preferred full name now (if different from when you attended AU)

    • Your graduation year

    • The name of the program you graduated from 

Alumnifire
Join Alumnifire to connect with fellow Eagles across the globe. Find a mentor, grow your network, find community, apply for jobs, and ask for help all in one place.

Mentor, Hire, and Give Back to Students and Young Alumni

Alumnifire for AU

Alumnifire is the primary hub for self-service mentoring, hiring, and networking with fellow Eagles. Join this free platform and complete your profile to start connecting with Eagles in exactly the ways you wish. Offer your network, advice, skills, experience, and expertise to help open doors for Eagles around the world; seek new connections and professional development opportunities for yourself; post jobs and events for the Eagle community; and start or join groups that meet your professional interests. Join today at https://american.alumnifire.com

Handshake

Join Handshake as an Employer and connect with American University to post jobs and host events for AU students and alumni. Handshake is your one-stop-shop for all things recruiting and will connect you with 15,000 registered AU job seekers.

Your LinkedIn Profile

Keep your profile up to date and ensure you have American University listed under Education. Fellow Eagles can then search this page and reach out for advice or other connections.

LinkedIn Alumni Group

Don’t miss out on events and volunteer opportunities as well as exciting announcements from former classmates. Join the LinkedIn American University Alumni Group now. 

Are you looking for quality candidates to join your organization? There are many ways in which you can recruit fellow Eagles. For more information on any of these recruiting opportunities, visit Recruitment Page or email Katina Tsangarides, Associate Director of Employer Relations.  

Post a job or internship 

There are many places to post an available opportunity, each with a unique purpose: 

Attend a job fair 

AU hosts a university-wide Job and Internship Fair each semester. Additionally, we host multiple industry-based job fairs throughout the year. For the most up-to-date information about upcoming fairs, visit the Job & Internship Fair website.

Additional events based in our Career Communities can be found on our website.

Host a recruiting event

These opportunities allow you to meet 1:1 or in groups with students interested in working with your organization. You can request any of these through Handshake or contact Caleb Brown with any questions. 

  • “On-Campus” Interviews (OCI) – meet 1:1 with selected candidates. 

  • Employer Meet-ups – host a group presentation about your organization. 

  • Employer Pop-ins – answer quick questions from students. 

  • Recruiter Chats – hold open “office hours” for brief 1:1 conversations with students. 

  • Hosting your own recruiting event? Let us help promote it to AU students!

There are several additional ways to share your experience and expertise with the Eagle Community.

Dinner with Alumni
Host a dinner for a group of students around a topic of your choice. These events can be structured or unstructured and are managed by the alum with logistical support from the Office of Alumni Relations. Visit the Dinner with Alumni website for more information. 

Affinity Programs
Connect with fellow Eagles who share a common experience or identity. AU’s Affinity Programs host many events throughout the year focused on career and social interactions. Find more information here. 

Regional Programs
Connect with fellow Eagles in your region for career, service, and social events. For a list of Alumni Communities and to get involved, find more information here. 

And much more! 
Visit the Alumni Association Website for even more ways to get involved. 

Each year, the Career Center provides funds to qualifying students to take an unpaid internship, attend a conference, or to purchase professional attire, to further their career without the burden of extra financial strain. Donate to the Student Career Development Fund to help us increase the number of students who can access this opportunity. 

Graduation Census
Did you graduate recently? Complete the Graduation Census to share about your experience at AU and since graduation. Your response helps us improve our services and programs as well as helps prospective students and families make informed decisions. 

Success Stories
Did you have a great experience with the Career Center? Are you working on an awesome project? Help us get the word out about our work and our alumni successes. Email ccsuccessstory@american.edu with your name, contact info, and brief explanation of why you should be featured. We'll contact you to talk about recording a success story.