Career Services
Want to find out about internships? Research graduate schools? Find out about career paths for your major? Career services staff are here to help you figure out what happens after KCAI.
We believe that preparing students for success in the workplace is as important as helping them succeed in the classroom. Beginning in their first year, our students participate in sequenced, career-related experiences that facilitate their journey to graduation and help them plan beyond completion of their B.F.A. degree.
The career services office at KCAI provides advice and resources for students to find art-related employment. The staff expands students’ knowledge of career options and helps them to create an organized career strategy through group and personal counseling sessions. By visiting the career services office, students can learn more about internship opportunities, the Community Arts Service Learning certificate program, professional practice programs and resources to assist with graduate school and employment searches.
Internships
At KCAI we believe an internship is a pivotal experience in a student’s professional development. All KCAI students are encouraged to pursue at least one internship during their undergraduate education. Faculty mentors highly recommend and value these opportunities because they allow the student to gain career-related experience under the supervision of a professional. Listings of regional and national internship sites are available in the career services office. Students can earn up to 12 academic credits for approved internships.
The Internship Prep program has been designed to help sophomores get ready to enroll in an internship as soon as possible beginning in their junior year. Students learn how to create and maintain a resume, build a professional network and research local, national and international internship sites.
Professional practice
The studio departments serve a vital role in students’ professional development by providing technical, professional and conceptual information that is specific to each discipline. The career services office augments the professional development curriculum by bringing artists and other arts professionals to campus to hold seminars and panel discussions on professional practice.
Career services presents skill-building workshops, hosts alumni speakers, conducts one-on-one career advising, introduces students to professionals in areas of finance, business development, education, museum management, art criticism and public art.
Sophomore preparation workshops
You won’t go into an internship or professional practice without a plan. Sophomore workshops are our newest initiative to help second-year students get ready for their first steps into the professional world. You will learn what to expect of an internship — and what will be expected of you. Then you practice building a resume that is clean and concise and captures attention. Finally, you learn how to match your skills with the right job opportunities. Each of these steps gives you an edge when vying for the internship you want the most.
Career services library
The career services library has resources on every aspect of career development. The library includes graduate school catalogs; periodicals and journals; information on internships, residencies, assistantships and fellowships; Internet access to resources; and career resource books. Topics include career exploration, landing a job, marketing your work, finances, business development, travel, owning and operating an art gallery and more.
Graduate school
The career services library houses an up-to-date collection of graduate school catalogs. Online resources include Gradschool.com, U.S. News, PlanetEdu and others. Students also may meet with career services staff to learn which graduate programs will best fulfill their personal and professional objectives and to review their applications.
Competitions and exhibitions
Often KCAI students are interested in submitting work for competitions, grants, and exhibitions. Career services staff members provide students with information on a variety of competition Web sites, such as Art Show, Global Art Information, Graphic Competitions, Kara Art and others. Staff members will assist students in developing their proposals for these opportunities.
Employment searches
The career services office provides resources for students to find art-related employment. Career services staff maintain an opportunities list posted on the KCAI Web site at www.kcai.edu/careers, and job postings by category are available. During one-on-one sessions, career advisors work with students to perfect their resume, write a persuasive cover letter and develop strategies for meeting their career goals.
Alumni and career services
KCAI alumni are an integral part of the career services program. New alumni may continue to avail themselves of professional development opportunities, including application assistance for graduate school, career advising, advice on networking strategies, exploring entrepreneurship and business creation. Alumni also come back to campus to share career information and insights with current students, offering them opportunities to network and gain valuable contact information. Often these relationships lead to internships and even jobs for KCAI students.