From Classroom to Career
Building Links Between Students and Employers
APU’s Career Services office works one on one with students to develop professional documents that reflect each individual’s experiences, talents, education, and goals. We invite businesses and organizations to visit our campus and get to know our students, staff, and faculty and explore partnerships while sharing job openings and internships. Connect with us to help transform today’s students into tomorrow’s workforce.
Career Services Office Location and Contact Information
Advising Suite, Grant 222D
Phone: 907-564-8345
Email: careerservices@alaskapacific.edu
Services
Revising a resume can be just as daunting as starting from scratch. You don’t have to work alone on your professional application documents! Students and alumni are invited to schedule an appointment to discuss any of the following:
- Resume/CV and cover letter writing or revising
- Interview skills and mock interviews
- Informational interviews and networking
- Salary negotiation
- Career options and searching for jobs
Schedule an appointment:
Robin Brooks
Career Services Coordinator
907-564-8345
careerservices@alaskapacific.edu
Training sessions and workshops are offered regularly throughout each semester, and the schedule is available on Handshake. Some are in-person on our main campus, and others are offered through Zoom or Microsoft Teams.
Check the “Career Center” section of Handshake for our library of guides and sample documents. One- or two-page summaries are available to walk you through the first steps of writing a cover letter, preparing for an interview, or negotiating for a pay bump.
You are ALWAYS APU! Current students and alumni are welcome to utilize Career Services anytime, whether it’s planning your next degree program, looking for employment options related to your major, or applying for a summer internship.
Alumni provide an invaluable connection for our current students. We are always happy to see you!
- Volunteer your time to speak in a class about your professional career path
- Staff an information table to represent and recruit for your organization
- Attend presentations or events on campus
For additional alumni resources, please visit APU Alumni & Friends.
Your major can take you in a thousand different directions! Keep your mind open and learn about career options you might not have considered. APU offers many ways to explore unexpected career paths.
Resources at APU:
- Charting Your Career – a guide to help you navigate options at APU
- Majors and Degrees at APU – List of majors and institutes
- Handshake Career Center – articles, guides, and video links are posted in the Career Center section
- Job & Information Tables – Employers visit our campus regularly! Check your student email or watch Handshake for announcements about organizations and businesses hosting information tables, and plan to stop by for a few minutes.
More Resources:
- AKCIS – the Alaska Career Information System – Provided by the Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education, this is a free resource available to all Alaskans. Try out the Interest Profiler or Learning Styles Survey to assess your skills and explore career options.
- CareerOneStop – Try out the Skills Matcher, Work Values Matcher, Most Openings, Compare Salaries , and other assessment tools in this helpful collection
- University of Alaska Career Coach – use the Quick Start Assessment or Detailed Assessment to consider your interests and how they relate to your prospective career
- Salem Press guides provide career opportunities in: Business, Human Services, Nursing, Psychology, Behavioral Health, and Outdoor Studies. Click on a title, set up a quick registration, and take a look!
LET’S MEET HANDSHAKE!
Alaska Pacific University offers Handshake to all current students and alumni. You’ll find campus jobs, local employment, and positions throughout the country on this student-oriented career platform, as well as career resources, upcoming events, webinars, video guides, and more.
GETTING STARTED
Your Handshake account is ready and waiting! Ten minutes. That’s all you need, at the most, to get your account activated and set up. Use your alaskapacific.edu email address to log in, set up your password, and start personalizing your profile by following the prompts. Once you’ve activated your account, download the mobile app!
BUILD YOUR PROFILE
- Your profile is set to Private by default, so you’ll be able to decide what you’d like to share and with whom, like employers or other students
- Select “My Profile” to edit your personal information and determine visibility
- The information you provide in “Your Interests” is what Handshake will use to curate relevant opportunities and job openings
- “Upload” is the spot to add your resume or CV. Need help getting started, or ready for a revamp? Let’s meet!
- Keep going! Your profile will be more appealing to employers if you can add your top skills, your work or volunteer experience, coursework and projects, and the knowledge or skills you’ve gained along the way
Handshake Help Center – Use these guides to walk you through more ways to make the most of Handshake.
How will your application documents set you apart? Your resume or curriculum vitae (CV) needs to communicate that you’re the best qualified candidate for the position. These resources will help you get started, whether it’s from scratch or for a few updates.
Make a statement. Don’t overlook this important part of your application! The cover letter is your opportunity to convey your genuine interest through storytelling combined with your best writing skills.
- Cover Letter Basics and Format
- Handshake Blog – Resumes and Cover Letters
- How to Write a Cover Letter
Building professional connections can be fun and exciting! You are already gaining the knowledge and skills you need for your industry, and establishing career-oriented relationships is the next step. Who you know is just as important as what you know. APU Career Services provides guidance to help you approach situations with confidence.
- Networking – tips on getting to know others in your profession and how to maintain connections
- Professional Profiles – how to make social media work for your benefit
- The Elevator Pitch – craft a confident and concise conversation-starter
- Attending Fairs – make the most of recruitment events, from job fairs to conferences
- Informational Interviews – your turn to ask the questions, gain insight, and build your network
- A Career Roadmap – keep track of your career goals and aspirations
- Using Handshake – step-by-step instructions to refine your job search in Handshake
“TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF.” Ready to answer that? Interviewing is an important skill that requires preparation and practice. The interview is your opportunity to share the experiences, skills, knowledge, and education that make you a great fit for the job. You can also practice negotiating salary and benefits to ensure you’re getting the compensation you deserve, while demonstrating confidence to a prospective employer. Look through these resources to prepare for important career conversations.
- Interview Skills – top tips for interview preparation
- Interview Skills Homework – a form to help prepare for any interview
- Interview Skills: A Complete Guide – includes commonly-asked questions, and guidance for in-person, phone, or virtual interviews
- Informational Interviews – your turn to ask the questions and gain insight from colleagues in your industry
- Illegal Interview Questions – compiled by the University of Alaska. It is illegal to ask certain questions, and this guide offers advice on responding
- Compare Salaries – familiarize yourself with the expected salary range for your career
- Salary Negotiation – set your standards high and talk your way into the best possible compensation
Schedule an appointment to discuss and practice these skills:
Robin Brooks
Career Services Coordinator
907-564-8345
careerservices@alaskapacific.edu
Alaska Pacific University is on your favorite social media app, and you’ll find many departments as well as general accounts for the university. Follow along to see what’s happening and what’s featured!
Look for the APU Career Services playlist on YouTube for instructional videos! These are also available in Handshake’s Career Center resources.
Handshake feed – built right into the app, this hidden social gem provides connections to other APU alumni and offers connections to other students in your area of study!
The Career Services Office assists students and alumni who are looking for job placement both on- or off-campus. If you are an employer who is interested in advertising a position, we appreciate your interest in our students! APU utilizes Handshake as our primary means for sharing job and internship openings. Through this platform, employers can create a free account to promote job openings, internship opportunities, collect applications, reach out directly to students or alumni, and post upcoming events. Handshake is also used by the University of Alaska system, making it an easy and efficient place to share job openings with college students throughout Alaska. Start here!
If your organization is new to Handshake:
- Sign up for an employer profile
- Once your registration is complete, your request will be reviewed by Handshake
- Complete your employer profile upon approval
If your organization has an account, you may need to create your own user account to be able to post jobs or events:
- Sign up with your work email address (same domain as the organization) and create a password
- Request to “join” your company
- Your organization’s Handshake admin will review your request
- Contact careerservices@alaskapacific.edu if you have questions
If your organization has an account, but you are not connected to APU:
- To the left in the navigation toolbar, select “Schools”
- Click “More Schools on Handshake” to search, and request “Alaska Pacific University”
- Your request will be reviewed, and upon approval you can begin posting!
- Contact careerservices@alaskapacific.edu if you have questions
Be sure to check out Handshake’s HELP CENTER for more resources!
Employers are welcome to visit our campus!
Throughout each semester, we invite you to host an information table for a few hours, free of charge. We will provide a table and chairs for you near the entrance to one of our main classroom buildings where we hope you’ll have the opportunity to chat with students, staff, and faculty. Some organizations prefer to offer an information session or training workshop, and faculty may be willing to host classroom talks as well. Though our student population is small, we emphasize quality over quantity and are confident you’ll experience that too.
Contact Career Services to start planning your visit:
Robin Brooks
Career Services Coordinator
907-564-8345
careerservices@alaskapacific.edu
APU works directly with employers and organizations to provide scholarships, hands-on experiences, and internships. Our community is stronger through collaboration, so if you would like to discuss your organization’s options, complete this short form to begin the conversation. Learn more about our Resources for Employers to see how your organization could partner with APU.
Looking for a job on campus?
Many APU offices hire students, including those who qualify for federal work study. If you are interested in working at APU, check Handshake for openings.
- Download the app! You can also access Handshake through the tile on MyAPU
- Login to Handshake and take about 10 minutes to activate your student account, using your APU email address
- Upload a resume. Need help? Let’s meet!
- Fill out your profile and choose your level of privacy
- Search “Alaska Pacific University Connections” and Follow to find on-campus jobs
- Apply right on Handshake!
Local Jobs
Whether you’re looking for work around Anchorage and the Mat-Su Valley, or for openings throughout Alaska, start with Handshake! You’ll find a collection of Alaskan employers looking for seasonal, part-time, or full-time employees and interns.
More Local Job Resources
- Alaska Career Information System
- Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development
- The Foraker Group
- Municipality of Anchorage
- Workplace Alaska
Job Resources for Alaska and Beyond
APU works directly with employers and organizations to provide scholarships, hands-on experiences, and internships. Explore opportunities with these partners to enhance your APU education!
