Career Treks Info for Students

The Career Trek program is an opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes perspective of an organization. Itineraries for career treks will vary, but you will likely:

• Receive a tour of the facilities
• Partake in a Q&A session with current employees
• Network with professionals

The length of Career Treks vary by company, but most will last between 2-4 hours. Some overnight Career Treks may be available dependent on employer interest.

Business casual attire is required for all Career Treks unless otherwise stated in the materials you receive after you register. Jeans of any color, shorts, and t-shirts are inappropriate attire for Treks and students will not be permitted to attend if they arrive dressed inappropriately for the event.

Check out our Professional Attire webpage to get some ideas.

Transportation is provided for Career Treks participants. Students will be transported to and from campus by the care of University Career Center staff in university-owned vehicles.

Most Career Treks target specific student populations by academic major, industry of interest, and/or class level. You will only be able to view Career Treks that fit you based off of the aforementioned descriptions. If you perform a search in the Events tab of your Handshake profile but do not see a Career Trek opportunity appear, please check back on a regular basis as opportunities may arise.

Student participation in most Career Treks are completely free. Some overnight Career Treks may require a payment. All fees and payment information will be clearly stated under each Career Trek opportunity in Handshake.

Research the company/organization you will be visiting and develop a list of 5-10 engaging questions to ask employees during the Trek, such as

• Could you explain your organizational structure?
• How would you describe the organization's workplace culture?
• What makes a potential employee's resume stand out from the rest?
• What do you enjoy most about your work with this organization?

Also, prepare your 30-60 second "Elevator Pitch" before attending. Visit our Elevator Pitch webpage for more tips.

Consider bringing a professional padfolio or notebook with you to take notes during the visit and collect contact information of the employees you meet. Write your questions down prior to the Trek to reference throughout the day.

Consider bringing several copies of your resume to provide to the host employer. Stop by the Career Center's Express Hours Monday-Thursday, 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. for a quick, 15-minute resume review prior to the Career Trek.

Follow up with a thank you email and/or LinkedIn message to the host employer.

If you must cancel your reservation to participate, email Casey Siega-Riz with a detailed explanation. If a Career Trek has less than five registrants, it will be canceled unless the host employer states otherwise.

Students who cancel or no-show must adhere to the following instructions:

• Write an apology email to the main point of contact for the host company (as listed with the University Career Center).
• Copy the Program Manager Casey Siega-Riz (siegarizc@uncw.edu) and the Career Center inbox (careercenter@uncw.edu).
• Send the apology email within 30 days of the date of the Career Trek missed.

Until this letter is received by Career Center staff, students’ Handshake accounts will be blocked, resulting in limited access to its resources.

If a student is a no show for more than one Career Trek and/or has no showed for other Career Center activities, the Career Trek program manager (Casey Siega-Riz) may terminate the student’s Career Center privileges at her discretion. Certain circumstances may be an exception to the No Show policy.

If you cancel with less than 48 hours' notice and/or no-show to the Career Trek itself, you must write a letter of apology to the host employer within five days of the missed event. Students who do not comply within five business days of the missed Career Trek will be blocked in Handshake and unable to search jobs, use On-Campus Recruiting, etc., until their apology is received. For more information, please read our official No-Show Policy.