Advising at Beyond Barnard
Beyond Barnard holds more than 4,000 one-on-one advising engagements annually. We cover everything from resumes, CVs, and cover letters, to graduate and professional school applications, interview strategies, negotiation best practices, and navigating a range of workplaces and career searches. Beyond Barnard also continues the College's decade-long commitment to mentorship, matching more than 200 students to individual and group mentoring opportunities.
From day one Barnard, throughout your matriculation, and for a lifetime as an alum you have access this distinctive support. Students and alumnae can make appointments at Handshake. More detailed instructions are available below.
Don't know what you're interested in yet? Don't worry! A lot of our advising conversations and events center on the process of exploration and discernment. There's no wrong time to start visiting Beyond Barnard! We serve all students and alumnae of the College.
No matter what stage you are at in your exploration of opportunities (whether you are just starting to think about options, or are in the middle of applying for an internship, job, or fellowship), we welcome you to visit us on the second floor of Elliott Hall. Email your questions to beyondbarnard@xlhl.net.
Learn about Beyond Barnard Advising
Full-time staff serve as advisors, and can address a range of topics, including but not limited to:
- Career and graduate school exploration
- Job documents (resumes, cv's, cover letters, personal statements, etc.)
- Interview preparation (including behavioral, informational, and case interviews)
- Additional career skills (negotiation, LinkedIn profile creation, networking and community building)
- Applications to campus roles, internships, part- and full-time roles, etc.
- Applications to graduate and professional school
- Applications to national and international fellowships (including Fulbright, Rhodes, Marshall, Mitchell, Gates Cambridge, and many others!)
- Navigating Barnard and Beyond Barnard resources (including Handshake and other platforms)
Please feel free to ask us about advising resources by emailing beyondbarnard@xlhl.net.
All appointments can be scheduled in Handshake. This link will take students or alums directly to the "Create a New Appointment" page in the platform. Note that alums retain access to Handshake but may need to update their profiles before scheduling. Please email beyondbarnard@xlhl.net with questions.
Alums have unfettered access to advising resources at Beyond Barnard, but you may need to update your Handshake account to get started. Be sure to email beyondbarnard@xlhl.net.
Did you know you can connect with Beyond Barnard advisors without an appointment? Drop-in advising is a great way to address quick questions! On non-holiday Wednesdays and Thursdays from 1:00pm - 2:00pm, students can stop by the second floor of Elliott Hall and our advisors will be there to help. Spring 2025 drop-ins run through Thursday, May 1.
Alum drop-ins are held virtually on non-holiday Mondays from 12:00pm - 1:00pm and conclude Monday, May 5. Alums, please reach out to beyondbarnard@xlhl.net for the link to join.
Speak to one of our specially-trained Peer Career Advisors who, just like so many of our advisees, are balancing student life and professional development. We encourage students to drop in and get advice on career exploration, resume and cover letter writing, interviewing, and job search strategies, exploring Handshake, and more. Peer Career Advisor are available to meet with students on an appointment basis, from 10AM-5PM, Monday through Friday. Please note that PCAs are not available during the summer.
PCAs are trained students who can assist with:
- Resume Writing
- Cover Letter Writing
- Interview Preparation
- Internship/Job Search
Questions? Email us at beyondbarnard@xlhl.net.
Note: remember that advising is only one way to get access to perspectives and resources. Please do check out our events and programs. Students and alums alike will benefit greatly from chances to learn from each other!
Making the Most of Advising Resources:
- To make the most of your appointment with staff at Beyond Barnard, we strongly recommend walking into Beyond Barnard to meet with a Peer Career Advisor to get your resume updated first. They're available from 10AM-5PM every day, Monday through Friday, from the second week of the semester through to the start of finals.
- Keep in mind that lead times for appointments with staff can be around 2 weeks. But students can almost always see a PCA within 24 hours or less.
- In other words: schedule with a Staff Member 1-2 weeks in advance, then head over to Beyond Barnard to meet with a PCA. You'll be able to get some great homework done, and then approach your meeting with a full time staff member even more prepared and confident.
- You never need a concrete plan to visit Beyond Barnard. We love it when students ask us open ended questions, or simply express that they don't know where to get started. That said, it's always helpful to do some reflection before you come; and take advantage of online resources in Handshake (on preparing a resume, for example)
- There are tons of example resumes in the Resources section as well!