Roadmap

A Map to the CLS Career Communities

Which Career Community Is for Me?

Health Professions (Health)

Health is for you if you are interested in careers focused on the health and wellness of individuals and communities (public health). If you’re planning to be a nurse, doctor, physician’s assistant, physical therapist, pharmacist, or vet, this community will help you explore your path.

Less-traditional health professions overlap with other communities. Consider: healthcare administration (B&F); health policy (GLP); community health educators (EdPros+); counseling, clinical research coordinators/data analysis (T&D); patient resource/advocates/social work/hospice (GLP); medical illustration (AMC); medical researcher (SES).

  • Mary Jane Shroyer, shroyer@grinnell.edu

STEM – now two communities!

If you are an explorer of the natural world, a system builder, a microscope jockey, an analyzer, or you love bugs (either six-legged or code), then subscribe to one of the STEM communities and learn all about what you could do next.

  • Science, Engineering & Sustainability (SES)

SES prepares Grinnellians for careers in areas such as scientific research, ecology and conservation, biomedical engineering, clean energy development, cognitive science, wildlife management, and cognitive neuroscience. See other communities for SES crossover ideas.

  • Technology & Data (T&D)

T&D prepares Grinnellians for careers in areas including software and hardware development, technical problem solving, digital infrastructure, applied math and statistics, data science, and bioinformatics. Interested in any other field? Data scientists and software engineers are needed everywhere.

  • Sarah Barks, barks@grinnell.edu

Arts, Media, & Communications (AMC)

AMC is the home for storytellers, creative problem solvers, written-word enthusiasts, and the artistically driven. Maybe you want to use your skills to instigate change in the world, or maybe you want to make it a more beautiful/thought-provoking/exciting place. Start here to explore the performing arts, museum science, film, television, journalism, library work, advertising, marking, and public relations.

Sample intersections with other career communities include video game design (T&D), nonprofit communications (GLP), art therapy (Health), art galleries (B&F), and art education (EdPros+).

  • Rachel Edwards Harvith, harvith2@grinnell.edu

Business & Finance (B&F)

Subscribers to B&F learn how to prepare for and begin exciting careers in the world of business. Whether you dream of working in the financial sector or of using your communication, teamwork, and analytic skills, whether you gravitate toward numbers and figures or enjoy leading others, interact with B&F to explore corporate and entrepreneurial pathways in jobs ranging from consulting and investment banking to accounting, sports management, and logistics.

The intersections with other communities are almost too numerous to mention! A few examples: economic research (GLP), actuarial science (Health), marketing (AMC), endowment growth (EdPros+), mergers and acquisitions (GLP), and data science (T&D).

  • Michael Lawrence, lawrence1@grinnell.edu

Education Professions + (EdPros+)

Do you love learning about yourself, others, and big ideas? If so, EdPros+ is for you! Students involved with EdPros+ discover the possibilities in education from schools and nonprofits to research, policy, advising, and counseling. EdPros+ alumni go to work as teachers, social workers, librarians, counselors, coaches, and principals, in higher education as professors, student service professionals, and alumni relations coordinators, and as researchers and consultants.

You might intersect another community doing work in youth development (Health), ed tech (T&D) corporate training (B&F), labor unions (GLP), or textbook publishing (AMC).

  • Chad Berman, bermanch@grinnell.edu

Government, Law & Policy (GLP)

GLP welcomes students who want to be change agents, who enjoy learning about and discussing complex issues, who want to explore possible careers in government and social service, and who are passionate about solving individual, group, or societal problems through advocacy, policy work, and social service. GLP graduates work in law, public policy, local and federal government, urban/regional planning and research, politics, social work, human services, community organizing, advocacy, nonprofit management, and international relations.

Second career community subscribers show interest in federal agencies (B&F); museums, libraries, or publications (AMC); data analysis (T&D); climate policy activism (SES).

  • Gracie Brandsgard, brandsgardg@grinnell.edu

Exploratory Career Community

This is the Community where all Grinnellians begin their journey. Exploratory advisers aren’t just for first years!

  • Explore your interests, values, and strengths
  • Develop tools to focus your exploration process
  • Make connections with others—CLS and campus resources, alumni, recruiters
  • Identify relevant experiential learning activities—shadowing, campus employment, student groups
  • Learn about and make the transition to one or more of the CLS’s pre-professional Career Communities
  • Dani Perkins, perkins1@grinnell.edu