Career Development

How We Partner With You

Kogod Career Development (formerly known as the Office of Career Engagement) at American University's Kogod School of Business empowers students and alumni to build meaningful relationships and careers. Our mission supports the eight Career Readiness Competencies named by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE)—career and self-development, communication, critical thinking, equity and inclusion, leadership, professionalism, teamwork, and technology.

Career Preparation

Personalized career coaching by desired career pathway, career exploration, self-assessment tools, resume and cover letter support, interview preparation, job search support, workshops, and more.

Employer Engagement

Job and internship fairs, networking events, career treks, employer information sessions and meetings, and specialized programming.

Technology Suite

Supercharge your career development and job search using our on-demand tech suite from anywhere around the world. Access our technology and AI-powered services through Handshake, including Vmock, Firsthand, Big Interview, and more.

Accounting and Taxation

Accounting is an essential skill to be exposed to in business studies and has its own unique realm of opportunities. Kogod's Accounting programs meet the needs of students pursuing professional accounting careers in public accounting or in industrial, financial, governmental, not-for-profit, and consulting organizations.

Analytics and Information Technology

Data analysis:

is a process of inspecting, cleansing, transforming and modeling data with the goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusion and supporting decision-making. Specialists in data analytics can be found in virtually any industry sector.

Information Systems:

focuses on the computer systems within a company to ensure the organizational goals are accomplished. Information Technology can be divided into hardware, software, or the internet. Professionals may work for market leaders, small-to-medium-sized companies, government agencies, healthcare, or consulting. Kogod's program is designed to provide students with an understanding of how individual users and organizations interact with technology and how computers, data and systems are managed within organizations.

Consulting

Consulting firms seek bright individuals with strong leadership, problem-solving analytical, and reasoning skills. Located worldwide consulting firms include those that specialize in management/strategy consulting but also include specializations such as financial, information technology, marketing and human resources consulting. Some firms specialize in specific industries such as the federal government or healthcare or education. Some larger firms have multiple advisory practices and smaller boutique firms specialize in specific areas.

Consulting roles include Strategic Planning, Management Consulting, Information Technology Consulting, Financial Consulting, Human Resources Consulting, and Government Contracting/Federal Government Consulting.

Entertainment

The intersection of business and entertainment is a rapidly growing and exciting field of study for those interested in exploring the business side of the entertainment industry. Our program offers a substantial, exciting, and integrated curriculum that prepares students for a career in the entertainment sector. The business core provides a broad array of basic business knowledge and skills in areas such as accounting, finance, management, marketing, operations management, information technology, and business strategy. The entertainment core focuses on economic, legal, and business aspects of the entertainment industry itself, preparing students for work in this exciting area. Many students pursue careers with agencies, management companies, record labels, distribution companies, audio technology and music performance.

Finance and Real Estate

The finance field is diverse and offers you a variety of career opportunities and functions. Finance encompasses sectors like commercial banking, asset management, and investment management. Alternative investments is a growing area within finance as opportunities grow at hedge funds, private equity, and venture capital firms. As there are a variety of career options within finance, understanding your career goals, interests, and work-life preferences is important to finding a satisfying career.

Management and Entrepreneurship

Management:

Business management focuses on the art and science of running complex organizations and supervising others. Excellent business managers are very versatile individuals with a wide range of skills, including the creativity necessary to dream up outstanding business ideas and the intuition required to foresee and prevent potential disasters for their companies. They need to be precise thinkers and communicators, and they must be able to lay out clear plans for their subordinates. These individuals should also be strategic to avoid setting unrealistic goals and meticulous to avoid missing key details and making catastrophic decisions. The most effective business managers tend to be highly charismatic people who have a knack for inspiring others and generating goodwill.

Entrepreneurship:

Employers are looking for people who can invent/create new processes, methods, markets, customer, etc. While many may link innovation with technology, innovation can be applied to any job in any industry in any geography. It is worthwhile to develop problem-solving and creative thinking skills, along with the ability to spot trends, recognize opportunities and develop plans to capitalize on high-potential ideas. Emerging entrepreneurs and innovative managers of small to large businesses must be competent in various mediums of communication, have good negotiation skills, lead with ethics and integrity and be grounded in business aspects of planning, capital investing, goal setting and decision making.

Marketing

Marketing involves the process of producing, pricing, communicating, and delivering offerings of value that encompass branding, advertising, digital, research, and more.

Sustainability Management

People are learning the importance of conserving the earth’s resources for the future. Careers in sustainability management can be at a local, regional, national, or world level. Renewable energy, government, community development, agriculture, natural resources, water, solar, wind, and entrepreneurship are just a few of the sectors in which those with sustainability management degrees work. Graduates are open to a wide range of possibilities due to the interdisciplinary nature of the industry. Strong problem solving and project management skills combined with expertise in the analyzing the environmental impact of business can lead to positions in green finance, corporate social responsibility, food and natural products, energy, climate, and natural resources, marketing and public relations, hospitality, and many more. Opportunities can be found in public, private, and non-profit sectors.

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Andrea Carpenter

Assistant Dean of Career Services

Career Development

(202) 885-2585
Kogod School of Business
Kogod - 122D
Email Andrea Carpenter

Biography

Andrea Carpenter has been with Kogod since 2011 and leads the Career Development team of professional and student staff to deliver career services and programming for undergraduate, specialty MS, MBA, and alumni populations. Her background in academic and career advising, residence life, student services, and mental health along with her M.S. in College Student Personnel, informs her work as a student affairs professional. As a Nationally Certified Counselor, she works with students and alumni using a strengths-focused approach to gain a better understanding of themselves and the world of work and provides the resources for them to connect their skills and interests with meaningful career opportunities.

More About Andrea Carpenter

Caroline Figueiredo Hausmann

Assistant Director of Graduate Career Development

Career Development

Undergraduate and MS Students
Email Caroline Figueiredo Hausmann

Biography

Caroline Figueiredo Hausmann (she/her) has experience in the non-profit sector as well as education. She has been an educator and advisor for over 10 years and loves it. Caroline is an AU graduate, she received her BA from American University and a Master's from New York University. Outside of work, Caroline loves traveling, learning new things, and trivia.

Schedule an Appointment

Jessetta Ray

Assistant Director of Undergraduate Career Development

Career Development

Undergraduate and MS Students
Email Jessetta Ray

Biography

Jessetta Ray (she/her) brings an abundance of experience to American University working with diverse student populations in counseling and postsecondary education. She received her master’s degree in Adult Education and School Counseling from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. She is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in Higher Education Administration from Liberty University. She is a strong advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion for all individuals. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. She loves spending time with her family creating memories, traveling, and golfing.

Schedule an Appointment

Brandy Rodgers

Assistant Director of Undergraduate Career Development

Career Development

Kogod School of Business
Email Brandy Rodgers

Bennett Rosenow

Assistant Director of Marketing and Technology

Career Development

Kogod School of Business
Email Bennett Rosenow

Biography

Before moving to DC, Bennett lived in Northern Arizona where he worked on wilderness conservation and sustainability consulting/advocacy in the city of Flagstaff. Previously he has worked as an audiobook engineer and editor. He was born and raised in New York's Hudson Valley.

More About Bennett Rosenow

Diane Roznowski

Assistant Director of Career Events and Operations

Career Development

Kogod School of Business
Email Diane Roznowski

Annie Matanin

Consultant

Career Development

Kogod School of Business
Email Annie Matanin