Student and Post-Graduate Development
Your Partner in Success From Before Day 1
Most colleges and universities begin engaging students in what they call “career services” activities when they become seniors. But at F&M, OSPGD is your partner in success before you even step foot on campus — and continues to be there for you in the months, years, and decades after you graduate, as well.
From the moment you decide to apply to F&M, you’ll find willing partners and advocates in OSPGD. We are available during the admission process to guide you through the many paths available to you with an F&M education. We are there to greet you when you arrive on campus and are an integral part of the everyday culture you will experience at F&M.
Engaging 90% of F&M Students
We deliver career, leadership and professional development offerings, which will foster your confidence, competence, and clarity to support the many success trajectories available to you during and beyond your four years on campus. No matter where you are in your journey — as a first-year finding your path, a senior on the cusp of graduating, or an alum several years into your career — you’ll discover how we go far beyond career preparation and become an integral piece of your entire F&M experience.
Let’s take a look at the level of support you can expect from OSPGD at each stage of your academic experience.
Beginning early in your F&M experience, OSPGD will guide you in designing a portfolio
of experiences that will help you discover and focus your talents, interests and post-graduate
aspirations. Students at other institutions typically don’t begin this self-reflection
on the path after college until the spring of their senior year. Our signature programs for your first year include: A key element of F&M’s liberal arts model encourages you to explore a variety of courses
and disciplines before choosing a major. After this 1.5-year exploration, you will
declare a major (or two!) in your chosen field of study. OSPGD will guide you through
every step of this important decision. Through programming and advising, you’ll learn
how our diverse majors prepare you to compete for opportunities in a broad range of
fields, empowering you to declare a major in fields that excite and engage you. Our signature programs for your sophomore year include: As you begin the “second half” of your F&M experience, your vision for life after
college becomes less theoretical and more concrete. OSPGD will help you plan by mapping
out more specific goals for life after graduation. You’ll develop a list of roles,
companies, or schools you’re interested in pursuing; prepare for interviews and standardized
tests; update and refine your resume and cover letters; and explore summer experiences
that will provide you with hands-on experiences in fields of interest. Our signature programs for your junior year include: You will graduate from F&M prepared to launch the first of many careers you can pursue
with an F&M education, and to excel at top-level graduate and professional schools.
OSPGD helps you articulate — via your resume or vitae and application materials, and
online via your LinkedIn and social media brand — your abilities to think critically,
communicate clearly, and lead confidently. With the help of our mentors, you will
enter the next stage of life after F&M ready to self-advocate, embrace your unique
experiences and value, and seize the opportunities that call to you. Our signature programs for your senior year include: Whether you’re months, years or decades beyond your time on campus, you can trust
that OSPGD is here to support you. If you’re securing your first job, applying to
graduate school, taking the next step in your career, or contemplating a career change,
you can enjoy the same professional support you received as a student through OSPGD’s
alumni advising team. Our signature programs and services for alumni include:
Your First Year
Your Sophomore Year
Your Junior Year
Your Senior Year
And Beyond
Alumni Spotlight
F&M Grad Shows How Anything is Possible with a Liberal Arts Degree
“I talked about the value of my liberal arts education from F&M, my character strengths and how they relate to the office culture and working in a team, and how the skills from my history and classics majors make me a quick learner even in a field I have less experience in so far.” — Hannah Breedlove ’22Read More »
Alumni Spotlight
“Working at a big law firm would not have been possible without OSPGD’s help.”
“The expertise I acquired on everything from resume building and interview prep to even crafting an effective LinkedIn page advanced my career in ways that I don't take for granted. I am forever grateful for the guidance that OSPGD has provided me and the lifelong impacts that they will have on my professional development.” — Jeremy Mauser ’22Our Programs and Services
Our programs and activities are specially designed to launch you to success. They include leadership development, financial literacy, specialized career advising, major exploration, internship support, and post-graduate success planning.
Student Advising
Are you ready to follow a career path right out of college? Or do you prefer to pursue
an advanced degree? Whatever you choose, our team of advisers has you covered. You’ll
be connected with your primary OSPGD adviser based on your College House. Your adviser will work with you one-on-one to help you build your trajectory of
success. They will help you explore your career options by talking through your strengths,
passions, and goals; work with you to develop a customized goal-oriented plan; help
you discover and land professional development experiences; perfect your application
materials and social media brand; and more.
“By meeting with my OSPGD adviser, I gained clarity on the type of opportunities I wanted to pursue and developed a plan that outlined the steps I needed to take. I scheduled follow-up appointments with my OSPGD adviser to share my progress and learn useful tips. It is in no small part due to the work I did with OSPGD that I am in a great position after graduating from F&M.”
— Robert Litsky ’22
Programming & Events
OSPGD offers innovative and engaging programs on life skills such as personal finance,
public speaking, leadership development and more, and delivers a variety of career-related
events to introduce you to a breadth of post-graduate options.
You can choose from more than 200 programs per year. Our most popular events include:
- “Authentic Success & Possibility in Reach for Every Student (ASPIRE)”, a first-year program designed to set students up for success early at F&M.
- “Not a Major Decision” workshops and academic fair designed to help sophomores in their major declaration
- Leadership seminars
- “Living Beyond F&M Series” consisting of sessions on financial literacy, public speaking, the etiquette of the business meal, and more
- Night of Networking
- “Designing Your Future” course
- Job & Internship Fair
- Senior Boot Camp
Alumni Advising
Experiential Learning Support
Internship Support
“Before consulting OSPGD’s student services, I felt overwhelmed about all that I needed to do to secure a summer internship. Working with the OSPGD staff made the search for internships more approachable and eased my fears about the application process.”
— Julia Kait ’23
The True Blue Network
Health Professions Advising
Pre-Dental Advising
Do you want to make a difference in people’s lives by improving their oral hygiene and health? By engaging in F&M’s pre-dental program, you can set yourself up for a successful career in dentistry now.
Learn more about pre-dental at F&M
Pre-Health Advising
Whether you’re considering a career as a physician assistant, physical therapist, pharmacist, optometrist, or other emerging field, you’ll find the support you need in F&M’s pre-health program.
Learn more about pre-health at F&M
Pre-Medical Advising
Begin your career in an essential, effective, and rewarding field. By engaging in F&M’s pre-medical program, you’ll find all the guidance and support you need to build a sturdy foundation for a successful future in medicine.
Learn more about pre-med at F&M
Pre-Veterinary Advising
F&M’s pre-veterinary program has a legacy of preparing students for successful careers in veterinary medicine, empowering you to provide compassionate care to your animal patients while cultivating strong relationships with the animals’ owners.
Legal Professions Advising
STEM Professions Advising
If you’re considering a career in engineering, explore our dual degree program. By the time you complete the program, you will hold a Bachelor of Arts degree in the major of your choice from F&M, as well as a Bachelor of Science degree in an engineering discipline of your choice from one of our four partner institutions:
Student Employment
If you’re enrolled in at least three credits per semester (a full-time course load), you are eligible for on-campus employment. If you are awarded Federal Work Study or College Work Option in your financial aid package, you are given priority status as an aided student and are eligible to apply for any position on campus. If you’re not work-aided, you are still eligible to work on campus, but will have a limited number of positions available to you. F&M’s Student Employment Office (SEO) will guide you through the position search and hiring process, and match you with positions where you will learn valuable, transferable skills that will benefit you both at F&M and beyond.
Prepped for Landing
Within six months after graduation, 95% of the Class of 2022 were either employed or furthering their education. This is notably higher than the national average, which is typically in the mid-80% range. You can rest assured that at F&M, you’ll find your footing on campus and beyond. Our enduring commitment to your success helps you land jobs in leading industries and gain admission to high-demand graduate and professional programs around the world.
Explore success beyond F&M »OSPGD Launches Students Toward Success
August 21, 2023
Genesis Familia: Raising Others Through Philanthropy
For most, home is the place where they are raised. For Genesis Familia, it is also the place to give back by raising others. This summer, the Posse Scholar returned to New York City for an internship with Bloomberg Philanthropies in human resources and management. In addition to her overseeing managerial duties, Familia also contributed to hands-on philanthropic efforts.
July 31, 2023
Rising Sophomore Puts Passion for Environment to Work at Summer Internship
Rising sophomore Anna Atticks is digging deep on environmental issues during her summer internship as a policy analyst, funded by the Schapiro-Cadwell Internship Endowment.
June 22, 2023
Women's Basketball Captain Scores NCAA Internship
Many college athletes dream of working in the sports industry. Jaclyn Feit intends to make this her reality. This summer, the rising senior from Charlotte, N.C., is a College Basketball Academy...Student-athlete Jaclyn Feit empowers female athletes and promotes inclusivity in sports through her College Basketball Academy Internship with the NCAA.
How You Can Hire F&M Student and Graduate Talent
Are you an employer looking to connect with our exceptional students and alumni? Discover how you can post an opportunity or recruit on campus.
Learn how to be an employer partner »