Develop Your Career

As a professional graduate program, our priority is to help our students succeed in their career goals. In addition to offering direct experience in all our classes, we want students to make strategic career choices, advocate and pursue professional development opportunities, and engage with the Communication Leadership network of alumni, faculty, and partner organizations as they pursue job opportunities.

Applied Learning

Our applied learning initiatives enable every student to gain practical experience during their studies. Many classes include work with real-world clients, and we offer quarterly practicum classes that take this client work even further. Our robust Consultancy program pairs students with startups, small businesses, non profits and government organizations seeking communication support. Review our Job Board for a current listing of paid and volunteer opportunities open exclusively to Comm Lead graduate students.

Career Workshops and Individual Consultation

Lynn Juve, job search strategist and founder of Bespoke Professional, will be presenting five workshops to Comm Lead students, along with 1 on 1 coaching sessions. Workshops are listed on the calendar page, and include the following:

• How to Leverage Your Network 
• Resume and LinkedIn Profile 
• How to prepare for UW Career Fair 
• The Skills of Interviewing 
• Salary Negotiation 

To register for individual consultation sessions, please use the following link: Bespoke Professional Consultation Registration. Any student who attends at least one workshop (or watches the video) is eligible for an individual consultation.

First Fridays

We host monthly First Friday networking events to offer an outstanding networking opportunity for students. It provides a platform to learn more about the organization, engage with recruiters, and connect with peers in a collaborative setting. We have an extensive network nationwide; past and future hosts have included organizations such as Microsoft, Amazon, Facebook, T-Mobile, Weber Shandwick, WE Communications, Edelman, REI, KUOW, the United Nations, the City of Seattle, and King County.

Career Fair

We host an annual virtual career fair in early February each year on the Handshake platform. This event is exclusively for our program’s students and alumni. It will give you the opportunity to connect directly with recruiters, hiring managers, and Comm Lead alumni from local and national organizations. Featured organizations cover a wide range of sectors, including tech companies, established brands, communication agencies, as well as non-profit organizations.

Alumni Mentor Program

We aim to establish connections between current students and industry professionals, fostering professional and personal development while offering support and encouragement to aspiring communication leaders. This program runs annually from November to May, during which mentors are paired with one to two students based on the specific interests of the mentees. The format and frequency of interactions between students and their mentors may differ, but most groups typically meet three or four times, either in person or virtually, throughout the academic year.

UW Resources

Our students have access to the extensive career resources offered by the University of Washington. Visit the UW career resources website for more information.