Center for Career & Leadership Development

The Center for Career & Leadership Development (CCLD) provides innovative, student-centered services, programs, and connection opportunities that prepare and empower students to identify, build, and articulate the career and leadership competencies needed to enhance their local and global communities as lifelong learners, professionals, and leaders.  The CCLD is comprised of the Office of Career Development and the Office of Student Leadership Programs and has physical locations on the Macon campus in Student Life Center, Suite 261 and the Cochran campus in Sanford Hall, Suite 112; and the Eastman campus.  At MGA, we believe that career and leadership development begins as soon as you enter college and have provided a list of recommended steps in the MGA Pathway to Career Readiness as a guide.  For a complete overview of our services and the contact information for both the career development and student leadership programs staff, visit our website.

The Office of Career Development serves students and alumni through individualized in-person and virtual appointments, student organization and classroom presentations, recruitment and networking opportunities, and campus-wide career and professional development programs.  Career development services include one-on-one career advising offered in-person and virtually on resume and cover letter writing, career and major exploration, job and internship search, graduate and professional school search, interviewing skills, salary negotiation, networking, and developing a professional brand.  Students who complete an internship and report it through Experiences on Handshake and complete a reflection appointment will qualify for a cord at graduation.  We also host career fairs and information sessions so that employers and graduate programs can connect directly with MGA students. 

Student Leadership Programs serve current students through specialized leadership development programs, campus-wide conferences, and individualized student consultations. We offer the Knights LEAD program for freshmen and the Emerging Leaders program for students at the sophomore level and above.  Students interested in Knights LEAD & Emerging Leaders should sign-up by the first week of classes in order to participate in the fall kick-off sessions in August.  Returning MGA students who are interested in a hands-on leadership opportunity after completing Knights LEAD and Emerging Leaders can go on to participate in the iLEAD Peer Educators program. iLEAD Peer Educators are selected through an application and interview process during the summer.  

The CCLD also hosts a free Student Leadership Conference in the spring that is open to any MGA student, including those who are not in a specific student leadership program.  These programs prepare you for leading your peers within student and civic organizations, which in turn, makes you more prepared for the leadership roles you will pursue in your future career.  To get started, visit our website.

Career Benchmarks for All Students

All MGA undergraduate and graduate students should activate their Handshake accounts at mga.joinhandshake.com to be able to take full advantage of the services offered by the Office of Career Development.  Through Handshake, students can schedule appointments with career advisors, register for career fairs, sign-up for employer and graduate school information sessions, and search a database of over 700,000 employers and over 10,000 jobs and internships.  Student Leadership Program events are also listed in Handshake.  Students with activated Handshake accounts received regular email notices of career and leadership events, programs, and opportunities. 

Prior to graduation, all MGA students are expected to use the CCLD’s resources to

  • Explore majors and career options using the career assessments and resources in Focus 2 and Stepping Blocks, resources included on the Career Planning Resource
  • Locate job and internship opportunities via Handshake.
  • Build a resume and LinkedIn profile to use when networking and applying for professional opportunities.
  • Participate in mock interviews and develop skills through the Student Leadership Programs to be able to communicate your value during a job or graduate school interview.
  • Network with employers who visit MGA for career fairs and other recruitment events.
  • Complete an internship or other type of professional work experience to gain skills and experience needed for their career.  To explore non-credit internship options, schedule an appointment with a career advisor 6 – 9 months before you plan to do one.
  • Participate in the Student Leadership Conference and/or one of the Student Leadership Programs to learn and develop the skills employers are seeking.
  • Develop a well-planned job or graduate school search at least 6 - 9 months prior to graduation.

To schedule an appointment, students should login to Handshake, select “Career Center” and then “Appointments” to schedule a time to meet virtually or in person at one of our campus locations.