Contents
Greetings from the Executive Director
We're proud to present the 2023–2024 Annual Report for the Pomerantz Career Center—a chance to reflect on the dedication and accomplishments of our team over the past year. Every day, our staff works tirelessly to support the well-being and career development of UI students and our employer partners. We hope this report highlights their incredible efforts.
This academic year marked laying the foundation for new offerings to debut in the next academic year and continuing to serve our stakeholders in relevant, impactful ways as we continually work ahead. Looking forward, as global and technological shifts reshape the workplace, Career Centers, universities, employers, and students must remain agile and flexible. At the Pomerantz Career Center, we embrace this challenge—continually learning and innovating to prepare students through customized career coaching, technology, forward-looking programming, and relevant coursework.
We invite you to explore this report and discover the meaningful initiatives we've launched and the impact we've made. Thank you for your ongoing support of our mission to empower students and foster career readiness.
On Iowa and Go Hawks!
Angi McKie
Assistant Provost & Executive Director
Pomerantz Career Center
169,896
3,878
3,661
$60,320
$50,000
663
5,344
4,169
96 %
(employed, continuing education, or not seeking employment)
3,057
(non-unique; includes multiple visits per student)
2,287
(non-unique; includes multiple visits per student)
Total Visits
Includes all individual appointments with Career Coaches and Career Peer Advisors and drop-ins.
- Total visits (includes multiple visits per student): 5,344
- Total visitors (only counts each unique student once even if they visited more than once): 3,397
- First-time visitors: 1,864
- Repeat visitors: 1,733
Top 5 Reasons Students Scheduled Coaching Appointments
- Improving resume, cover letter, or LinkedIn profile
- Exploring majors and careers
- Finding employment after graduation (job or gap year experience)
- Finding an internship or part-time job
- Getting ready for graduate school, CV, or personal statement review
Career Education Programs
Attendance across all programs/workshops in classes, with student organizations, etc.
- Non-unique student attendees: 5,405
- Unique attendees: 4,037
- First-time attendees: 2,612
- Repeat attendees: 1,607
Popular Topics for Programs
- Overview of services
- Resumes and cover letters
- Finding employment after graduation (job or gap year experience)
- Interview preparation
- LinkedIn, personal branding, and networking basics
- Professionalism in the workplace
- Identifying and marketing transferable skills
Note: some programs/workshops address more than one topic
Jessica Soria ’23
Jessica Soria ’23
"My experience with the Career Center has positively impacted my college education in many ways. As a first-generation student from a small rural town, I came to UI unsure of what major to declare or what opportunities to explore. Connecting to the Helping & Counseling Career Community and meeting Mallory gave me much-needed guidance and support to navigate these first-time dilemmas. To find the major that best fit my interests and needs, Mallory connected me with great experiential learning opportunities in the helping field, such as serving at the Catherine McAuley Center through Americorps, working at Four Oaks, and volunteering at Open Heartland and the Community Crisis Chat Center. These opportunities helped me gain valuable skills and knowledge about working with diverse populations, being an agent of change in the lives of individuals going through life stressors and mental health issues, and ultimately confirming my passion for working in the helping professions. I was delighted and grateful to resolve my concerns surrounding my career choice and find meaningful experiences to grow personally and professionally. I could not have been exposed to these experiences with such ease without the mentoring and direction of the Career Center and professionals such as Mallory, who have a genuine desire to connect with students, provide resources, and help them reach their goals.
Furthermore, Mallory was with me every step of the way when I began researching and applying to graduate schools. This process was a stressful and hectic time, but receiving career counseling from Mallory helped me manage my time, create small and achievable goals, and prepare for graduate school interviews. I enjoyed working with Mallory because she helped me to take greater ownership of my higher education decisions while receiving insights from someone who had been through the process herself.
In the fall of 2024, I began my graduate studies in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program at Iowa. If you are struggling with career choices, majors, or professional trajectory, I highly recommend contacting the Career Center and connecting with someone who can assist you. You will not regret making an appointment and taking advantage of such resources on campus."
23
117
4,169
(non-unique)
Academic courses in career-related topics, such as career exploration and job search skills, are available each semester for academic credit ranging from 1-3 s.h. per course.
Students also can dive deeper into building career skills by participating in professional development courses and leadership programs that offer more hands-on skills-based instruction relevant to careers and leadership development.
Certificate in Leadership Studies
- 47 students were conferred in the Certificate in Leadership Studies during fall 2023–summer 2024
- 232 students declared their pursuit of the Certificate in Leadership Studies as of spring 2024
Internship Support
- 518 internship-related visits to the Career Center
- 62 students participated in an Internship Search presentation or workshop
- 80 students enrolled in CCP:2004 Internship: Search, Secure, Succeed
- 38,254 internship and co-op postings in Handshake
- 48,237 internship and co-op applications submitted in Handshake
Internship Courses Across Campus
- 326 registered internships through Pomerantz Career Center courses (73% in person, 17% virtual, 10% hybrid)
- 617 0-credit internships registered (includes: PCC, Engineering, Tippie College of Business 0-credit internship courses)
- 3,878 registered undergraduate internships, practicums, and co-ops
Top Internship Hosts
- Aegon Asset Management
- City of Iowa City
- Collins Aerospace
- CRST
- Deloitte
- Domestic Violence Intervention Program
- Federal Government
- Green Counseling Services
- HNI
- Immigrant Welcome Network of Johnson County
- John Deere
- Northwestern Memorial Hospital
- Office of State Archaeologist
- Principal Financial Group
- PwC
- Riverside Assessments
- Rosewell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
- RSM
- Savant Wealth Management
- St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
- St. Luke’s Hospital
- State of Iowa
- The History Center
- TransAmerica
- UFG Insurance
- UI Museums (Pentacrest Museums & Stanley Museum of Art)
- UI Special Collections and Archives
- University of Iowa
- University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics
We Asked the Interns
Internship Evaluation Responses and Data from PCC registered internship courses
Would you consider permanent employment with the employer?
- 67% said "yes"
- 21% said "maybe"
- 11% said "no"
How did the experience influence your education and professional plans?
- 84% said it confirmed their plans
- 10% said it changed their plans
- 6% responded other
Search Methods (Interns may select more than one option)
- Career Center Services – 26%*
- Faculty/Department – 21%
- Family/Friend – 18%
- Other – 12%
- Industry Specific Job/Internship Website – 11%
- LinkedIn – 8%
- Student Organization – 4%
* includes coaching appointments, classes, career fairs, Handshake, and Career Center website
Emma Daughetee, Accounting Intern at Honkamp, P.C.
Top Internship Locations
- Iowa – 65.1%
- Illinois – 15.0%
- New York – 6.0%
- Minnesota – 3.0%
- California – 2.7%
- Missouri – 2.3%
- Wisconsin – 2.0%
- Nebraska – 2.0%
- Tennessee – 2.0%
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$ 50,000
About the Grant
Undergraduate research, community engagement, study abroad and field experiences like internships, practicums, and co-ops enrich students’ educational experiences, and are essential for students’ post-graduation success. Moving costs, high costs of living and/or lack of pay can be barriers to student participation, especially for students who are struggling financially.
The Hawkeye Experience Grant reduces the financial barrier to participation. In Summer 2024, through approximately $50,000 in funds from the UI Strategic Initiative Fund, 33 students were supported in their research, internships, and study abroad as well as in a new category of field experience and unpaid/underpaid internships at for-profits.
Funds supported experiences at the Seattle Times, Department of Defense, and Center for Arctic and Alpine Research; sites in Iowa at non-profits like Inside Out Re-entry Program and The Salisbury House and hospitals like University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics and St. Luke’s; and experiences globally with Office of Study Abroad internship sites in Asia and Europe. Award offers were in variable amounts up to $4,000 with the average amount being $1,485.
Read about full eligibility, application requirements, and a full list of recipients.
By the Numbers
Of those awarded:
- 39% First-Generation students
- 64% Experience required to graduate
- 42% Student Aid Index below $10,000
- 48% CIAE eligible
- 12% Non-traditional students
- 15% Transfer students
- 27% Honors
- 58% Overall GPA above 3.5
- 9% Overall GPA below 3.0
- 61% Graduated from an Iowa high school
- 45% Site outside of Iowa
- 9% Site outside the USA
- 6% Veteran
- 3% Single parent
What Was Made Possible?
- The grant helped make living and moving costs possible for a summer internship for a Ukrainian immigrant, helping this student gain experience and meet a graduation requirement.
- The grant helped a student with travel costs to be able to meet their National Guard training requirements while at their internship. Without the grant, they would have had to turn down the internship.
- The grant helped students experience history first-hand. One student was able to get a front-page story published on a presidential candidate withdrawal from the 2024 election while two experienced the intense political environment in D.C. with the withdrawal and with an attempted assassination.
- Two students were able to network with and contribute to projects or research for NASA, while 16 students served the public at hospitals, non-profits, and government, and 5 contributed to research at higher education institutions.
“This funding aided in me completing one of my required courses. I was struggling to see if I could go and was even debating switching my major from a BS to a BA to avoid taking the course due to its high cost. Thanks to the grant, I was able to go, performed very well on the assignments and tests, and got to see a different side of the field that I am pursing.”
“One of my favorite things about the grant is that anyone is able to apply for it. Grants and scholarships are often times for certain groups of people or for certain experience, but I really like how anyone can apply for the [Hawkeye Experience Grant] for any experience. I think that’s what helps make this grant so meaningful. It truly helps all Hawkeyes achieve their dreams no matter what that dream is.”
“This scholarship helped me a tremendous amount, as it took away financial burdens that I have experienced in the past and that weighed heavily on me when thinking about my summer internship. I learned an incredible amount as I was able to dedicate all of myself to learning as much as possible. This opportunity was absolutely amazing and I could not be more thankful for it.”
UI STEP: Academic Course
- 47 total students
- 2 sections
- 22 different majors
- 1st-4th years represented
- 100% course recommendation rate
"This course is an essential part of anyone’s college curriculum and provided professional lessons that will give students and professionals a proper foundation of knowledge in how to conduct themselves. Only a handful of classes at the university can spark as much personal development and motivation like this one can. UI STEP is a class that you will look forward to coming to, and finding value in each lesson that you can take into your real life."
UI STEP: Workforce Development Sessions
- 8 general sessions
- 9 departmental specific sessions (Most department specific sessions over a 1-year period since before Covid)
- 275 total attendance
Supervising Today’s Students Series
- 16 workshops
- 490 attendees (Record for the 10 year history of the series)
- 97 new supervisors (also a record over a 1-year stretch)
- 48 certificates earned
- 11 unique workshops
"Thank you for an amazing training. I got more out of this training on job descriptions and interviews then I did out of my HR master’s class on these topics."
Student Employee of the Year
- 99 nominations (UI record. Previous record was 86.)
- 18 finalists
- 17 departments represented
Overall Winner: Cameron McKnight
Student Supervisor of the Year
- 97 nominations (2nd highest all-time)
- 16 finalists
- 16 departments represented
"Wow! This is such an incredible honor. I am deeply grateful to be nominated, especially from Alex, who I consider to be not just one of the best student workers at Iowa, but one of the best staff we have on campus period."
Fall Fairs
Student Employment Job Fair
- 878 students attended
- 27 employers registered
Fall All Majors Career Fair
- 1,525 students attended
- 165 employers registered
Actuary Science, Insurance & Risk Management Career Fair
- 108 students attended
- 34 employers participated
Science, Health & Sustainability Career Fair
- 175 students attended
- 45 employers attended
Spring Fairs
Spring All Majors Career Fair
- 866 students attended
- 144 employers registered
Educator Fair
- 109 students attended
- 55 employers registered
"The Career Fair was very well organized and there was a lot of information provided about the career fair on Handshake."
"I felt like leading up to the fair and the fair itself were very focused on making it the best possible opportunity to network and I'm happy Iowa offers this."
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78
Fall Treks
Fashion & Beauty Trek
- Location: Minneapolis, MN
- Employers visited:
- A La Mode Wardrobe Consulting
- Evereve
- Sigma Beauty
- 19 students attended
Criminal Justice Trek
- Location: Cedar Rapids, IA
- Employers visited:
- Cedar Rapids Police Department
- Linn County Juvenile Detention and Diversion Services
- Linn County Attorney's Office
- 6 students attended
Advertising & Design Trek
- Location: Chicago, IL
- Employers visited:
- FleishmanHillard
- Leo Burnett
- Bish Creative Display
- 12 students attended
Working with Kids
- Location: Cedar Rapids, Coralville, North Liberty, IA
- Employers visited:
- Grant Wood Area Education Agency
- Iowa Children's Museum
- Sensory Kids Iowa
- 13 students attended
Spring Treks
Museums Trek
- Location: Cedar Rapids and West Brand, IA
- Employers visited:
- Brucemore
- The History Center
- Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum
- 14 students attended
Fitness & Wellness Trek
- Location: Iowa City, IA
- Employers visited:
- University of Iowa Olympic Sports Strength and Conditioning
- Barre3
- Performance Health and Fitness
- 5 students attended
Business & IT Trek
- Location: West Des Moines, IA
- Employers visited:
- West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce
- Merchants Bonding Company
- HyVee
- Farm Bureau Financial Services
- Wellabe
- 9 students attended
“I liked the variety of places that were part of the Career Trek – they each promoted different kinds of careers.”
“I enjoyed that it wasn’t a formal presentation, and we had time to ask questions about what we were actually interested in.”
“My favorite part of the trek was the exciting locations that allow to be inspired to dream big.”
663
(includes Career Fair participation)
41
36
34
Handshake Postings
from 7/1/2023 to 6/30/2024
- 169,896 total opportunities
- 14,987 total organizations posted
- 128,155 jobs
- 38,060 internships
- 612 student employment
- 3,069 other
- 103,259 total applications to postings
Interviews
- 1,288 total virtual and in-person interviews
- 15 employers conducted 57 mock interviews
- 2,567 students used Big Interview for virtual interview practice