Grinnell prepares you for a career

Whether you’re entering the workforce right away, taking time to serve others in a volunteer position, or starting graduate school, you’ll be ready for it.

First jobs

Half the class of 2013 (48 percent) found jobs right after graduation, and 82 percent of them were in jobs related to their career goals.

These grads work for Fortune 500 companies, consulting agencies, investment banking firms, government organizations, technology industries, health care facilities, educational and other social service organizations, and museums.

• Amazon.com (Seattle, Wash.)
• International Monetary Fund (Washington, D.C.)
• Brigham and Women’s Hospital (Boston, Mass.)
• Iowa Reading Corps (Oskaloosa, Iowa)
• British Embassy (Washington, D.C.)
• KMPG Management Consulting (Tokyo, Japan)
• Cerner Corporation (Kansas City, Missouri)
• MasterCard (White Plains, NY)
• Chungdahm Learning (Seoul, South Korea)
• Morningstar, Inc. (Chicago, Ill.)*
• Duke University (Durham, NC)
• National Institutes of Health (Bethesda, MD)
• Epic Systems (Verona, WI)*
• Northern Cascades Institute (Diablo, WA)
• Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center (Waterford, CT)
• Ogilvy & Mather (New York, NY)
• Facebook (Austin, TX)
• Peabody Museum (Cambridge, MA)
• Food Research and Action Center (Washington, DC)
• Royal Bank of Scotland (Stamford, CT)
• Goldman Sachs (Salt Lake City, UT)
• Teach for America (various locations)*
• Graves Communications (Minneapolis, MN)
• TIAA-CREF (Charlotte, NC)
• Hall Capital Partners (San Francisco, CA)
• Zynga (San Francisco, CA)

Graduate school

Many Grinnellians pursue graduate or professional school at some point. In fact, thanks to Grinnell’s inquiry-based learning, individualized advising, and rigorous curricula, Grinnell students are often mistaken for graduate students while still undergrads.

In the fall of 2013, nearly a quarter of the class of 2013 enrolled as full-time, degree-seeking students, and 84 percent of them were accepted to either their first- or second-choice institution and program. Here are a few of the schools and programs they chose:

• Columbia University (MFA, Creative Writing)
• University of California–Los Angeles (JD, Law)
• Cornell University (MEng, Engineering)
• University of Geneva (MA, International Affairs)
• Emory University (MPH, Public Health)
• University of Illinois (PhD, Chemistry)
• Georgetown University (MS, Health Systems Admin.)
• University of North Carolina (PhD, Sociology)
• Harvard University (PhD, History)
• University of Michigan (MS, Biostatistics)
• Johns Hopkins University (MS, Microbiology)
• University of Minnesota (MS, Operations Research)
• Miami University (MA, Philosophy)
• University of Texas (PhD, Spanish & Portuguese)
• New York University (MS, Data Sciences)
• Univ. of Wisconsin (PhD, Cellular/Molecular Pathology)
• Univ. of California–Davis (DVM, Veterinary Medicine)
• Washington University (MArch, Architecture)

Internships and Externships

More than half of all Grinnellians complete at least one full-time, eight- to 10-week domestic or international internship before graduating. These students hone top-notch professional skills, gain hands-on experience, and prepare for a successful transition from undergraduate to professional life.

Grinnell also operates a thriving job-shadow program. By shadowing Grinnell alumni at their workplaces, students build connections, explore their interests, and develop confidence in themselves and their future careers.

Recent Student Internships

Rob Storrick ’15
Internship: Indiana University Health (marketing department), Indianapolis

“I’ve been learning some very important lessons in brand management. Especially within the health care industry, how you present your ‘product’ (i.e., the care you deliver) is so important in running the business. Communicating our company’s comparative strengths within the industry has allowed me to see what it really takes to be a successful health care provider.”

Lea Greenberg ‘14
Internship: International Fellowship of Reconciliation (Austrian branch)

“Living and working in Vienna both with and without the safety net of my study-abroad program has allowed me to leave my comfort zone, improve my German-speaking abilities, learn to adapt more easily, and deal with ambiguity and uncertainty. I now approach day-to-day interactions with greater attention to language, behavior, and culturally specific practices; this observance and analytical approach will give me the intellectual flexibility to pursue a career in an ever-changing employment landscape.”

Experiential Learning

Grinnellians deepen their understanding of what they are learning in the classroom while making a difference in their communities. 60 percent of students participate in service projects and events where they learn transferable professional skills.

Grinnell’s Service Learning and Civic Engagement Program collaborates with more than 80 different nonprofit, direct service community partners. Students come to appreciate the interdisciplinary nature of real-world problem solving.