Career Preparation
Resources and support for professional success
We’re here to support your entire professional evolution at Simmons, from that pivotal first internship through your transition into leadership roles.
Through the Simmons Edge, you’ll follow an integrated path that blends academics with real experience, and accelerated programs so you can hit the ground running in your career. You’ll fine-tune your interests and build confidence as you go. The Office of Career Development and Employer Relations helps you link your coursework to career goals, so every semester moves you closer to fulfilling your ambitions.
Do work that makes an impact
If your goal is to create change, you’ll find the support to do it. You’ll work closely with faculty who will invest in your growth and challenge you to think bigger.
- Get involved in clinical placements, internships, study abroad, and service projects
- Explore big ideas and bring them to fruition through research and fellowship opportunities
- Discover your strengths through mentoring and leadership opportunities
- Access academic support, including individualized advising, to keep you motivated and on track
When you graduate, you’ll be ready to lead with purpose, supported by real experience and a clear direction.
Turning connections into opportunity
Your network starts here and keeps growing. Employer partnerships build on Simmons' long-standing excellence in social work, library science, nursing, and the health professions.
• Gain access to employers who value your preparation and your purpose.
• Discover roles that fit your goals and get one-on-one guidance from a career coach through Handshake.
• Visit the Career Engagement Network, a resource that helps online students and alumnae/i advance their careers
Undergraduate Student Internship and Career Stories
Finding Her ‘Why’: One Simmons Student’s Path to Advocacy
Kayla Baillargeon ’25 ’28MSW used her personal experiences and passion for helping others to advance a career in parent advocacy. Now, by earning her online bachelor's degree and pursuing a master's at Simmons, she is gaining the skills and credentials needed to shape the growing field.
Candor and Care: The Impact of Faculty on Returning Students
After nearly three decades in corporate leadership, Theresa Stephens-Tillmon ’27 returned to school, enrolling in Simmons’ online degree completion program to pursue a psychology degree and a new purpose: helping others get unstuck through life coaching. With the support of her instructors and the staff at Simmons, she’s embarking on these meaningful second acts and finding growth.
Digitizing Local Archives and Reminiscing with Alumnae/i
Jenn Leishman ’26 reflects on choosing their major, an internship in the West End Museum in Boston, favorite courses, and how Simmons helped prepare them for a career as a library professional.
Meaningful Mentorship, Received and Given
Nursing major Lisa Aboagye-Kodjoe ’26 reflects on her time at Simmons and her involvement with the Dotson Bridge and Mentorship program, the Honors Program, and Girls, Inc.
Revelations in the Lab, Rewards on the Field
Piper Kinney ’26 discusses her involvement in research and studying both neuroscience and public health give her two essential and complementary perspectives on medicine. She also reflects on being a student athlete during her time at Simmons.
International Honors Student Studies Economic Development
Paulina Rodas Mejia ’26, a double major in economics and international relations, is pursuing research in economic development. We spoke with her about her interdisciplinary interests, the honors program, and being an international student from Honduras at Simmons.
Neuroscience Student Finds Purpose in Lab Research
Undergraduate neuroscience major and physics minor Sonia Vader ’26 shares her experience in the Focused Ultrasound Lab at Brigham and Women’s Hospital’s Radiology Department.
Athlete Discovers Value of Nutrition
Accelerated student Arianna Joyce ’26, ’27MS is a competitive figure skater who is passionate about nutrition. We spoke with her about the encouraging community at Simmons and the value of an accelerated education.
Graduate Student Career Stories
SLIS Alumna Views Librarians as ‘Informal’ Educators
Sarah Leveille ’26MS is the reference librarian for the Grafton Public Library in Grafton, Massachusetts. We spoke with her about the essential education she received from Simmons SLIS, the LibGuides she created, and the joys of librarianship.
Empowering Youth Through Clinical Social Work
Cassidy Martin ’25MSW is a clinical social worker for the R.O.O.T.S. program, an initiative of the Gardner Athol Area Mental Health Association (GAAMHA) that supports adolescents and young adults facing challenges related to mental health and substance use. She has a particular interest in working with kids who are neurodiverse or part of the LGBTQ+ community.
From Simmons MSW Student to Psychotherapist
Grace Lincoln ’25MSW is a psychotherapist at Collaborative Insight Counseling Associates (CICA), a mental health group practice in Boston. She works with both adolescents and adults who are seeking support for anxiety, depression, ADHD, and life transitions.
Making a Difference as a School Social Worker
Kyle Greenidge ’25MSW is a school social worker employed within Boston Public Schools. He provides individual therapy for students with a range of needs, including support for mental health challenges or assistance with academic goals and post-graduation planning.
Building Community Archives
Graduate student Ashten Vassar-Cain ’27MS brings a human rights approach to library and information science. We spoke with him about community archives, centering survivors, and the immersive training at Simmons.
Behavior Analysis Student Helps Children Reach Milestones
Josie Re ’26MS, a student in the Online Master of Behavior Analysis, shares what led her to the field, and her experience in an online classroom.
Social Work Alum Advances Community Mental Health
Jordyn Hagar '23PhD reflects on how the Social Work PhD helped her successfully develop and disseminate her mental health awareness training program, Stronger Together, which is now accessible online.
Dual Degree Alumnus Found His Voice at Simmons
Alec Chunn '15MA/MS reflects on how the Children's Literature & Library Science dual degree has informed his work as a reviewer of children's literature, a jurist for literary prizes, and a Youth Librarian at Multnomah County Library in Portland, Oregon.
Simmons Alumnae/i Career Stories
Inside Simmons’ Data Science and AI Major
Data science and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are everywhere — what does it mean to major in these areas, as an undergraduate? We spoke with a professor and graduate of Simmons’ Bachelor of Science in Data Science and AI to learn more about what the degree entails, and how it prepares students to enter a rapidly growing field.
SLIS Alumna Views Librarians as ‘Informal’ Educators
Sarah Leveille ’26MS is the reference librarian for the Grafton Public Library in Grafton, Massachusetts. We spoke with her about the essential education she received from Simmons SLIS, the LibGuides she created, and the joys of librarianship.
Finding the Story Beneath the Story
Gloria Respress-Churchwell ’18MFA, MA uncovers the human heart inside history’s stories.
Children’s Literature Alumna Featured in WBUR
WBUR News profiled Boston-based educator, author, and editor Autumn Allen ’18MA/MFA. Allen just released her second young adult novel, You Only Live Twice (Kokila-Penguin Random House, 2026).
SLIS Alumna Awardee Reflects on People-Centered Libraries
Tam Ha ’08MS, recipient of the 2026 Alumnae/i Lifetime Achievement Award, is the academic librarian for VinUniversity (Hanoi, Vietnam). We spoke with her about the pivotal mentorship she received at Simmons and the rewards of a career in librarianship.
Empowering Youth Through Clinical Social Work
Cassidy Martin ’25MSW is a clinical social worker for the R.O.O.T.S. program, an initiative of the Gardner Athol Area Mental Health Association (GAAMHA) that supports adolescents and young adults facing challenges related to mental health and substance use. She has a particular interest in working with kids who are neurodiverse or part of the LGBTQ+ community.
From Simmons MSW Student to Psychotherapist
Grace Lincoln ’25MSW is a psychotherapist at Collaborative Insight Counseling Associates (CICA), a mental health group practice in Boston. She works with both adolescents and adults who are seeking support for anxiety, depression, ADHD, and life transitions.
Making a Difference as a School Social Worker
Kyle Greenidge ’25MSW is a school social worker employed within Boston Public Schools. He provides individual therapy for students with a range of needs, including support for mental health challenges or assistance with academic goals and post-graduation planning.
Have questions? We are here to help!
The Office of Career Development and Employer Relations
The Office of Career Development and Employer Relations is here to empower all Simmons students and alums with the expertise, skills, and resources to engage in, access, and explore diverse opportunities for their life’s work, integrating their passion with their purpose in meaningful careers.