Undergraduate Career Coaching

Undergraduate career coaching

As an undergrad student, you may feel like you’re constantly experiencing new things. And, while your world is certainly exciting right now, we know it can also feel like a lot to handle at times. Add to that the uncertainty of knowing whether or not you’re on the right path, and life can quickly feel overwhelming.

That’s where career coaches come in! We’ve been where you are—not only can we empathize with how you’re feeling, we can help you prioritize, focus, and explore what’s possible.

Together, we’ll take things one step at a time, helping adjust your path as your interests evolve and your skills expand.

The best time to meet with us is as soon as you’ve declared your major—but remember, it’s never too early or too late to get started! No matter where you are in the journey—even if you’re still exploring your options—we’ll be with you every step of the way, from finding experiences that make you marketable to deciding on a career that matches your values, interests, and strengths.

During the first visit, whether in-person or virtual, you and your coach will simply talk and get to know each other. Your coach will probably ask you a lot of questions as he or she tries to get a better understanding of your interests and aspirations. Together, you’ll make a plan, discuss next steps, and decide together when and how often you should meet to reach your career goals.

Both! Whether you’d like to visit the Walter Center for your appointment or work with your coach virtually (or a mix of both), you and your coach can discuss the option that’s best for you.

Need a hand perfecting your application materials? The Career Studio is the place for you! Our peer coaches are there to help you polish up your resume or cover letter, start a job search, and tackle those job and internship applications.

Use your IU credentials to login to Handshake at iubloomington.joinhandshake.com
Choose Career Center from the menu
Click on the Appointments tile
Click on the blue Schedule a New Appointment button
Click on Walter Center for Career Achievement
Select an appointment type
Select a time and day that works for you, choose virtual or in-person, write the coach a brief note about why you're making the appointment, and choose request.

Schedule an appointment

To schedule a one-on-one coaching appointment, you’ll need to have a Handshake account. Don’t have a Handshake profile yet? Be sure to create one as soon as you can—it’s the quickest way to connect with the Walter Center team.

Once you log into Handshake, you’ll be able to see the availability of our career coaches and can choose a time that fits your schedule best.

Schedule an appointment

Meet our career coaches

Erin Erwin

Director, Career Education

Phone:: 812-855-0577
Email:: erserwin@iu.edu

Katie Strauch

Associate Director, Graduate Career Services

Phone:: 812-856-2084
Email:: kj139@iu.edu

Coaching Focus: Graduate Students + Undergraduates applying to graduate school

Andy Sterneman

Associate Director, Career Studio

Phone:: 812-855-1184
Email:: jsternem@iu.edu

Sarah Schmitt

Associate Director, Career and Academic Integration

Phone:: 812-856-2550
Email:: sjschmit@iu.edu

Marcia Debnam

Senior Career Coach

Phone:: 812-855-1704
Email:: mdebnam@iu.edu

Coaching Focus: Life Sciences, Healthcare, & Sustainability; First Generation

Angela Lexmond

Director, Career Courses

Phone:: 812-856-2697
Email:: alexmond@iu.edu

Emily Cress

Career Educator

Phone:: 812-856-4956
Email:: emcress@iu.edu

Coaching Focus: Media, Arts, & Entrepreneurship

Rebecca Butorac

Career Educator

Phone:: 812-856-2700
Email:: rbutorac@iu.edu

Coaching Focus: Life Sciences, Healthcare, Sustainability and First Generation

Luke Chanley

Career Coach

Phone:: 812-855-8455
Email:: lwchanle@iu.edu

Coaching Focus: Media, Arts, & Entrepreneurship; Business, Retail, & Technology

Jed Junken

Career Educator

Phone:: 812-856-7710
Email:: jjunken@iu.edu

Trenten Rowlett

Career Coach

Phone:: 812-856-7069
Email:: terowlet@iu.edu

Coaching Focus: Animal Science; Business, Retail, & Technology; Media, Arts, & Design

Michael Kendall

Career Educator

Phone:: 812-855-6408
Email:: mikendal@iu.edu

Madhuvanti Karyekar

Career Coach

Phone:: 812-856-3522
Email:: mkaryeka@iu.edu

Coaching Focus: Government, International, and Public Policy; Education, Non-Profit and Social Good; International students

Abbie Doan

Career Coach

Phone:: 812-855-0785
Email:: doanabb@iu.edu

Coaching Focus: Life Sciences, Healthcare and Sustainability, Business, Retail & Technology

Nia I'man Smith

Career Educator

Phone:: 812-855-4067
Email:: niaismit@iu.edu

Austin Baker

Career Educator

Email:: austbake@iu.edu

Lindsey Heben

Career Educator

Email:: lheben@iu.edu

Atina Kamasi

Career Coach

Phone:: 812-855-9258
Email:: akamasi@iu.edu

Ask a coach

Have a question for one of our coaches? Submit it below and our coaches will help point you in the right direction. Of course, it’s always best to schedule a coaching appointment for more in-depth and thorough guidance—but this is an option when that’s not possible.

Upload your question

Additional resources

Learn about career courses

Explore our center

Connect with employers

Undergraduate Career Coaching