While the Career and Professional Success (CaPS) office’s name (formerly Internship and Career Services) and location (now in Dugan Hall) may have changed over the years, its purpose has remained the same—direct students to the tools and resources available to help them score an internship, become a networking pro, write a stand-out resume, or land their dream job.

Twenty years ago, the office was seeing an average of 600 students each year. Now, thanks to a University-wide focus on career outcomes and increased staffing, the CaPS office sees more than 2,000 students every year. 

Gary Beaulieu, Director of CaPS, joined Butler from Indiana State University 19 years ago and has played a crucial role in helping students discover their passions and, subsequently, how those passions translate into internship and career opportunities. 

“I had been through three different majors; I had been through multiple careers. I didn’t have an easy major to career path” says Beaulieu. “When I saw a Career Services position become available, my boss at the time told me, ‘You should really apply for this. You should teach students how not to do the things you did, or didn’t do, as the case is.’”

“Students should not be expected to know what they want to do for the rest of their life when they’re 18 years old. They need to experience the world, experience college, experience life before they make that decision,” says Beaulieu, who encourages students to start visiting the Office as soon as they get to campus. 

But help isn’t just coming out of Dugan Hall. “The strategic partnerships with the colleges are really critical, too. All of our career advisors are within the colleges,” says Beaulieu. That means that College of Communication students are getting to work directly with experts who are aware of the nuances of that college—the best semester to take an internship, how specific coursework will tie to their real-world experiences, what to look for in a job description, and so on, he explains. CaPS career advisors also tap into Butler’s 55,000-person alumni network, connecting students with alumni from across the world to serve as mentors and leads to internships and jobs. 

And this all pays off. “Students who engage with our office are 92 percent more likely to have a job when they walk across the stage at Commencement,” says Beaulieu.

And help doesn’t end once a student gets their diploma. CaPS is equipped to help every alumnus navigate the post-grad landscape. Whether it’s finding their first job or graduate school, or switching careers years down the road, CaPS wants to stay connected. 

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A great way to give back to the University is to help a current student. Alumni can utilize Bulldogs Connect (butler.wisr.io), a service powered by Wisr, to connect with other alumni and current students, chat about internship and job opportunities, and search for Bulldogs in your field.