Cardinal Compass: Career

Career Coaching, Career Programming and Alumni Mentorship

The Cardinal Compass career preparedness program centers you—your identity, your interests, your journey, and your future. Designed with flexibility and intentionality, this program supports student-athletes in translating their lived experiences into meaningful careers. Whether you’re just beginning to explore interests or actively pursuing opportunities, Cardinal Compass ensures you're never navigating your career journey alone.

We’re constantly building and strengthening relationships with employers across industries—locally, nationally, and around the world—to open doors for Stanford student-athletes. If there’s a company, organization, or industry you’re excited about, let us know. We’ll work together to create a strategy to connect, explore opportunities, and help you build meaningful professional relationships that align with your goals.

Career Coaching

Career journeys aren’t linear and we’re here to walk with you through every step and turn. Cardinal Compass offers one-on-one and small group coaching tailored to your goals, interests, and identity. Whether you're choosing a major, exploring industries, preparing for job interviews, or considering graduate school, you’ll get support that’s thoughtful, practical, and empowering.

To schedule an appointment, email the Student-Athlete Career Preparedness and Alumni Mentorship Coach, Tim Bryson.

Career Programming

Our workshops and events are built around real-world readiness. With Cardinal Compass, you’ll engage in relevant, interactive career education that translates your Stanford experience into professional confidence. Whether you're preparing for your first internship or learning how to navigate a job offer, our programming is accessible, actionable, and guided by your feedback.

Connect with Tim Bryson

Alumni Mentorship

Tap into the powerful Stanford athlete-alumni network to learn from those who’ve been in your shoes. Cardinal Compass facilitates authentic, relationship-driven mentorship opportunities with alumni who reflect your values, goals, and lived experience. These connections help you envision possibilities, gather practical advice, and expand your professional network.

Stanford Career Education

In addition to the support you have in DAPER, you are also supported by Stanford University’s Career Education (CareerEd) office. No matter what step you’re taking on your career journey, CareerEd coaches can help you plan for your career success. They are currently offering coaching appointments via Zoom, phone, and in-person. There are two types of coaching: Career Coaching and Education and Belonging, Access, and Creer Equity (BACE).

A CareerEd Coach can help you with understanding what you want, supporting your job/internship search, and working with you on career skills. CareerEd Coaches serve students and recent alumni in teams based on their academic discipline and degree level, including:

Frosh/Soph
Humanities and Sciences (& Education)
Engineering and Doerr School of Sustainability
PhD and Postdocs
Partner/Spouse of Student

BACE coaches support marginalized and underrepresented Stanford students with their career questions and concerns. Peer Career Coaches provide individual resume reviews for students.

Schedule an appointment here

Experiential learning bridges the gap between the classroom and the real world. By engaging in hands-on opportunities like internships, service projects, research, global experiences, and campus leadership, students gain critical skills, expand their perspectives, and apply knowledge in meaningful ways. These experiences not only deepen learning but also build confidence, clarify career goals, and prepare students to lead with purpose in any field.

Have you found an unpaid opportunity or internship and need funding? Let Stanford Career Education help.

The Rising Bird Fellows program, named for Dr. Tina Rising Bird '82 and Dr. Jeff Bird '82, MD '86, PhD '88, pays stipends of up to $7,500 for qualifying full-time summer opportunities and up to $2,815 for spring qualifying part-time opportunities.

Stipend amounts are calculated based upon the student time commitment to their opportunity during the quarter for which they are applying. The fellowships are open to eligible undergraduates, with priority going to students with financial need.

Nike Inc. Summer Internship Program

Nike hires at least two Stanford student-athletes every year for its highly competitive, paid summer internship program. Interns work on impactful projects across areas like marketing, strategy, operations, and product innovation – gaining real-world experience while bringing a high-performance mindset to a global brand.