Job Search
Career & Professional Development | Students | Job Search
Engage with Us
Finding the right job or internship takes preparation, strategy, and persistence. Use the steps below to guide your search.
Three Steps Before You Start
- Polish Your Resume to make sure it’s updated and tailored. Not sure? Check out our resume resources (link to resume page?)
- Update your Handshake and LinkedIn profiles reflect your most recent skills and experiences.
- Clarify Your Goals by considering the industries, roles, or locations you’d like to target so your search is focused.
Where to find job opportunities
- Handshake: Our campus job board for internships, part-time work, and full-time opportunities.
- Job Boards & Company Websites: Search industry-specific boards and apply directly on employer career pages.
- Career Fairs & Employer Events: Network directly with recruiters and explore opportunities.
- Networking: Use LinkedIn, alumni, faculty, mentors, and family connections. Many opportunities come through people you know.
- Start with Who You Know: Alumni, faculty, peers, and family can all be valuable connections.
- Leverage LinkedIn: Reach out to professionals in your field and join groups related to your interests.
- Conduct Informational Interviews: Learn about industries and roles by talking directly with professionals.
- Informational interviews are conversations with professionals in your field of interest where you ask about their career path, daily work, and advice. They are not job interviews, but can give valuable insight and expand your connections.
Strategies for Success
- Be Targeted: Identify industries, roles, or companies you are most interested in before you start applying.
- Tailor Materials: Adjust your resume and cover letter for each role, using keywords from the posting.
- Stay Organized: Track applications, deadlines, and follow-ups in a spreadsheet or planner.
- Apply Early and Widely: Many opportunities fill quickly, so do not wait until the deadline.
- Follow Up: After applying or networking, send a brief note to reaffirm your interest.
When to Look
- Internships: Many summer internship applications open in the fall semester, especially in competitive industries. Others continue posting through spring.
- Full-Time Jobs: Recruitment varies by field. Large organizations may hire in the fall, while smaller companies often recruit closer to graduation.
- Tip: Start early, but keep applying throughout the year.
Avoiding Job Scams
- Jobs that require upfront payment or other personal details such as banking information or your social security number
- Unsolicited recruiting emails with unfamiliar links, attachments, or very little detail from generic email addresses
- Lots of spelling and grammatical errors in the job description
- Quick offers without having an interview process
- Too good to be true job details like very high salary or no set work schedules or arrangements
- Any arrangement that requires you to pay money with the promise of making money
- Research the organization online to make sure it’s legitimate
- Look for employee profiles on LinkedIn to verify employment with the company
- Make sure to complete an interview process to meet with your potential team and managers before accepting any offers
- If you’re still unsure, reach out to CPD and we can help determine the legitimacy of a job posting, or reach out to report a job scam
