The Search
Go to Career Fairs
Talk to different employers about different opportunities/positions that interest you
Figuring out career options
Look into different fields that interest you and/or might be related to your field of study
Try to figure out what roles/companies you may want to apply to
Job boards
LinkedIn, Indeed, Handshake, etc.
Save Handshake/LinkedIn searches to get emails each week with new positions
Company’s website
Some companies post internship opportunities on their own websites
Apply
Referrals
People who work at the company can refer you to an open position – applying through a referral can help your application gain visibility
Update LinkedIn
Professional-looking profile picture
Can enable open-to-work setting to be more visible to recruiters
Prepare Resume
Good templates
Jake’s Resume Template for software-related roles
Look at templates from your field!
Might Include a portfolio
Make use of action words
Describe your impact, not just the tasks you were assigned
Include experiences outside of jobs too (ex. volunteer, clubs, personal projects)
Cater wording to the job description
Prepare portfolio (sometimes required)
A portfolio compiles pieces of your previous work into one area
Commonly displayed on a website
Not necessary, depends on field of interest
For some positions (ux design, etc.), can be very helpful to stand out
Prepare cover letter (sometimes required)
May be required to write a cover letter, depending on the position you apply for
Summarizes your professional background and experiences
Usually entails writing about your interest in the position and what makes you a good fit
References
Professors
Former supervisors
Preferred non-family members
Follow Up
Screening Test (sometimes required)
Asked technical questions that are based on knowing content
Timed
Common for jobs involving coding
Personality test (sometimes required)
Asked situations with responses ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree
Interview
Depending on position/company, you may have multiple rounds of interviews
You might be asked about field specific questions to test your knowledge
Prepare questions for the interviewer
Get a feel of whether the company culture fits you and your career goals
Take-Home Assignment (sometimes)
Projects based on a prompt the company provides
Emails
Send a Thank-you letter after any interviews
Send a follow-up email if you don’t hear back within approximately a week