- Take time to assess your interests, abilities, and short- and long-term career goals…determine your career-related strengths and skills and what you have to offer an employer (convey this to employers utilizing specific ‘stories’ for documents and behavioral interview questions: 1) Specific Situation, 2) Action You Took, and 3) Results for each story)
- Create the appropriate documents: a 1-page résumé (industry/government) which should be tailored to the requirements in each job description, cover letter (when requested), and/or other application documents (depending on your career-path) and have them critiqued
- Set goals – an average search can take 6-10 months, and you may get responses anywhere from 24 hours to 4 months (or never), so setting weekly goals for the number of applications, the number of new contacts, and/or the amount of time to spend on your search each week can keep you on track
- Use Handshake @ Illinois:
- Utilize the ‘Search Employers’ section in Handshake @ Illinois to find potential employers
- Attend career-related workshops and as many company information sessions and career fairs as possible
- Apply for and schedule on-campus interviews (Fall semester has more opportunities, so start early!)
- Check vacancy listings and apply for positions of interest consistently. Start by visiting employers’ pages directly, but try some of these links as well: Handshake, Indeed, LinkedIn Jobs, USA Jobs, Idealist, Internships.com, SimplyHired, WayUp, AIChE CareerEngineer, AAAS, Government Jobs.com, or Zintellect
- Network actively…Professors, other students, supervisors, family members and friends, and engage in online networking
- Set up a profile on LinkedIn (& be sure to join the School of Chemical Sciences Networking group!)
- Search by U of I or your undergrad institution – from that page, click on ‘Alumni’
- Then filter by what they studied, geographic location, employer, and more (top 5 are visible, but you can ‘Add’ any other major/location/employer/etc.)
- Visit individual profiles of interesting alumni and select the ‘Connect’ button
- Personalize your invitation by adding a note - mention that you 1) are an Illinois alum and 2) would like to learn more about their role/employer
- You can only send 3 messages/month, but you can upgrade to Premium for free for 30 days for more
- Once they’ve accepted your connection request, send a direct email (not through LinkedIn) with a few questions that help you learn about the company/their experience
- If/when they reply, respond and ask if they have any advice for you as a job seeker OR mention a position you’ve seen online and ask if they can tell you whom you should talk with about that position
- Request to schedule informational interviews with people who have careers you think you’d enjoy to learn more, prepare for an interview, and/or develop an ally who may be willing to help
- Register with scientific staffing companies (select only ones that don’t charge you) like Momentum Scientific, Aerotek Scientific, Kelly Scientific, etc. if you’re still seeking 6-8 weeks before you need the job/internship
- Schedule a Mock Interview through the SCS Career Services office
- Put together an interview suit (include a leather portfolio, professional briefcase/purse, and quality pen in addition to suit, shoes, and accessories) and a business casual outfit for information sessions
For more information or handouts, visit the School of Chemical Sciences Career Services office in Noyes 105.