Career Services Newsletter 11/20/2013

Career Tips

Your Career Timeline

Are you concerned that you’re “off time”…too late or too early for searching for the kinds of jobs and internships you’re looking for? It might feel like you’re not doing what your peers are doing or maybe you’re concerned about what the right time to find a job or internship actually is. So in order to determine what your job search timeline should be like, first determine what you’re looking for.

Consulting Jobs or Internships

This recruitment starts in September, and the largest firms are now done with their process for recruitment. Your next step should be looking at small to mid-sized consulting firms that will be coming to campus in the winter and spring quarters. Many of our students successfully continue to find internships and jobs in consulting throughout Winter quarter, so start now making connections and looking for companies of interest if you haven’t already.

SDE, SDET, or PM Jobs and Internships

You should be looking now. Big employers with formalized technology internship programs like Amazon, Microsoft, Boeing, and others, are mostly done with their on-campus recruitment for this year, and are in final interview stage with the candidates they have selected. You should now target mid-sized to smaller companies with smaller programs in technology. Look across a wide variety of industries in iCareers and HuskyJobs as well as through your contacts at small to mid-size companies.

Web Development, User Experience, Design, Taxonomy, Information Architecture Jobs or Internships

You’re on track. These jobs typically come available consistently throughout the year, with some companies like Amazon recruiting now, and other companies recruiting through winter and spring. You should take winter break to put together your portfolio and plan to reach out to companies and internships/jobs as you find them in Winter quarter.

Data Analyst/BI

You’re on track. There are a smaller number of these positions listed than others, and so your best bet for finding these opportunities is through networking, and you can do this throughout the school year. Get started on your networking now if you haven’t already, reach out to professionals and build relationships.

Library – Full time

You can relax. Be building your network now, by making connections in the libraries you might want to work for, conducting informational interviews, and connecting with professionals over conferences, coffee, presentations, etc. You should focus your search in winter and spring quarters for opportunities that you want to start when you graduate in June.

Library – DFW

You should be applying for DFW opportunities at the beginning of the quarter BEFORE the quarter you want to actually do your DFW. This means that you should build connections and be looking for opportunities up to 2 quarters before you want to do a directed fieldwork or internship. If you want to do a summer DFW, winter quarter is a good time to be networking with libraries and librarians, and spring quarter is a good time to be applying.

Remember that it is never actually too early to be building your network, making connections with organizations and professionals you might want to work with, and keeping an eye open for your perfect job. If you see something that is exactly the right fit now, apply! You’ll work out the details of how and when to start if you’re given an offer, and in the process you’ll be branding yourself to the places you want to work. Good luck!

Career-Related Events This Week

LinkedIn 101

Thurs., November 21 | 3:30 – 4:00 pm | MGH 134

Statement of Purpose Workshop

Thurs., November 21 | 7:00 – 8:00 pm | MGH 254

Job Search for International Students

Tues., November 26 | 3:30 – 4:30 pm | MGH 134

External Events

Free Speed Networking

The Dish on Digital Data

Weds., November 20 | 7:30 – 9:00 am

What is LinkedIn and How Can it Help You?