10 Second Year-CONNECT: Career Services Office & Career Fairs
GET INDIVIDUALIZED CAREER SUPPORT!
Each school at Indiana University-Bloomington, has a specific career center with specialized coaches who are industry experts on careers that connect with their particular school’s majors. These offices also have connections with employers and companies (sometimes called, “recruiters”) that are looking to offer Indiana University students internships and hire for full time jobs.
Find the name of your career office from the chart above. It’ll be important to visit your career center as well as make an appointment or drop-in for a coaching session to continue your career preparation. Most offices do not have assigned career coaches to students, you can meet with any available coach or career peer (a student worker trained in career services). However, all career centers use Handshake if you want to make an appointment. You can find a complete list of career centers here with direct links to their webpage.
OTHER WAYS CAREER CENTERS CAN SUPPORT YOU!
1. Workshops/Events.
Career centers host many events for students each semester which might include, employer information presentations, resume (or other professional skills development) prep, networking events, internship/career fairs, etc…
- Use Handshake! One of the best ways to stay on top of career related events happening on campus is to search Handshake. All career centers use Handshake to not only make appointments, but to post events/workshops/fairs. Handshake is IU Bloomington’s one-stop job and career event resource for students and employers. As a student in your first or second year at IU, you can explore potential careers and get a real sense of what employers are looking for in new hires. You can find internship opportunities or part-time jobs. If you’re closer to graduating, you can make valuable connections with employers and find your first post-graduation job.
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HOW TO SEARCH FOR EVENTS ON HANDSHAKE:
- Create your Handshake account.
- Go to the Career Exploration & Student Employment homepage
- Click on the “Handshake” button in the top right corner.
- Once you complete the profile, go to the Handshake homepage.
- Click on the tab “Events”
- You will see a list of current events happening on campus or virtually through Handshake.
- Use the filter categories to adjust for a tailor-made search
- Click, “More filters,” to identify career center specific events
- Create your Handshake account.
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2. Prepare for an Internship/Career Fair.
Each year, typically both in the fall and the spring, the career centers host internship/career fairs on campus. These events invite employers to campus to connect with students and share about their company and positions available. All students are welcome to attend these events. Even as a sophomore, you can learn a lot about the world of work by attending a fair-meet professionals, ask questions, or simply observe how it all works. However, it’s important to learn how to prepare for career fairs because you only get one shot at a good first impression!
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- Make an appointment with your career coach at least 1 week ahead of the internship/career fair to learn more about what to expect and questions to ask. You and your coach can even role play discussions with company representatives so you feel more comfortable on the day of the event.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
- Read, “Guide to Exploring Expos” from the Neurodiversity Hub
- The Career Exploration & Student Employment has a great webpage all about job fairs!
Interested in a Summer Job or Internship with the Federal Government? You will want to apply to the Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP). Contact a Career Coach at Career Exploration & Student Employment for more information. Apply each year between August-October!