Carnegie Mellon University
January 31, 2019

So You Say You Want to Get a Job...

By Stephanie Laughton, GSA Vice President of Campus Affairs AY18-19

If you are like me, you are probably interested in graduating at some point and getting a job after your graduate degree. Unfortunately, for many, the longer they spend in grad school, the more confusing it becomes to navigate the job market. You have the skills and the knowledge to have a productive career, but the process of attaining that career is a bit vague. Luckily, CMU has many resources available to help! The ones highlighted below are mainly based out of the Career and Professional Development Center (CPDC). They have a wide range of online and in-person ways to help you be prepared to find your dream job.

Preparing Your Materials

Whether you are writing the first draft of a cover letter or just need your CV polished, CPDC has many resources to help.

  • A great place to start is going through the Quick Tip Guides these guides will help you know what needs to be included in various types of documents and give some tips on word usage and formatting.

  • If you specifically want resources to help create or improve your resume or cover letter check here. There are even examples that are college specific!

  • If videos are more your speed, CPDC has a Video Library and Youtube Channel where you can find “How To” videos and even tips on how to handle career fairs and interviews. They even have videos from guest speakers in other languages (such as Chinese!).

  • Once you have a draft of your resume, you can use the online VMock Resume Review Platform for free to get actionable comments to improve your document.

“But Stephanie, I am concerned about getting bad guidance! My field has different expectations for documentation than others!”

Never fear, CPDC recognizes that and provides in person and online resources that are more specific to your college.

  • Check out the Resources by College List to find your Career Consultant (a staff person within CPDC who specifically helps people in your college/program) and resources specific to your field. They have guides and examples for resumes and cover letters.

“Stephanie, all these online things are great, but I really just need to talk to someone in person to understand them.”

Sure, you can do that too!

  • Find the Career Consultants for your college here. For SCS and CIT, your Career consultants hold open office hours somewhere near your department. For everyone else (or if you cannot make it to the CIT or SCS sessions) you can see the general CPDC drop in hours here. To schedule an appointment longer than 15 minutes or with a specific career consultant, find the instructions at the bottom of this page. If you want to schedule a time to meet one-on-one, you can always just email them (their names are all linked to their email addresses in the first link).

Connecting With Employers

Whether you are aiming for an academic or industry job, CMU has some resources to help. There are online opportunities via Handshake and in-person at career fairs. More information for each resource is below.

Handshake

Handshake is the online recruiting platform that CMU participates in. There are a wide range of job listings (including some post-doc and academic positions) plus it is the access point to reserving your spot at events. The job listings are searchable and updated frequently so students looking for a job are encouraged to check them often. The info sessions listed are both local to Pittsburgh and nationwide. Some are hosted by CMU and CPDC, but others are info sessions with popular companies. Other events listed on Handshake include materials preparation workshops and job fairs.

Some helpful tips for using Handshake:

  • Under your name, select “My Profile”. You can upload a copy of your resume so some information will be automatically propagated to your Handshake profile. Be sure to check it for correctness, but this could save you a ton of time setting up your profile.

  • Under your name, select “Your Career Interests”. Be sure to keep this list up-to-date so that the job opportunities you are most interested in are highlighted on your homepage.

  • Under your name, select “Settings & Privacy” then scroll down to “Calendar Export”. Be sure to link your Handshake calendar to your favorite calendar app so that you never miss an event that you registered for.

  • Under “Career Center” and “Resources”, you can find links to several other services that CMU subscribes to. These help with a range of things including:

    • Practicing interview skills

    • Navigating the job market

    • Getting jobs in various countries outside the USA

    • How to get a non-academic job with a PhD

Career Fairs

CMU hosts several career fairs on campus every year. Below you can see some of the major campus-wide ones:

Career Fair

When is it held?

Who is it for?

Encompass CMU

Fall and Spring

“A career fair for everyone”

Hosts job opportunities in arts, business, computer science, engineering, humanities, and the sciences

Creative Arts Opportunities Conference (CAOC)

Spring

Wide range of positions in the creative industry

Not just for CFA students

Energy Industry Career Fair

Spring

Energy sector employers with a range of job offers

All students are able to attend

Technical Opportunities Conference (TOC)

Fall

Hosted by SWE and CIT but open to all students seeking technical careers to use their skills in engineering and the sciences

Spark

Fall

Hosts a wide range of positions at startups and emerging companies

Western PA Collegiate Job and Internship Fair

Fall and Spring

This is a regional job fair hosted somewhere in the greater Pittsburgh region (not on CMU’s campus). The fair has over 170 employers looking for a wide range of applicants for both local and national positions.

Be sure to check the CPDC Calendar for the exact date of these career fairs!

General Tips for Success at Career Fairs:

  1. Plan ahead! There are probably lots of employers that you will want to meet, so check the listings about the career fair on Handshake (or the app for the TOC) to see who is going to be present and where their tables will be set up. Create your priority list for tables and plan how to get from one to another.

  2. Be polite! Recruiters do not only look at your resume, they also keep an eye out for how you act. Afterall, you may become their coworker one day and who would want to work with someone who is rude or has a bad attitude?

  3. Know where you can leave your stuff. Most career fairs do not let you bring in backpacks so plan where you can leave your stuff (some fairs have coat/backpack checks for job seekers).

  4. Check the Fair Schedule! Some career fairs have separate entry periods for different groups. Some are split internship versus full time jobs, while others spit undergraduate applicants versus graduate students. Make sure you know when the session you are able to attend it held, otherwise you will be turned away.

  5. Dress appropriately. This doesn't just mean “business formal”. You will be standing in lines for most of the fair so wear shoes that are comfortable. The spaces will also often be crowded so wear the appropriate weight of clothing for your personal heat tolerance.

  6. Plan to follow up! While you have probably spent a ton of time fixing your resume, practicing your elevator pitch, and researching the companies you want to talk to, also make a plan to follow up with the companies. Write a thank you note, find them on LinkedIn, and be sure to send them any additional information about yourself that they requested.