We've heard from many Engineering and CS students who want to use their time off in January to work on career development, whether that's teaching themselves a new skill, working on personal projects, or working on their job/internship search. With that in mind, we've designed Spring Career Week, 5 days of career tips and advice sent straight to your inbox PLUS virtual workshops hosted by alumni, recruiters, and career advising pros.
Every morning the week of January 25th, we'll send you an email on a different topic, including a relevant action step that's short enough to complete THAT day.
From there, design your own Career Week schedule by selecting one or more virtual sessions to attend! You'll find event descriptions and links below, as well as within Handshake (just search Events for “Career Week”). Questions? Email hpalmer@virginia.edu.Monday, January 25
Let's kick off Career Week with an intro to free career resources that you can review at your own pace, anytime, anywhere. In the morning, we'll send an email with a quick, informative overview of everything you need to know complete with ONE action step you can take before the end of the day.
Handshake 101 (and beyond)
12-1pm | Info + Event Link
Want to get the most out of Handshake? In this live demo, we'll cover how to maximize your Handshake account, including why you want to keep your profile up-to-date, job and internship application tips, how to access FREE resources (accessed only through Handshake), and more. We'll be sure to cover all of the Handshake FAQs we hear from students!
Tuesday, January 26
Today we're focusing on application materials and job search correspondence. How do you get started? How do you improve and optimize existing documents? You'll receive another email in the morning that shares the essentials for writing strong resumes and cover letters, post-interviews thank you emails, and communication with employers when you want to ask for more time to decide on an offer, accept an offer, or decline an offer.
Evaluating and Responding to Job Offers
12-12:45pm | Info + Event link
You work hard to secure an offer, creating strong application materials and interviewing successfully. What happens when you receive your first (or multiple) offers? Learn how to evaluate and respond to job offers from Bob Bremer, an Engineering alum, former E-School Associate Dean, MBA and former exec at Capital One and ExxonMobil.
Wednesday, January 27
As we continue remote learning and working this semester, let's dedicate a day to exploring how we can create, maintain, and deepen virtual relationships. In our third email, we'll cover how to connect with alumni, peers you may not know, employers/recruiters all virtually. We'll highlight free resources, provide you with templates you can adapt for your own writing style and needs, and share why you'll want to incorporate virtual networking into your current search (TIP: our speaker for today leveraged networking into job offers during COVID last summer!).
Job Searching During COVID, featuring Engineering '20 Alum
5:30-6:15pm | Info + Event link
Last year Jonathan Ramirez's job search was progressing well and then COVID changed everything. He had to job search in the months following the initial COVID surge and is eager to take any questions and share his experiences on how to optimize your job search during COVID/ He will also share advice and strategies on building a network (even if you don't have one!). Jonathan is now working as a Control Systems Engineer for Control Associates, where he is working closely with Merck on various automation projects.
Thursday, January 28
Let's dive into how to make the most of virtual interviewing! In the daily email, we'll discuss various methods of interviews (e.g., behavioral, case, technical), how you can prepare for them, and how you can specifically prep for two different styles of virtual interviews.
Case Interviewing Practice
11:30am-12:30pm | Info + Event Link
Interested in consulting careers? Consulting employers love to use the case interview as part of their hiring process. Learn how to prep for case style interviews with Bob Bremer, an Engineering alum, former E-School Associate Dean, MBA and former exec at Capital One and ExxonMobil.
Technical Interviewing Workshop
2-3pm | Info + Event Link
Applying to software engineering or other technical roles this semester? You'll likely encounter a technical interview. Learn how to prep for and ace technical interviews with Khaled Khalil, '17 Systems & CS alum and current Senior Software Engineer at Capital One.
Rocking Your LinkedIn Profile & Making the Most of Your Account
3:30-4:30pm | Info + Event Link
What do employers look for on students' LinkedIn profiles? How can you reach out to recruiters and alumni, engage and maintain connections, and make the most of digital networking during COVID and beyond? Kamara Swaby, a recruiter from Microsoft, will share her top tips for maximizing your time on LinkedIn.
Behavioral Interviewing Workshop
5-6pm | Info + Event Link
Interviews are a great opportunity for you to tell your story and show how you can contribute to an organization. Learn how to prep for behavioral interviews, the most common style of interviewing, with a rep from Capital One.
Friday, January 29
To wrap up Career Week, we'll send an email that highlights job/internship/research search strategies BEYOND Handshake, UVA career fairs, and even LinkedIn. You won't want to miss the job boards, conferences, organizations, and free resources we'll share.
Resume Review Mini-Sessions with Employers
10am-12pm | Info + Event Link as well as 1-3pm | Info + Event Link
Now that you've created or updated your resume, carve out 15 minutes to meet with an employer volunteer who wants to provide 1:1, low-stress feedback on your resume.
BONUS event - Monday, February 8
How to Navigate a Virtual Career Fair
5-6pm | Info + Event Link
Planning on attending an upcoming career fair, like the Spring Engineering & Tech Fair on Thursday, Feb. 11? What do you say to employer reps? What do you wear? Samantha Meason, Campus Recruiter at Accenture Federal Services, will share strategies for marketing yourself to recruiters and developing your “elevator pitch”.