It's almost time for a winter break!
We hope that the break is a time for rest, reflection, hobbies, personal projects, catching up with friends and family - and maybe a J-Term course or academic/professional projects sprinkled in.
Before final exams wrap up, our team wants you to know about our winter break office hours (we're open!), ideas for career-related activities you can participate in over the break, and early spring career events so you can save the dates now.Winter Break Office Hours & Appointments
Understandably, many think that our office is closed while classes are not in session, but this isn't the case!
Our team will be working over the winter break, with the exception of December 25-January 1, when the University is closed.
Throughout the rest of December and January, you can email us with quick questions or schedule a 1-on-1 career advising appointment if you'd like to chat with a friendly, experienced advisor about any questions or ideas you have. New to scheduling appointments? Here's how to do it. Drop-in advising concludes on Tuesday, December 5 and begins again on January 17, 2024.
Of course if you want to look through online resources on your own, we recommend checking out our website, blog, or recorded workshops and presentations on YouTube.
5 ideas of mini career activities for the break
Reflect on the fall semester.
Winter break is a great time to look back and reflect, while also looking ahead to the spring semester. Ask yourself what you did this semester, in or outside of the classroom, that you enjoyed. What was your favorite class? Project? New concept you learned about? Are there new, hands-on and project-based clubs you want to become involved in? Would you like to chat with an alum who's working in a company/industry or on projects that interest you? Reflect on your current top interests and curiosities, and know that our team is ready to partner with you to explore those further in the spring (or when you're ready).
Update your resume with projects and activities from the fall semester.
It's easy for tasks like updating your resume to fall low on the priority list when problem sets, quizzes, and exams are due. If you have some down time over the break, use our Engineering Resume Guide to help you update (or create) your resume. Once you've updated your resume, upload it to VMOCK and get instant feedback on your content, layout, and formatting!
Create a LinkedIn account if you don't have one, or update your existing profile.
The long break is a great time to revisit, or launch, your profile. Check out our favorite tips for LinkedIn and chat with a career advisor if you'd like to learn more about the various ways to leverage LinkedIn.
Connect with a UVA alum.
Alumni want to share their stories and answer any questions you may have ranging from choosing a major and making the most of your UVA experience to considering possible next steps beyond your time at UVA. Connect with alumni in the Virginia Alumni Mentoring (VAM) community.
Catch up on career event recordings.
The break will be a great opportunity for you to catch up on content whenever we'd like. You'll find all of our YouTube playlists and videos (the majority of which are unlisted) here within your Handshake account.
Save the date for early Spring 2024 career events
Additional information about these events will be added to Handshake ahead of the start of the semester.
Spring Job & Internship Fair (2 days)
Wed., Jan. 31 & Thurs., Feb. 1 | 11am-3pm | Newcomb Hall 3rd Floor
Government, Education, & Nonprofit Career Fair
Fri., Feb. 9 | 10am-3pm | Virtual on Handshake
Data Science & Analytics Day
Thurs., Feb. 29 | 1-4pm | Virtual on Handshake
Consulting Night
Tues., Mar. 19 | 6-8pm | Bryant Hall at Scott Stadium