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 22-December 30, 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 6 and begins again on January 18, 2023.
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, and read about positive experiences your peers have had with VAM.
Catch up on career event recordings.
I don't know about you, but I wasn't able to attend all of the live career events I wanted to this past summer or fall. And even though we recorded many of the events, I haven't had an opportunity to watch some of the ones I missed yet.
The break will be a great opportunity for you (and me!) 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 2023 career events
Additional information about these events will be added to Handshake ahead of the start of the semester.
Virtual – Spring Resume Marathon (All Industries, All Disciplines)
Thurs., Jan. 26 | 10am-12pm & 12:30-3pm | Virtual event in Handshake
Join us virtually to have your resume reviewed by employers and alums, each session will be approximately 15 - 20 minutes. If you have never had your resume reviewed or plan to start submitting applications for internships or jobs, this is a great opportunity to get helpful, constructive feedback from people that review resumes every day in a safe environment! Please be sure to have a copy of your resume available.
In-Person – 2-Day Spring Job & Internship Fair
Wed., Feb. 1 & Thurs., Feb. 2 | 12-4pm both days | Alumni Hall | Event info
Recruiters from corporate, government, education and non-profit organizations will attend this event to discuss full-time and/or internship opportunities with UVA students from all schools and majors. Employers are just starting to register, and the list of participating employers will grow between now and the event. No suits are required, however professional dress is encouraged. The Job & Internship Fair is held over two days. There will be different recruiters and companies represented each day.
In-Person – Diversity Career Fair
Wed., Feb. 1 | 6-8pm | Bryant Hall at Scott Stadium | Event info
Are you looking for opportunities at companies committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion? Interested in learning more about the development of inclusive workplace cultures at some of the top industry leaders? Meet, explore, and network with our sponsors: Accenture, Altria, Appian, Capital One, CapTech, CoStar, CGI, Gartner, Houlihan Lokey, KCIC, Teach for America, and other top firms and industry leaders. There will be a wide range of industries represented, so all majors and class years are welcome! Employers will begin registering for this event soon.
Virtual – Spring Data Analytics Night
Thurs., Feb. 16 | 5-7pm | Virtual event in Handshake
This evening event provides a unique opportunity for students to engage with organizations who are looking to hire for data science and analytics roles. Throughout the event, you will have an opportunity to participate in one-on-one conversations and group sessions with employers and alumni.
Virtual – Government, Education & Non-Profit Career Fair
Fri., Feb. 17 | 10am-3pm | Virtual event in Handshake
Our annual Government, Education & Non-Profit Career Fair brings top employers to students and alumni for internships and full-time jobs in the government, education, and non-profit sectors. Only students or degreed alumni from UVA and several other universities are invited to attend.
Virtual – Marketing & Advertising Fair
Thurs., Feb. 23 | 1-4pm | Virtual event in Handshake
Recruiters from a variety of marketing and advertising firms will attend this event to discuss full-time and/or internship opportunities with UVA students from all schools and majors.
In-Person – Spring Finance Night
Thurs., Mar. 14 | 6-8pm | Bryant Hall at Scott Stadium | Event info
We’re anticipating ~25 firms from various areas of finance including Investment Banking (check out our blog post – Demystifying Investment Banking for Engineers), Investment Management, Private Equity and many more. Throughout the event, you’ll have an opportunity to participate in in-person networking. Come and meet recruiters who are eager to interact with students interested in financial services (both full-time and internship roles).
In-Person – Spring Consulting Night
Tues., Mar. 28 | 6-8pm | Bryant Hall at Scott Stadium | Event info
Whether you are sure you want to go into consulting or you just want to learn more about the industry, this event is a great opportunity to explore this field, learn about the different types of consulting, and network with employers who have job and internship positions available.