Graduate Student Career Roadmap

BEFORE YOU START

• Create a Master’s-level resume
• Update your LinkedIn profile
• Attend a career strategy session for new students

FIRST SEMESTER

• Reflect on your interests, values, and current skills
• Determine job priorities (location, impact, income)
• Explore career options
• Meet with your career advisor to discuss aligning academic and co-curricular involvements with career goals
• Start reading our weekly email, the Career Compass
• Create a Big Interview account (code: 0825)
• Join a professional association
• Attend express career advising for a resume review
• Apply for internships

SECOND SEMESTER

• Create your elevator pitch and practice it with your career advisor
• Create a networking strategy
• Use LinkedIn to find and connect with alumni
• Set up at least five informational interviews

ONGOING

• Intern or volunteer in relevant positions
• Check the Career Compass regularly for opportunities and upcoming events
• Use Big Interview to practice interviewing
• Learn about post-graduate fellowships, making note of application timelines
• Participate in SIS career events and programs:
• Attend Jump Start January to learn best practices for resumes, interviews, and negotiation (January)
• Sign up for Mock Interview Madness to practice interviewing (March)
• Sign up for a pre-arranged Informational Interview (September) and apply for the Job Shadow Program (March) to meet SIS alumni.
• Apply for the SIS Mentoring Program (August)
• Participate in our Industry Spotlight Series to learn about employers and career paths (October)

SECOND TO LAST SEMESTER

• Update your resume and LinkedIn profile to reflect recent academic and co-curricular involvements
• Attend express career advising for a resume review
• Identify any remaining skill gaps for target jobs and make a plan to fill them
• Make a list of target employers and continue expanding your network as needed
• Conduct salary research
• Schedule a mock interview and/or offer negotiation with your career advisor

LAST SEMESTER

• Mobilize your network to support your job search
• Make sure your Handshake profile is complete and public to employers
• Set up search alerts on job sites for relevant posts
• Check the Career Compass regularly for jobs
• Write a tailored resume and cover letter for each application
• Apply for jobs
• Send thank you letters/emails after each interview
• Update your LinkedIn profile
• Complete the Graduation Census survey