Career Resources
Locating Opportunities
We agree applications can be stressful, but we’re here to help you out! From job sites to personal networking, everything counts towards a successful job search, and here’s a start to it all!
Best sources for jobs – Company Careers page, LinkedIn, Indeed, Built In, Glassdoor, Handshake, Company Information Sessions, Career Fairs
Tap into the hidden job market – Cold Messaging/emailing, Social Media Groups, Alumni Associations, Faculty, Student Organizations, Conferences
When reaching out - Be specific, make it personalized, mention any contacts, and ask relevant questions. Do your homework!
Referrals
Where? University alumni, classmates who previously interned at a company of interest, Professors and lecturers, Friends of friends who work at that company
How to ask?
Introduce yourself
Validate your experience and why you are worth a referral
Keep it short and respectful
Stress your interest in the company or position you are seeking
Show appreciation for the referral
Find more tips in our previous Mastering Applications event slides.
Grooming and Perfecting!
Resume
Your resume is your marketing tool so it should be representative of your skills and talent. A well-constructed resume has the potential to open doors so take your time to build one that shows your expertise, interests, and achievements. Might we add, have a copy of your resume handy at all times - career fairs, seminars, workshops…you name it!
Find great resume templates here.
Some Specifics
Use a clear font – preferably Helvetica, Arial, Times New Roman, or Calibri
Use a readable font size – preferably between 10 - 12
Use consistent Margins – preferably 0.5 inch to 1 inch
Length – 1 full page for job applications, 2 full pages for academia/research
Make sure your resume is ERROR-FREE and grammatically correct.
Pro tip: Use Grammarly to do a thorough spell-check for free!
Structure of your resume – Header, Summary (optional), Education, Experience, Projects, Skills, Awards
See a detailed breakdown of each of these sections here!
Quick Tips
Did you know about the Automatic Tracking System (ATS)? Companies use ATS systems to assist with the human resources and recruitment process. This is often the first step once you’ve submitted your application
Find some great information on how to tackle the ATS here
Keep your resume fresh, up to date, and relevant to your interests
Make sure to submit your resume in a PDF format with the title "lastname_firstname_resume.pdf" OR a specific format they tell you
Use VMOCK to get your resume checked
Cover Letter
A cover letter is your story to talk about yourself, your interests, your achievements, and how all of those relate to the role you’re applying for. Choose your best words, show off your purpose and tempt the reader to know more about you!
Here’s a comprehensive guide on cover letters.
Some Specifics
Use a clear font – preferably Helvetica, Arial, Times New Roman, or Calibri
Use a readable font size – preferably between 10 - 12
Use consistent Margins – preferably 5 inch to 1 inch
Length – 1-page minimum
Make sure your cover letter is ERROR-FREE and grammatically correct.
Pro tip: Use Grammarly to do a thorough spell-check for free!
What to Include in Yours
Header with the date and contact information
Salutation or greeting
Opening paragraph
Mention job title, specific interest in the position, and what makes you most qualified
Middle paragraph(s)
A brief overview of the background relevant to the position
Closing paragraph
Expand on key achievements and awards
Letter ending and signature
Quick Tips
Express your interests in the company and position, explaining your path
Be sure to elaborate on points made in your resume and how they relate to the job/research qualifications
Always bring it back to how your interests, and qualifications are relevant to the job you are applying to
Use VMOCK to get your cover letter checked
Address to a specific person if possible
Sound enthusiastic about the position and stress what you can give to the team
Make it flow like a story where the reader becomes interested in you
Find more tips in our previous Mastering Applications event slides.
LinkedIn Profile
LinkedIn is an extended resume so take some time to think about your past experiences, get to the real details, and include every relevant information and keyword. Whether to simply build a network of like-minded people, look for candidates who fit a role, or connect with you to know more about your work, people use LinkedIn a lot today. And you don’t want to miss your chance.
Find a LinkedIn guide you can use here.
Make sure to fill all the sections on your LinkedIn profile and keep them up to date
Include a professional-looking profile picture. https://www.photofeeler.com – allows you to optimize your profile picture for free!
Include a good background picture
Ideas for background picture:
Show Yourself at Work
Represent Your Workspace
Feature A Quote
Headline - “Title + College name + Keywords + Zing factor”
Showcase your specialty
Use the right keywords
Make it unique to your profile
‘About me’ section
1st part - A unique line that describes you/your interest
2nd part - A future goal that you are after
3rd part - Evidence of your past achievements
4th part - CTA -> email/relevant contact information
You can add links to your webpage/blog/notable work here as well!
Experience & Education
Use https://monkeylearn.com/word-cloud/ to filter out the relevant keywords from a job description that interests you and add them to your write-up
Ask for recommendations to make your LinkedIn profile more personal
Network, add connections, join groups, post, comment & network some more!
Previous LinkedIn event slides.
Personal Website
The Importance of a Personal Website
A Personal Website has several benefits including but not limited to:
It sets you apart from other applicants
It showcases your individualism
It portrays your passion
It shows what a resume can only tell
Acts as a cover letter that lets you dictate your online presence
Can be personalized to your liking
Allows you to be creative, show your personality
What to Include in Yours
Blurb - An idea of who you are & what you are involved in. It is essentially a response to "Tell me about yourself"
Clubs and organizations - Tangible information, pictures, work you did, proof of contributions. Things that catch the reader's attention
Projects and labs - Show that you know what you are talking about and that you dedicate your time outside of class to academic projects you are passionate about
Internships & research projects - Pictures are key, also include the end of project/internship report
Activities that you are passionate about - What makes you unique? Could be sports, traveling, reading/writing, or any hobby
An interesting background you want to include - If there is an event you draw your passion from or a life-changing experience that has shaped you, feel free to add a page about it!
Some FLARE! - Visuals > text. Include pictures, links, articles, PDFs, videos, themes
Building Your Own Website
Free platforms we use and recommend:
There’s no specific formula. Put what is interesting to you
Don’t let the timeline be a constraint. You don't have to put things just from college.
Don’t feel like you need to add everything if you don’t have enough tangible information or if it’s not too relevant
Plan your website
Gather ALL your information
Select and build your pages
Check your website with a friend before publishing/sharing with recruiters
Check your grammar and language
Want to see some examples of IIT students’ Personal Websites? Click here!
Gather Documents
Order Your Official Transcripts
Find detailed instructions on how to order your transcripts via myIIT here
Letters of Recommendation
Who can you get letters of recommendation from?
Professors, mentors, advisors
Advice on Asking
Start off by explaining why you selected them
Acknowledge that they are busy, but you truly feel they can represent you
Give a clear timeline and deadline and expectations for the letter
Reach out at least a few weeks in advance
Give a summary of what you are applying for
If yes, include a resume/CV and a personal statement if possible
Preferably ask someone you are familiar with
Check in with the writer and remind them of the deadline
Interview Skills
Dress appropriately, how you present yourself in an interview is a form of nonverbal communication.
Dress formal unless otherwise specified by the recruiter
Elevator Pitch: 30-40 second summary of your background and experience that you use to introduce yourself. It generally contains the following points:
Who are you?
What are you currently doing?
What do you want to do?
What do you want to contribute?
Most interviews will have a behavioral section in addition to a section to ask questions specific to your field
The most common behavior question is "Tell me about yourself"
Write out your answers to the behavioral questions in the slide before the interview and practice!
STAR Method for answering behavioral questions
Situation, Task, Action, Result
At the end of the interview, you will usually have time to ask the interview questions. Research the company when coming up with questions
A really good question to ask is "Can you describe someone who has been very successful here and share what you believe made them successful?
Tips from Atomic Habits
Published 1/10/22 | Written by Alisha Khan
Atomic Habits.pdf