Prepare for Your Appointment

Prepare for Your Appointment

Help us help you during your upcoming career advising appointment.  We have included a few tips below for making the most of your meeting based on the type of appointment requested – we look forward to learning more about your interests and career goals! 

APPLICATION MATERIALS FEEDBACK

Resume, Cover Letter, Supplemental Questions, Statement of Purpose, Personal Statement (Internships, Jobs, Graduate School Applications)

Note: students pursuing nationally competitive fellowships and undergraduate research opportunities supported by the College Center for Research and Fellowships (CCRF) should consult the CCRF website and follow specific guidelines and recommendations. Career Advancement does not provide application support, personal statement/essay review, or advising appointments for these opportunities.
  • Review helpful resume and cover letter guides.   Keep an eye out for Career Advancement workshops on Handshake where you can receive guidance and assistance in updating your current draft or creating brand new materials. 
  • Send all application materials that you would like reviewed to your career adviser at least 24 hours prior to your scheduled appointment.  This will allow your adviser adequate time to prepare effective feedback. 
  • Include the internship or job description link so that your career adviser can help you tailor your materials to the specific role and organization. 
  • Include any questions that you have about the application process or required materials so that your career adviser can prepare specific recommendations moving forward. 

INTERVIEW PREPARATION

  • Review the Recruitment Ready Checklist and the Employment Interview Guide and practice (by yourself or with a partner!) using some of the example questions provided prior to your appointment. 
  • UChicago students also have access to Big Interview, an online video interview prep resource and you can leverage the Practice Interview Program
  • Review your application materials and learn as much as you can about the organization and role of interest.  Be prepared to speak about why you are interested in the position and how your previous experiences have prepared you for success in this potential future setting. 
  • Reach out via email to your career adviser with any specific questions that you have in preparing for your interview. 

CAREER EXPLORATION

  • Explore our Career Advancement Virtual Resource Library and Careers In programs to explore and learn more about different roles and trajectories.
  • Sign up for Careers in Listhosts and monitor Events on Handshake to get information about upcoming sessions, workshops, and employer/guest speakers where you will have the opportunity to learn more about different career trajectories, employers, and potential future opportunities. 
  • Explore undergraduate department websites to learn more about what you can do with different majors and ways to get involved in recommended programs. 
  • Conduct informational interviews and network with alums to learn about career trajectories and potential future opportunities using WISR, LinkedIn, and the Alumni Directory. See a helpful guide here! 
  • Your career adviser can help guide effective outreach – reach out to let them know that you would like to discuss this during your appointment and include any specific questions you have.  If you draft correspondence to alumni or organizations of interest feel free to send it to your adviser prior to your appointment to receive feedback and discuss next steps.
  • After researching different roles and opportunities come up with a list of questions and organizations of interest to send to your adviser prior to your appointment to guide your discussion about various career paths. 

IDENTIFYING POTENTIAL FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES (INTERNSHIPS OR FULL-TIME)

  • Sign up for Careers in Listhosts and monitor internship / job postings on Handshake and other job boards) to learn about internship and full-time opportunities in your field of.  Open the spreadsheet included in the Metcalf email listhost to filter results by industry, location, or eligibility. 
  • Explore all of the experiential opportunities Career Advancement has to offer to help you navigate your career journey.
  • Keep in mind recruiting timelines to inform when you should be looking for opportunities during the year. 
  • Explore our Career Advancement Virtual Resource Library and Careers In programs to explore and learn more about different roles and trajectories.
  • Visit websites of organizations of interest to see if they have organized internship programs and how to apply. 
  • Network using platforms such as LinkedIn to expand your search and learn more about other similar potential organizations of interest by visiting employer pages.  

GRANT / FUNDING

1ST YEAR ADVISING

  • Please visit the Career Advancement website for resources and guides as you craft application materials (resume and cover letter), prepare for interviews, or explore career options.  We look forward to meeting with you to learn more about your interests and career goals! 
  • For application review appointments, please send all materials that you would like reviewed to your career adviser at least 24 hours prior to your scheduled appointment.  This will allow your adviser adequate time to prepare effective feedback.