Student resources

Explore ideas on navigating your future career path, from resume-building to effective networking and everything in between. With the LAS Career Services blog, you'll be prepared to propel your journey forward.

You don’t need to know where you will end up to get started! Contact LAS Career Services for more help.

Student with laptop and iPad open, sitting in front of the Quad-facing side of the Union
How to Avoid Ruling Yourself Out for Internships/Jobs
You qualify for more internships and jobs than you probably realize. Here are some ways to make sure that you’re not ruling yourself out for roles that might suit you:  Don’t be scared off by a job title. Job titles are short, and they are often shaped by factors that have...
Advice Illini success
Student in blue cap and gown raising his arms in the air at graduation ceremony
How to Set Yourself Apart
Students often come to LAS Career with questions about how to set themselves apart in the search for jobs and internships – particularly in the more quantitative and tech-y segments of LAS, where there are abundant openings, but also many other students competing for the same roles. The answer?...
Advice Illini success
students standing in the middle of Memorial Stadium in Illini gear
Seven Things Most New Freshmen Should Know about Preparing for Life after College
Welcome to the U of I! Here are a few important things to know as you get started on this next chapter of your life.  The world of work is carved up by skills, not academic majors. Your major may define who you are as a student, but not what you will...
Le Garçon au gilet rouge, by Paul Cézanne
Rejection. Now What?
It can be hard to see beyond the initial sting of a professional “no” when you are turned down for a research opportunity, an internship, a fellowship, a grad school program, a job.  Rejection happens to everyone, a lot. It doesn’t mean that you have screwed up. Give yourself time to process...
Advice
Student holding a pen, writing a thank-you letter
Writing for Success: Thank You Notes
Thank you notes can help you build relationships as you prepare for your future. Here are some specific situations that often call for a thank you note, and examples of how to craft an effective message. After talking to a recruiter at a career fair.   Differentiate yourself...
Advice Illini success
Student working on computer sitting under a tree on the Quad
Breaking Your Resume
There’s no one right way to write your resume. Helpful formats and guides (we have one, too!) may give the impression that success comes from slotting the correct information into the correct place.  It doesn’t work like...
Student in lab
The Why, How, and When of Summer Internships
If you are looking for a summer internship, you may already be doing the following: Looking for opportunities on Handshake (LinkedIn, Indeed, Idealist…) Applying for the openings you find on Handshake (LinkedIn, Indeed, Idealist…) Looking again...
Advice Illini success
Student on the Quad in the snow
How To Not Have a Plan
You don’t need a plan before you can make use of career services. Maybe you had a plan, but it fell apart. Maybe you have so many goals that you can’t decide which one to plan for. Maybe you like the here-and-now of being a student and don’t feel ready to plan for what happens next. Maybe...
Student speaks to recruiter at career fair
LAS Majors and Research Park (and Answers to Your Questions!)
LAS students are encouraged to attend two upcoming events at Research Park: 1. Research Park Internships: Panel Event in Partnership with Research Park Friday, Feb 16, 12:00-1:00 pm Illini Union, Room 104 Particular focus...
Woman at laptop during the job search
Seniors: Eight Things to Know About the Job Search
1. Different fields and industries hire differently. Keep this essential fact in mind when you compare notes with your friends in other majors. The strategies and timetables that work for them will not work for you if you have different career goals. 2. You don’t have to figure out your future on...
Advice Illini success