DePaul University Career Center Blog

DePaul Career Center Remote Resources

We know the world can seem like an overwhelming place at the moment. We are here to help. Schedule an appointment to meet with us virtually and check out the resources included below.

Career Advising Appointments

Career advising appointments are still available and currently being held virtually via phone or Zoom. Schedule an appointment to review your resume, discuss your career pathways, prepare for an interview and more!

Zoom Drop-In Coaching

Mon: 9:00am -5:30pm, T/W/Th: 9:00am-7:00pm,
F: 9:00am-5:00pm, Sun: 12:00-4:00pm
Our Peer Career Coaches are now offering drop-in coaching sessions for DePaul students and alumni. Peers can review your resume or cover letter, provide general career guidance, and answer questions about Handshake, LinkedIn and other Career Center resources.

Searching for a job or internship?

Handshake is our career platform and employers are posting there every day! 80% of students with updated profiles get contacted by recruiters.

Career Resource Library

Check out our library of over 50 handouts on a wide variety of career topics, ranging from preparing for a video interview to tailoring your resume and cover letter for a specific role. Our most popular handout is Resume Basics!

Website Chat

Have a quick question about how to make an appointment? Need help locating a resource? We’re available to chat on our website Monday – Friday from 9am – 5pm.

Alumni Sharing Knowledge (ASK)

Social distancing doesn’t mean disconnecting! Search for and connect with over 1,500 alumni volunteers for career, academic and life advice on the DePaul ASK network.

Thank You to Our Student Employees Who Have Continued to Work On Campus This Past Year

This year has been full of unexpected twists and turns and has required our student employees to adapt in unexpected ways. Now, more than ever, they have stepped up to the plate to do what must be done.

This year, during National Student Employment Week #DePaulNSEW2021, we’d like to take a minute to acknowledge and thank all the student employees who have continued to work on campus this past year to keep DePaul’s essential services running. Here are just a few examples:

**Sid Maurya**
*Front Desk Receptionist in the Housing Department*

As a Front Desk Receptionist in the Housing Department, Sid Maurya has regular contact with students living in the residence halls while he checks their IDs and enforces housing policies. However, with the masks and Plexiglass partitions, Sid is able to complete his job safely.

“Thankfully, DePaul Housing Operations has been able to successfully carry out in-person work by taking proper precautionary measures and making a safe work environment for its employees.”

**Meg Moore**
*Lab Specialist at the Idea Realization Lab*

As a lab specialist in the Idea Realization Lab, Meg plays a key role in developing and conducting equipment training and authorization sessions. She also hosts craft workshops for students and visitors to the Makerspace. In addition to her normal responsibilities, Meg helped the alumni relations team this year by making custom masks for DePaul alumni.

“Working on campus gave me a sense of normalcy that I needed this year. I was excited to see my coworkers again. Even though the campus overall was quiet, I had great interactions with the building staff and other student employees.”

**Ally West**
*Entrance Attendant at The Ray*

Ally West has been working in Membership Services and as an Entrance Attendant at The Ray for a year and a half now. She helps with membership sign up and providing information to patrons as well as checking people in and checking out equipment. Cleaning responsibilities have also been added to Ally’s role due to COVID-19.

“I transferred to DePaul at the start of my Junior year, so I have been so thankful to be working at the Ray because it has given me on-campus experience that I would not have gotten otherwise during the pandemic. Our student employees and professional staff are just amazing and I don’t know what I would have done without those friends and community at The Ray.”

**Rachel Stansberry**
*Fitness Floor Supervisor at The Ray*

At The Ray, Rachel Stansberry works as an Entrance Attendant and a Fitness Floor Supervisor. Though she started there as a freshman, she moved into her current roles after the first pandemic-related shutdown of the facility. Part of her job is to make sure the patrons of The Ray are following COVID-19 policies, like reminding them to wear their masks properly.

“I’ve found that working on campus this past year has been refreshing. It provides me with a social life that I am unable to achieve elsewhere during a pandemic, so it was definitely nice to be able to talk to people in person again. While at times it can be stressful because of the random closures or new policies, I am glad I have been able to work in the past year.”

**Hector Cervantes**
*Facilities Assistant in the Housing Department*

Hector has been working as a Facilities Assistant in the Housing Department for two years now for which he facilitates residence hall move-ins by providing residents their keys once they move in. Due to the pandemic, move-ins were contactless this year for residents who needed to quarantine. For Hector’s team, this meant appointment-only move-ins and key pick-ups with masks and social distancing.

“I feel safe working on campus with all of the measures that are in place for safety and having some sense of community on campus with the team.”

DePaul Career Center April Programming

We are excited to share our April 2021 programming schedule below! These regularly scheduled virtual events and workshops will help you stay on top of your career goals, gain new skills and navigate the ever-changing job market.

Mark your calendars: The Virtual Spring Career Fair is on April 8th!

Our career advisors are also available remotely for one-on-one appointments and tailored advice.

Register for the **Spring Career Fair** on **April 8th**

Register for **ASK Oasis** on **April 5th**

Apr 14: Careers in Film

Apr 20: Careers In Cybersecurity

Apr 21: CEO

Apr 29: Physician’s Assistant (PA)

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Screen-Shot-2021-01-04-at-4.21.28-PM-copy-1024x190.png

Apr 12: Social Media Strategy & Nonprofits

Apr 13: CITI Training & Research Careers

Apr 6: How to: Serve in the Peace Corps

Apr 6: DePaul Design Internship Program Presents: Design Portfolio Showcase

Apr 9: Finding & Interviewing for Research Opportunities

Apr 20: Women in STEM Virtual Panel Discussion

Apr 23: Make $ Traveling

Apr 29: Center for Sales Leadership Alumni Panel

Technology Internships for 1st and 2nd Year Students

Google Summer of Code

Spend your summer break writing code and learning about open source development while earning a stipend with the Google Summer of Code! Accepted students work with a mentor and become a part of the open source community. Many become lifetime open source developers! Google Summer of Code is open to post-secondary students, age 18 and older in most countries.

Google Engineering Practicum

This is a 12-week developmental opportunity for first and second-year undergraduate students with a passion for technology—especially students from historically underrepresented groups including women, Native American, Black, Latino, Veteran and students with disabilities. Google’s internship offers the opportunity to work on a software project alongside other EP interns and full-time Googlers, and gives you the chance to bridge the gap between academic understanding and practical professional experience.

Facebook University

Facebook University (FBU) for Engineers is a paid eight-week training program designed to provide mobile development experience to students who are historically under-represented in computer science.

The eight-weeks is broken down by three-weeks of mobile development training in either iOS or the duration of the program you’ll be paired with a Facebook Engineer who will serve as your mentor and guide you along the way.

Twitter Academy

Twitter Academy is a paid 12-week summer internship program designed for second-year students interested in gaining hands-on and real-life experience in the tech industry. Throughout the summer, interns participate in bi-weekly workshops and mentorship geared to sharpen your technical skills and cultivate your professional development. This program is for historically underrepresented (black, Latinx and/or Native American) students in Tech.

Amazon Future Engineer

A comprehensive childhood-to-career program to inspire, educate, and train children and young adults from underserved and low-income communities to pursue careers in computer science.

Explore Microsoft

This is a 12-week summer internship program specifically designed for students in their first or second year of a bachelor’s degree program and provides the opportunity to experience the main phases of the product development cycle: Design, Build and Quality. This program is designed to encourage your interest in in computer science, computer engineering, or a related technical discipline.

The Explore Internship is intended for students who are beginning their academic studies and would like to learn more about careers in software development through a learning program. Interns will gain group project experience working alongside other Explore Interns. Your on-the-job learning will be enhanced with mentoring, community building and networking opportunities.

Discover’s Sophomore Programs

Discover’s internship programs just scored amongst the highest in Vault’s 2018 Best Financial Internships. They help students accelerate their career after graduation with real-world, corporate experiences and the added perks of working for a top financial services firm, such as frequent opportunities to network with senior leaders and the chance to receive pre-graduation career advice from their managers and other industry experts.

American Express

This is a 12 week Summer Internship Program at American Express. Whether you’re studying to get your undergraduate or graduate degree, as an intern in our New York, Phoenix or Ft. Lauderdale offices, you’ll work on important projects with leaders who will encourage you as you create your unique career journey.

MCKINSEY SOPHOMORE DIVERSITY LEADERS ACADEMY (SDLI)

McKinsey’s SDLI program is designed for second-year students to gain experience with consulting. Students will work in one of McKinsey’s offices for 10 weeks to help serve clients, build new skills and participate in social activities. Much of the focus is on learning and personal development.

CREDIT SUISSE AMERICAS DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION PROGRAMS

Credit Suisse has specific diversity programs that offer diverse candidates (for example, students who are female, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino) the opportunity to learn about the financial industry and specifically, what it’s like to work at Credit Suisse. They offer both a Sophomore Diversity Program and a Women’s Mentor Program.

MORGAN STANLEY FRESHMAN ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM

The Freshman Enhancement Program provides Black, Hispanic, Native American and LGBT+ students the opportunity to experience Morgan Stanley culture first-hand. Participating divisions include Wealth Management, Global Capital Markets, Investment Banking, and Sales & Trading and Research. They encourage students of all majors and disciplines to apply.

Selected candidates participate in a paid program at their offices in New York City before June and based on participant availability (exact timing of the program to be determined). The program includes valuable training, networking opportunities and exposure to Morgan Stanley professionals across businesses.

Meet Juliann Krupa, Coordinator of Guest Engagement & Learning Programs Specialist at John G. Shedd Aquarium

The Health Care & Science (HCS) Career Community wants to introduce students to a wide range of careers. Students may be familiar with popular clinical roles (e.g., nurse, physician, veterinarian), but less familiar with jobs like healthcare data analytics, health administration, or biotech research.

Today, we want to highlight a science educator at Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium. In a virtual interview, Debbie Kaltman (HCS Employer Engagement Specialist) met with Juliann Krupa (DePaul ‘20, MS in Science Education) to share her educational and career journey, her current role as a Learning Programs Specialist, and advice for students interested in science education.

Juliann had many experiences in the museum industry to gain knowledge of animal care and conservation work. Through these opportunities, she discovered her passion for interacting with learners of all ages. As an informal educator, Juliann designs and implements different projects and programs for the aquarium and interacts with new guests of all ages and backgrounds. She finds teaching and learning from museum guests to be very rewarding.

Juliann shared her insights on informal education: “Being in informal education is a great way to test out if you would like to teach. If you’re not necessarily interested in teaching in the formal classroom, there are all kinds of opportunities at museums, forest preserves, and historical houses. There are a lot of opportunities in areas that are perhaps not ones you might think of right at the top of your head.”

Check out the full video below to learn more!

Resources:

Shedd Aquarium

Work at Shedd

Internships

How to Make a Good Impression in a Virtual Job Interview

Follow this guide to prep and perfect your video interview skills.

Guidance Provided By: The Handshake Team

There’s no question that for many job-seekers, interviewing is the most intimidating part of the process. But what if you could do it from the comfort of home? For many employers, virtual interviewing is the future—whether you live far away or need to interview remotely for another reason, video conferencing is an easy fix that many companies utilize when meeting candidates “face to face.”

While video interviewing doesn’t allow for some tried-and-true methods for making a good impression, like giving a firm handshake, there are many ways to wow your potential boss from behind a screen. Simply follow this guide to prep and perfect your video interview skills.

Prepare in advance

Be sure to do your research on the employer ahead of time! Log into Handshake and check out their profile, read reviews from peers who’ve worked or interned there, and scope out recent news coverage of the organization for developments. The better equipped you are to ask thoughtful questions, the smoother your conversation will go throughout the interview.

Also use this time to review your resume and the job description, and consider how your past experience might help you exceed in the role. Having this information fresh in your mind will help you feel more confident during the video call.

Show up on time

This is one of the easiest ways to start things off on the right foot: show up on time! While you don’t need to log on 15-minutes early like you would when arriving for an in-office interview, definitely enter the video chat promptly at the set start time. To ensure that everything goes smoothly, make sure that you’ve got the correct software loaded (if necessary), and consider a test call with a trusted friend to work out any kinks in your connection.

Dress for success, even remotely

Make sure that you look polished and professional — at least up top. (The beauty of video calls is that nobody will know if you wear sweatpants with your Oxford shirt and tie!) Consider a button-up shirt or blouse, and be sure to groom just as thoughtfully as you would for an in-person meeting. Not only will this help you make a great impression with your interviewer, but wearing clothes that make you feel confident will also help you get your head in the game!

Think about your background

You probably wouldn’t invite your future boss over to your house if it were strewn with socks, right? So don’t let them see that on video! Find a clean, quiet area of your living space where you can take the call. Be sure to speak with any housemates in advance to ensure that nobody will walk behind you or make loud noises while you’re in the middle of discussing your professional strengths and weaknesses.

Make “eye contact” with the camera

If it helps, consider putting some googly eyes next to your webcam to remind you to look directly at it throughout the call. This gives the appearance of making eye contact, not distractedly staring at your screen! Making eye contact, even if through a laptop, helps foster a sense of genuine connection and attentiveness; it can make all the difference when trying to hit it off with your interviewer.

Stay focused and visibly engaged

One way to show your interviewer that you’re motivated and engaged is by practicing active listening. Consider nodding your head to give affirmations of understanding while they talk, and asking clarifying questions when necessary. Also, take hand-written notes! Keep a notebook nearby so that you can jot down questions or key takeaways from the interview without having to disrupt the flow of the conversation with loud typing.

Don’t rely on a cheat sheet, but be prepared

If relevant, be prepared to share your portfolio or examples of work to your interviewer; keep some tabs at the ready and offer to share your screen if the topic comes up. Also, come to the interview with questions that you’d like to ask your interviewer. This shows initiative and genuine interest. (You can find some good examples for interview questions here.)

Remember to stay responsive after you wave goodbye

After you end your call, be sure not to “ghost” your interviewer. Download the Handshake app to ensure that you respond to recruiter messages promptly, and check your email at least twice per day to stay abreast of any outreach or next steps that might land in your inbox!

With these tips in your back pocket, you’ll have all the keys to succeed in your video interview. Now all you have to do is find the right opportunity! Check out this helpful advice for finding a job or internship online, and discover ways to make the most of a remote internship once you’ve got an offer.

How I Got This Job: Foreign Service Officer

Caroline Savage is a career Foreign Service Officer who served most recently as Director of the U.S. Department of State’s Foreign Press Center.

As a non-resident fellow at Georgetown’s Institute for the Study of Diplomacy, her focus is diverse diplomacy leadership in foreign affairs, a project she began during her tenure as Virginia and Dean Rusk Fellow at ISD from 2018-2019.Prior to Georgetown, she served as Public Affairs Officer at U.S. Embassies Azerbaijan and Mozambique. In Washington assignments, she was Director for Russia and Central Asia on the National Security Council and Political-Military Officer in the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Russian Affairs. She also served previously in Belarus and Luxembourg. A native of Wisconsin, she graduated from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, then received master’s degrees in Russian, East European and Central Asian Studies and Political Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her languages are French, Russian, Portuguese and Azerbaijani. She is currently in Kazakh language training for her next job as Consul General in Almaty, Kazakhstan, this summer.

Line of Work / Career Journey

The foreign service generalist track houses specialties in political, economic, public diplomacy management and consular cones. The traditional path is you sign up to be a Foreign Service Generalist, and you’re typically sent overseas to begin your career at one of the 270+ embassies or consulates around the world. The work you’ll be doing involves representing U.S. interests abroad, putting a human face on American interests and policy, and forging relationships with local people.

Savage spoke about her first two years on the job and the time she spent overseas in Luxembourg. She reflected on the large workload and political portfolio she managed, as well as the meetings and issues she tackled while there. Savage explained the series of tests one must take to get their foot in the door to do foreign service. After she passed her tests, there was still a long process to receive her health and security clearance, during which she completed her Master’s. As an undergrad, Savage studied abroad in Russia, taught, and secured as many internships as she could. Her main goal was to gain as much experience as she could in whatever form it was available to her.

Application and Hiring Process

The big components are the written exam and the qualitative evaluation panel to basically look at your resume and your written products and decide whether you’re invited to the oral exam. Therefore, the written and oral exam are the big components. If you pass those, then you have to go through the process of receiving your health and security clearance, which can take several years.

Skills / Experience / Advice

If you’re interested in joining the foreign service, take the written test sooner rather than later, because you may have a couple years, like I did, between taking the test and actually starting the career.
Be aware, engaged, and informed about what’s happening in the world.
Re-read the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, so you know which amendments are which.
Sharpen your oral and written communication skills – be concise, clear, and compelling in your writing.
Be able to distinguish yourself professionally and experientially from other applicants in the oral exam and group sessions (leadership and collaboration skills).
Take practice exams, gain experience with local organizations such as the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, network with industry professionals in the Midwest.
If you don’t pass the Foreign Service Exam the first time, it’s no big deal. Savage knew several people who passed the 5^th time or the 8^th time

Websites and Resources