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.

In Case You Missed It: Business Not as Usual Event

At the “Business Not As Usual” event May 12, the BEC community welcomed four of our great alumni to share the strategies they employed in clinching their respective jobs during the pandemic. If you couldn’t attend it, you can watch the recording of the event here:

You can also learn more about our alumni panelists through their LinkedIn profiles below, who graciously agreed that we could all connect with them.

Michelle Andrea Gaines, Northern Trust, Vice President | Sr. Product Manager/Developer at Northern Trust Corporation
Christina Fernandez, Echo Global Logistics, Campus Recruiter
Genevieve Kabemba, 3M, Global eCommerce Marketing Analyst
Shannon Parker, Zurich North America, Actuarial Analyst

While the pandemic marked a period of many uncertainties for both job seekers and employers, Shannon said she learned to not lose hope despite the uncertainty, and it paid off eventually. Though, it was a challenge it was for her to switch to remote work mode as she was just getting to know her new colleagues at work before the pandemic really took a turn.

To stand out from the competition during the job search, Michelle mentioned that she curated a portfolio summary of her body of work in addition to her resume. She also emphasized how important it is that new hires prove their worth early in the job. In other words, don’t assume your new colleagues know your capabilities well enough.

When asked what the panelists wish they would have done differently in their remote jobs, Genevieve stated that she would take more advantage of the online employee resources like yoga classes offered during her internship and utilize the time to enhance her wellbeing. Christina said she would get more involved with the different employee resources groups at work in order to network strategically.

Finally, when asked about how they would like to return to work, they all agreed that a good mix of both remote and in-person work would go a long way, and employers would do well to remain flexible on this topic.

How I got this job: Valentina Djordjevic Physician’s Assistant

During Spring Quarter 2021, the Health Care & Science Career Community team sat down with DePaul students to learn about the educational and career journey of DePaul alum, Valentina Djordjevic (Health Sciences, ‘16). After completing the Physician’s Assistant (PA) program at Rosalind Franklin University, she is now a PA-C at Able Psychiatry. Valentina shared her story of gaining research, work, volunteer, and clinical experiences while at DePaul, deciding to pursue a career as a PA, her current job responsibilities, and her future career goals. In this event, Valentina highlighted what being a PA means to her and the importance of pursuing your passions.

Words of wisdom from Valentina Djordjevic

Valentina on deciding to become a PA:

“For me it was pretty easy to be a PA because it was quick. Two years seemed pretty doable for me. It offered me the opportunity to work in multiple specialties which I liked at that time because I wasn’t exactly sure that I wanted to be in psychiatry. The GRE also seemed more doable than the MCAT for me. I also liked that there wasn’t a residency requirement for PA school. I really liked that I could get this degree and then start working right away. I wanted to stay in the sciences. I wanted to help people. I wanted to be financially independent and be able to have a good income. I think it was a pretty easy decision for me to go into the PA track.”

Valentina on the importance of mentoring for a PA:

“A piece of advice about post-PA school is that you really want to find a job where you will be taught. There are a ton of opportunities for PAs out there, and they seem really appealing. They’re going to throw a lot of money at you, and just be careful that they don’t throw you out to the wolves because PA school is really fast. You’re getting this degree with the hope that you’ll be trained really well at your first job, but if you aren’t, you’re gonna have a huge stunt in your growth. It’s really important to have a mentor: someone that you can ask questions to, someone that is expecting you to not know what you’re doing. If it’s a good growth opportunity, that might be better than a more appealing pay stub at the end of the day because if you get good training, you can go anywhere.”

How I got this job: Nia Hurst Research Biologist

During Winter Quarter 2021, the Health Care & Science Career Community team sat down with DePaul students to learn about the educational and career journey of DePaul alumna Nia Hurst (’14). From an Environmental Sciences major to working as a Research Biologist in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Nia shared her story of getting involved at DePaul, gaining experience with research labs, and her current job responsibilities. In this event, she highlighted the power of networking because the connections she made opened doors to so many opportunities.

Words of wisdom from Nia

Nia on building her network and maximizing connections:

“I think it’s really true that you have to expand your network and connect with people to let them know what you’re interested in. Expressing what your interests are to as many people as you can like your advisor and other graduate students. I would also really recommend going to events like conferences, luncheons, and other networking events.”

Nia on the primary responsibilities of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers:

“When there is a regional issue that needs to be addressed (e.g., wetland development to offset phosphorus pollution, mangrove forest development to alleviate hurricane impact), we conduct longitudinal research studies on best practices for that regional development project. There are a lot of different projects. It’s applied research that you do for the sake of knowledge.”

Nia on the diversity of scientific roles available in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers:

“I’m a research biologist, but we work with engineers, statisticians, computer specialists. There’s a lot of people to build out a team with, a lot of opportunities for a lot of different types of scientists.”

Employer Spotlight: Michael Reynolds (MPA ’21) at HealthJoy

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.

HealthJoy is an app that aims to improve the healthcare experience by guiding users to accessible professionals and resources. In this interview, Debbie Kaltman (HCS Employer Engagement Specialist) spoke with Michael Reynolds (MPA ‘21) to learn about his educational and career journey, his insights to students about making career changes, and his current role as a Customer Success Operations Manager.

Michael’s passions for learning as much as he can, building relationships with people, and supporting others have helped him grow in his professional goal of being a public servant. His career journey brought him to different professional industries — including theatre (fun fact: Michael has a BFA in Playwriting!), retail sales, and healthcare — and they all allowed him to explore his broader passions. As a Customer Success Operations Manager, Michael analyzes customer data and feedback to solve problems, improve their services, and help build the platform. This data-centered role is a professional pivot from Michael’s previous work in customer relations and success, but he views it as an opportunity to continue learning. Michael continues to seek experiences where he can build meaningful relationships and help others.

Michael’s advice to current students: “What you study in undergrad does not dictate what your career will look like. Taking advantage of the communities around you can be helpful. Volunteer, network… see what’s going on in the world around you, and see where your passions take you!”

Resources for Diverse Job Searching

When choosing where to apply, it’s important not only to find a role you’d enjoy, but also a company where you feel welcome and represented. At May 7th’s “Culture & Careers: A Job Search Summit for Underrepresented Students,” Career Center advisors and ambassadors shared lists of the top diversity employers, diversity job boards and some of the top ranked companies for diversity in Illinois. Explore the lists and maybe find the next step in your career path while you’re at it!

Employer Lists

Forbes – America’s Best Employers for Diversity

Forbes partnered with market research company Statista to survey 50,000 Americans working for businesses with at least 1,000 employees and pinpoint the companies they identified as being most dedicated to diversity, equity and inclusion. The final list ranks the 500 employers that not only received the most recommendations, but also boast the most diverse boards and executive ranks, as well as the most proactive diversity and inclusion initiatives. Features of the list include searching nationally or by state and links to company profiles.

Diversity Jobs – Top Diversity Employers 2021

Diversity Jobs has compiled a list of employers who value diversity and inclusion in the workplace. These organizations have shown consistent outreach and dedication to recruiting and hiring from all diversity groups. The list is categorized into 25 industries.

Fortune – The 100 Best Workplaces for Diversity

Fortune’s list of best workplaces for diversity provides detailed information on 100 companies. Details include percentages of various underrepresented groups including minoritized groups, women, people with disabilities and lgbtq. Other features include links to company profiles and “Great Places to Work” reviews.

Diversity Job Boards

Top Illinois Companies for Diversity

Company	Industry
JLL	Business Services & Supplies
Zurich North America	Insurance
Grainger	Retail & Wholesale
AbbVie	Drugs & Biotechnology
U.S. Cellular	Telecommunications Services & Cable Supplier
Brunswick	Engineering & Manufacturing
Ann & Robert H. Lurie’s Children’s Hospital of Chicago	Healthcare & Social
Ulta Beauty	Retail & Wholesale
Exelon	Utilities
Discover Financial Services	Banking & Financial Services
BMO Harris Bank	Banking & Financial Services
Adtalem Global Education	Education
DuPage Medical Group	Healthcare & Social
Rush University Medical Center	Healthcare & Social
YMCA of the USA	Travel & Leisure
Baxter International	Drugs & Biotechnology
Boeing	Aerospace & Defense
US Foods	Food, Soft Beverages, Alcohol & Tobacco
Allscripts Healthcare Solutions	Healthcare Equipment & Services
Gallagher	Insurance
Motorola Solutions	Aerospace & Defense
Caterpillar	Engineering & Manufacturing
R.R. Donnelley & Sons	Media & Advertising
Conagra Brands	Food, Soft Beverages, Alcohol & Tobacco
Advanced Technology Services	Business Services & Supplies
Hyatt Hotels	Travel & Leisure
BDO USA	Professional Services
Abbott Laboratories	Healthcare Equipment & Services
Deere & Company	Automotive & Suppliers
United Airlines	Transportation & Logistics
Walgreens	Retail & Wholesale

DePaul Career Center May Programming

We are excited to share our May 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 Interview Day is on May 21st!

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