Some of the characteristics of a successful job or internship search are very similar to launching a successful new business or venture. Both require taking initiative and being proactive, finding ways to stand out and differentiate yourself, and being resilient and adaptable if your first plan doesn’t come together. Your job or internship search is a "contact sport" where making professional connections will help you through every step of the process.
Job & Internship Search
- Read the OCS Networked Job Search publication (pdf).
- Explore a field through a January Winternship or a site visit/trek to an organization during winter break.
- Read The Harvard Guide to Your Job Search publication.
- Read the OCS Navigating Your Summer publication.
- Attend Career Fairs.
- Search online databases for job or internship listings:
- Use Jobtreks to manage your career exploration, networking, and job search plan.
- Consider Harvard's Campus Interview Program.
- Visit Harvard's Student Employment Office for term-time and summer employment opportunities
- Consider participating in MIT’s OCI Program if you are engineering concentrators (available through a reciprocal arrangement between our two institutions).
- Take stock of the skills you have and those you wish to develop using the OCS Skills Tracker.
- Learn about requests for internship course credit.
- Read the HES Build Your Network publication (pdf).
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Search online databases:
- Crimson Careers, iNet, UCAN.
- Intern Hub (Massachusetts internship listings).
- Vault (career guides and more).
- LinkedIn Volunteer Marketplace.
- Use Jobtreks to manage your career exploration, networking, and job search.
- Consider Harvard's On-Campus Interview Program.
- Attend networking webinars.
- Attend Positioning Your Extension School Degree to Employers webinar.
- Attend Career Fairs.
- Explore ProFellow - a database with 1000+ fellowship programs
- Meet with an adviser
Ready to begin applying for jobs? OCS advisers provide support and resources to help you prepare for and engage in a proactive job search, whether within or beyond academia.
Nonacademic
- Read the OCS Building Connections publication (pdf)
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Attend nonacademic job search workshops, such as:
- Take Control of Your Career
- Resumes and Cover Letters
- Connect at Career Fairs
- Making a Good First Impression
- Behavioral Interviews: The Secret Sauce
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Explore options:
- Versatile Ph.D. (successful job search documents, career transition narratives, career panel discussions)
- Career Pathways (tailored resource for diverse industry clusters, targeted towards undergraduates, but relevant to grad students)
- Vault (career guides and more)
- Attend Career Fairs.
- Search Crimson Careers (OCS online jobs & internships database).
- Use Jobtreks to manage your career exploration, networking, and job search.
- Consider Harvard's Campus Interview Program.
- Explore these useful external links, a compilation of career exploration and job search links for Academic and Nonacademic careers.
- For help with your job/internship strategy, come in to GSAS drop-in advising most Wednesdays from 1-4pm, or schedule an appointment through Crimson Careers.
Academic
- Attend Becoming Faculty workshops.
- Watch the “Going on the Academic Market” tutorial.
- Learn about Interfolio to manage your academic job search materials.
- Explore these useful external links, a compilation of career exploration and job search links for Academic and Nonacademic careers.
