General Questions
Q. Will the Fall 2020 Application Process change now that interviews will be held virtually?
While interviews for fall 2020 will all be taking place virtually, the application and signup process will still be conducted via Crimson Careers. Students will not be eligible to interview if they do not apply for the position through Crimson Careers.
Q. Can employers see the saved document titles on Crimson Careers?
Employers cannot "browse" or see any portion of your Crimson Careers profile apart from those specific documents that you actively submit to them. However, once you submit an application, an employer can see the submitted documents, including the document title. Therefore, name your documents carefully. For example, you do not want to send a document called “Consulting Letter” to a nonprofit organization!
Q. How do I attach my GPA or SAT scores?
If an employer requests GPA and/or SAT scores, simply include them in your resume. A separate document is not necessary. See the resume section of the OCS website for some examples. If you are missing some grades on your transcript, whether it is because a professor is late turning in grades or some other reason, you must calculate your GPA omitting the missing grades, even if the professor has told you what the grade will be. See below for more information about your Unofficial Transcript.
Q. Why is the employer asking me to apply on their website in addition to Crimson Careers?
Some employers, whether for legal or tracking purposes, require students ALSO to complete applications through the organization’s website. If an online application is required, the employer's web address will be given, and you MUST complete BOTH the online application at the company website AND the Crimson Careers application to be considered for a campus interview.
Q. How do I make changes to my OCS Recruiting Program application?
To make any changes to an existing OCS Recruiting Program application, you must withdraw your application and resubmit with the corrected and/or new documents. Changing the documents within your document tab on Crimson Careers does not change the documents in your submitted application(s). For this reason, we recommend that you think of your application as something FINAL that you have mailed out. You can withdraw without penalty as long as you have time to resubmit before the deadline, but we caution that you give yourself ample time. DO NOT withdraw after the deadline unless you are withdrawing your candidacy altogether. You will not be able to reapply at all if you withdraw after the deadline. See the "How to Change/Withdraw an Existing Application" section above for more details.
Q. Is it okay to apply to multiple divisions or multiple positions at one organization?
Yes, you can apply to more than one division or position. However, keep in mind that it is in your best interest to tailor your application materials to each opportunity. That way, you both increase your chances for each position AND demonstrate that you are not just applying indiscriminately. Remember, the job or internship search is not a numbers game; it is about finding and demonstrating “fit.”
Cover Letter Questions
Q. How do I know if a cover letter is required on Crimson Careers?
When you click the “Apply” button on the right-hand side of a position description, all the required documents appear in the “Apply Box.”
Q. If a cover letter is not required, should I submit one anyway?
For OCS Recruiting Program positions, no, and the OCS RecruitingProgram system will not let you submit one. However, note that if an employer is asking you ALSO to apply through their own organizational website, they may ask you to submit a cover letter (or answer application questions) through their site even if they do not ask for a cover letter via Crimson Careers. For non-Recruiting Program positions, you should also generally follow instructions, but you may add a cover letter if you have a compelling reason why it would add value to your candidacy. NOTE: For OCS Recruiting Program positions, all documents listed in the "apply" section are considered required documents.
Q. To whom do I address my cover letter?
Unless there is a separate contact listed somewhere in the body of the position description, you should use the contact information posted on Crimson Careers. You can find the correct contact person's name on the bottom of the position description in Crimson Careers. Make sure that you spell the person's name correctly! If you do not find a contact name, “To Whom It May Concern” is sufficient.
Q. What should I say in my cover letter?
Your cover letter is your chance to demonstrate how your skills and interests fit with the specific opportunity, employer, and industry to which you're applying. It should demonstrate that you have carefully read the position description and can explain how you would contribute in that role. Also see the cover letter section of the OCS website.
Q. How do I get my cover letter reviewed at OCS?
OCS drop-in hours are the easiest way to get a cover letter reviewed at OCS. Simply bring a copy of your cover letter to OCS, Monday through Friday, 1:00-4:00pm. You can come back as often as you need. If you make an appointment with an OCS adviser to review cover letters, plan to have two or three documents with you to fill the 30-minute appointment.
Unofficial Transcript Questions
Q. How do I upload my "Unofficial Transcript" for applications in Crimson Careers?
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There are multiple ways to access your “unofficial transcript.” Most students are familiar with accessing it from the my.harvard.edu "Student Home" page. Navigate to the Student Home page > Grades > and then select the "view unofficial transcript" link.
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PRINT to .PDF the first page of your “Unofficial Transcript”/Student Record (requires Adobe Acrobat Pro, which is available on the computers at OCS, your House, and the Harvard computer labs).
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If you are away from campus and do not have access to Adobe Professional, then you may take a screenshot of the first page of your transcript and save the image file in order to remove the encryption.
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Login to Crimson Careers and upload the PDF of your transcript from the “Documents” tab.
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ALWAYS preview your documents from the “Documents” tab to make sure they are uploaded properly.
Q. Can I really use my Unofficial Transcript from my.harvard.edu or my Student Record, or do I need to order an official transcript?
Sometimes students are concerned about using their Unofficial Transcript from my.harvard.edu or their Student Record because it is not an "official" transcript, but it is absolutely recommended and expected by employers. Realize that employers are asking for an unofficial transcript, and the moment you open any Registrar's document and convert it to a .pdf it becomes unofficial. Even though the Student Record does not have the full course titles, the vast majority of transcripts are reviewed by Harvard alums who understand the course shorthand.
Q. Do I really need to *print* to pdf my Student Record/Unofficial Transcript?
YES! If you attempt just to save to PDF your Student Record/Unofficial Transcript from the registrar's website directly, it will still have security encryption that prevents the employer from batch printing the documents after the deadline. The PDF will LOOK fine to you in Crimson Careers, but when the employer tries to PRINT their huge stack of Harvard applications to copy and distribute to reviewers, your transcript will be blank.
Q. What if my transcript has a missing grade because my professor has not finished grading?
Employers are accustomed to seeing the occasional missing grade given the timing of internship hiring and the delay that sometimes occurs when students return from studying abroad. Remember that employers want to see your transcript because they care as much about the courses you’ve taken as the grades you’ve earned, so include the most up-to-date version of your document, even if it is missing grades. Calculate your GPA omitting the courses that do not yet have grades. Feel free to email the recruiter(s) an updated version of your transcript when it is complete.
Q. What if my transcript has an ABS (Harvard’s version of an incomplete) because I had to postpone a final?
In these cases, we instruct students to calculate their GPA without this course and indicate something resembling the following on their resume: "(omits one ABS course pending make-up exam in February)." All employers are emailed in advance notifying them that they might see resumes with this indication. Plan to email the recruiter(s) an updated version of your transcript when it is complete.
Q. What if I want to make a note about something, like a missing grade, on my transcript?
DO NOT make any notes or alterations to your Student Record or transcript. Altering your Harvard transcript could be construed as misrepresenting your Harvard record, which is an Ad Board offense. If absolutely necessary, you can make a note as the second page of your resume or cover letter, but make it extremely brief. Alternatively, email the recruiter at one of your favorite employers and ask their advice.
