How to Search for a Job or Internship
Move through these steps based on where you are in that process. We are here to help every step of the way!
Know Yourself
- Attend an assessment workshop or meet with our certified Coaches. We offer the CliftonStrengths, MBTI, Strong Interest Inventory several times per semester
- Meet with an Exploration Coach to discuss how to identify what you’re looking for and how to get started
- Take a Career Management & Strategy classes (BADM 3001 or IAFF 2040) or a First-Year Experience Course
Get Your Materials Ready
- Utilize all the resumes and cover letter resources offered
- Online presence: Work on your LinkedIn profile, Handshake profile, and social media accounts to enhance your online presence
Know Where to Look
- Handshake is your best tool for finding internships & jobs
- Career Option Sheets for GW majors and concentrations
- See where other GW students have interned or gotten jobs
- Read reviews from other GW students of their internships on Handshake
- Use your free GW access to resources like Traverse Jobs, Firsthand (formerly: Vault), GoinGlobal, and more
- Sign up for one or more of our industry-specific newsletters, which often include internships and jobs, not in Handshake
- Social Media - Follow your favorite employers’ Twitter and LinkedIn feeds, and ours, too! (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter)
- Connect with employers at specialized Career Fairs including NGOs/Non-profits/Government, Public Health, Media & Journalism, STEM, Intelligence Community, and internship focused fairs
- Check out our resources for finding internships and jobs abroad
- Make an appointment with an industry-specific coach
Stay Organized and Keep Track
- Use one of our GW Career Research Trackers
- Reflect on what went well in jobs and internships
- Write your resume bullets for an internship while you are doing it
- Use our Job Search Tracker so you don’t forget to follow up applications, send timely thank you notes after informational and regular interviews, etc.
Network
- Attend our GW Center for Career Services panels, info sessions, and workshops
- Use GW Career Connect, GW’s student and alumni networking platform, to build relationships with alumni and graduate students
- Attend GW Alumni-Undergraduate Networking events
- Do Informational Interviews
- Connect to classmates, friends, supervisors, fellow interns, alumni, recruiters you’ve met at career fairs, event speakers, and others on LinkedIn
Keep revising, practicing, and improving
- Take a Career Management & Strategy Course (BADM 3001 or IAFF 2040)
- Prepare for interviews
- InterviewStream: GW students have free access!
- Workshops: personal pitch, interview basics, etc.
- Mock Interview appointments
- Identify the Professional Competencies you excel in and what you want to enhance