Career Services hosts Job Search Month activities

iSchool Career Services is hosting a special series of Job Search Month events throughout February. In addition to the services offered during the year—including one-on-one consultations, job search assistance, and interview prep—Career Services has a full schedule of activities for students starting their job search, including training on helpful resources and job interview techniques, online chats featuring professionals in various careers, and a site visit to Yahoo! at the University of Illinois Research Park. 

"We developed the first-ever Job Search Month in February of 2016 to help students get a jump start on their job search," said Becky Hodson, career services coordinator.

"Based on the positive student feedback we received, we decided to bring back many of the same programs such as the 'Job Search Quick Chat' series, the Chicago Field Trip/Networking event, and the resume review service we are now calling 'Critique Week.' This year we are hosting even more employer tours and information sessions and look forward to connecting many students to alumni and potential employers."

Job Search Month events, listed below, are open to all current students, no matter where they are in their degree program.

Schedule of events

Champaign Library Lunch
Thursday, February 2, Noon 
Join us for this panel discussion with librarians from the Champaign Public Library where we’ll discuss the ins and outs of applying to public library positions. 

Quick Chat: Government
Thursday, February 9, 5:00-5:45 p.m. 
This Job Search Quick Chat will feature Patricia McGowan, librarian for LAC-Group, a contracting company that fills LIS positions for federal agencies, major corporations, and law firms throughout the United States and abroad. McGowan will discuss her successful job search and provide the opportunity for attendees to ask questions. 

Preparing to Present: The Job Interview
Friday, February 10, 2:00-3:15 p.m.
Many job interviews include giving a presentation on a topic or conducting an instruction session. This session will discuss strategies for negotiating/understanding what is required and tips for a successful presentation.

Critique Week
February 13-17

iSchool Faculty, Librarians, and Information Professionals will be able to review student resumes in one-on-one sessions. Students are encouraged to sign up for a session now. After reserving your appointment, please contact the reviewer to arrange a meeting location.  (Remember these people are kind enough to give their time to help you, so be polite and professional and thank them!) Direct any questions to Michele Plante.

CEB Internship Information Session
Monday, February 13, 4:00 p.m. 
Meet Imran Khan, CEB Director of Big Data Engineering based in Research Park. Mr. Khan and his student staff will discuss their work and employment opportunities for students in big data, taxonomy, and ontology.

Yahoo! Tour
Tuesday, February 14, 4:00 p.m.
Take a tour of Yahoo!, located at the University of Illinois Research Park. The Yahoo! staff focuses on two major projects both involving cloud computing. One team works on the open-source software framework Hadoop, while another works on a data pipeline project processing data from Yahoo! clicks.

Chicago Trip Prep
Wednesday, February 15, Noon
Career Services staff will highlight strategies for getting the most out of networking events, specifically how to prepare for the upcoming Chicago student and alumni networking reception on Friday, February 17.

Quick Chat: Academic Libraries
Wednesday, February 15, 6:00-6:45 p.m. 
This Job Search Quick Chat will feature Kimberly Medema, Collections and Resource Management Librarian at Regis University in Denver, Colorado. Medema will discuss her successful job search and provide the opportunity for attendees to ask questions.

Chicago Field Trips & Alumni Networking
Friday, February 17
Join us on a trip to Chicago where students will be able to tour either The Chicago Field Museum or 1871, Chicago’s Technology & Entrepreneurship Center. Site visits will be followed by a student/alumni meet-up event.

Lunch & Learn: Resilient Cognitive Solutions
Monday, February 20, Noon 
Internship and full-time positions are available through I-Link for students interested in interface design at Resilient Cognitive Solutions (they use the title Cognitive Systems Engineer). Their team is dedicated to providing principle-driven design of human-machine systems with the central focus being creating effective systems that embed user expertise and support decision making.

Quick Chat: School Librarianship
Tuesday, February 21, 5:00-5:45 p.m.
In this Job Search Quick Chat, Amy Phillips, librarian at Riverside Brookfield High School in Brookfield, Illinois, will discuss her successful job search and provide the opportunity for attendees to ask questions. 

Quick Chat: Public Libraries
Wednesday, February 22, 5:00-5:45 p.m.
In this Job Search Quick Chat, alumnus William LaChance (MS ’15), adult services librarian at Alpha Park Public Library in Bartonville, Illinois, will discuss his successful job search and provide the opportunity for attendees to ask questions.

Social Media & Online Career Resources

Connect with students, alums, and find career resources online:

iSchool Careers on Twitter
Follow this Twitter account for job postings, career articles and resources.

iSchool at Illinois Job Hunters on Facebook
This page is for any current student or alum to share and connect with others around job openings.

iSchool at Illinois Linkedin Group
Connect with fellow iSchool students and alumni on Linkedin

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