Center for Career Preparation and Employer Engagement


Information for Faculty and Staff

JUST FOR FACULTY & STAFF




The Career Center highly values classroom partnerships. We can offer our assistance to your class in a variety of ways.

  • In-Class Visits: To assist faculty/staff in helping their student’s fine tune their job search and work skills.
  • Resume, Cover Letter, and Mock Interview Reviews: Making a resume and cover letter and/or a mock interview appointment a part of your curriculum is helpful for a variety of reasons.
  • On-Campus Career Fairs: The Career Center hosts on-campus career fairs each semester. We encourage staff and faculty to impress upon students the benefits of attending these fairs from freshman to senior year.
  • Handshake: Handshake is an on-line system where students can create an account and upload their resumes into their profile, which can be viewed by potential employers. Students can also use this system to view and apply for jobs and internships that are posted.
Faculty & Staff Handshake Access

Western Illinois University offers faculty and staff courtesy access on Handshake, our students gateway to job listings, on-campus interviews, career fairs, and more.

To gain access, please complete the request form and user agreement linked below. Your account remains active as long as you log in at least once a year. For questions, contact the Center for Career Preparation and Employer Engagement at (309) 298-1838 or via email at careers@wiu.edu.

Handshake Request Form and User Agreement

Please go to Request an Outreach Program and complete the form to host a program. In order to better serve students, we request that you contact the office before requiring a classroom of students to schedule appointments. This is to ensure adequate staffing.

If you have any additional questions please contact us at: careers@wiu.edu




FACULTY ENGAGEMENT MENU

Be a Career Center Partner on an Assignment

Assignment possibilities:

  • Resume and cover letter building
  • Career Fair attendance
  • Job searching
  • Inverview preparation (mock interviews and Big Interview online tool)

Assignments can be assigned, conducted and graded via a rubric (yours or ours), or we can simply tell you they attended our session.


Refer Students to us
  • Email: careers@wiu.edu
  • wiu.joinhandshake.com
  • Utilize our email template

We recognize that students trust their professors and take their advice to heart. To that end, we have developed an email template that you can send to your students reminding and encouraging them to take advantage of the many resources, programs, and events offered by the WIU Career Center. Feel free to edit and/ or add additional content to the email before sending it out. We appreciate your partnership in helping to foster a culture of career readiness at WIU!

EMAIL TEMPLATE

Hi CLASS XX,

An important WIU resource I'd like to remind you of is the Career Center. They can help you explore possible career paths that fit your major and interests, put together a strong resume & cover letter, search for jobs & internships, prepare for interviews and graduate school applications, connect you with employers, and more. Whatever your career goals may be, The Career Center can support you along the way - don't wait until graduation to use them! To schedule an appointment go to wiu.joinhandshake.com. Handshake is a fantastic tool and the #1 place new graduates find jobs. Handshake has thousands of opportunities for internships (and jobs). Research has shown that doing an internship can double your chances of securing a job when you graduate! I highly encourage you to seek out these opportunities during your time at WIU.

WIU Career Center contact information:

wiu.edu/careers
careers@wiu.edu
309-298-1838

Use Our Online Tools and Resources
Handshake
  • Receive staff access
  • Connect with employers
  • Utilize in depth analytics
What Can I Do with This Major?
  • Explore common career paths within majors
Big Interview
  • Utilizes AI technology
  • Create online assignments
Candid Career+
  • Career exploration videos to assist students with choosing a career or major

Encourage Career Fair Attendance
  • October and March each year
  • Receive automated list of who attended and which employer booths they visited
Promote Career Fairs

Host a Career Focused Classroom Presentation
  • Resumes and Cover Letters
  • Interview Skills
  • Handshake, LinkedIn and Job Search
  • Business Communication

Example Syllabus Statements
Example 1

The WIU Career Center helps to connect students with career-focused work experiences and opportunities. The Career Center prepares students during their entire time at WIU. Career Center programs, events, career education courses, and Handshake (your connection to employers) all provide pathways for exploration and encourage professional development and career readiness through informed and values-driven career choices. The WIU Career Center staff and employer partners offer individualized career guidance on job searching, resume building, interviewing, change of major and career navigation as a means to support students as they transition to their next step. Our students leave WIU purposeful and prepared individuals with the skills needed to succeed.

Example 2

This course will provide you with the development of the following essential career readiness skills: (insert relevant skill(s)). These essential skills will help prepare you for future career opportunities including internships, jobs, and graduate school. You can learn more about these skills and how to connect them to your career and apply them to your resume at the WIU Career Center: wiu.edu/careers or go to wiujoinhandshake.com to schedule a Career appointment today! Questions, email the Career Center at: careers@wiu.edu.