Center for Career Preparation and Employer Engagement
JUST FOR STUDENTS & ALUMNI
Current Students
Western Illinois University's career platform, Handshake, is designed to connect you with employers and peers to assist you in your next career step.
Handshake is the #1 way college students find jobs!
- Activate your profile and…
Build a profile for employers to review - Search jobs/internships by location and industry
- Find on-campus positions
- Connect with employers and receive updates
- Attend events and fairs hosted by an employer or WIU department
To activate your profile today go to: wiu.joinhandshake.com
All you need is your ECom Username & Password!
Alumni
- Alumni have access to all the same services and resources that current WIU students have.
- Log on to your Handshake account (alumni can request access with non-WIU emails) to schedule an appointment.
- For more alumni services through Western Illinois University, visit the Alumni Association website at: www.wiu.edu/alumni/
TOOLS FOR YOUR SUCCESS
Career Clothing Closet - Macomb Campus
The Career Center offers professional clothing at no cost for our students. Feel free to also ask us for lint brushes and wrinkle spray!
Career Clothing Closet Rules
- You will need to schedule an appointment on Handshake.
- Take up to 10 items for free!
- Treat the closet and all contents within with respect.
The Closet - Quad Cities Campus
Location: QC Complex, Building C, Room 2414
- Complete the Request Form. This gives us an idea of what clothes you are looking for and what to select for you.
- Schedule a day/time on the Request Form to review the clothing picked for you.
- Visit The Closet at WIU-QC to review, take, and keep the clothing items!
Additional Information
Internships
Internships are the most important criteria when deciding on new hires, according to a recent national survey. The length of these internships is critical and many employers would like them to be completed during a summer. Employers at Career Fairs often are looking for interns in addition to full-time employees.
International Internships
A unique opportunity for completing an internship is to go through study abroad programs at WIU. Through selected partners, you can gain professional experience by collaborating with corporations and organizations located all around the world. Find out more by contacting the Office of Study Abroad and Outreach, as they will assist you with the application process!
Career Assessments
Career assessments are a common method of exploring career options, interests, values, and personality traits as they relate to careers. The following are some sites that may help with your career explorations.
O*Net - Career Exploration and Job Analysis
Four Year Career Check-List
This checklist is a guide of things you can complete throughout your time at WIU to help prepare you to transition into the workforce after you graduate. Choose which activities you think will be beneficial to you and check them off as you complete them!
Four Year Check List (PDF) | Additional Career Planning Resources (PDF)
Are you considering Graduate School? This is a decision that requires much time, effort, and reflection. Here are some questions you should ask yourself before deciding to apply for graduate school.
- Why do I want to go to graduate school? And why do I want to go now?
- What academic programs match my career goals?
- What type of school do I want to attend and what learning experiences do I want to have there?
- Do I have the academic ability for graduate work?
- Will I be able to afford to go to school full time or part time?
- Do my plans impact anyone important in my life (Spouse, Children, Parents, Significant Others)?
- What type of Personal Statement will I need for my application?
Personal Statement Examples (PDF) | School of Graduate Studies
"LinkedIn is the world's largest professional network on the internet. You can use LinkedIn to find the right job or internship, connect and strengthen professional relationships, and learn the skills you need to succeed in your career. You can access LinkedIn from a desktop, LinkedIn mobile app, or mobile web experience."
Western Illinois University LinkedIn
Handshake
Handshake is Western Illinois University's career platform designed to connect you with employers and peers to assist you in your next career step.
- Build a profile for employers to review
- Search jobs/internships by location and industry
- Find on-campus positions
- Connect with employers & receive updates
- Attend events hosted by WIU through Handshake
- Find employer hosted events
- Sign up for appointments with the WIU Career Center staff
Interviewing: Basic Advice
Here are some brief tips to help prepare you for an interview. These tips are not designed to replace interacting with a Career Center staff member. If you would like further interviewing skills assistance, please log on to Handshake to schedule an appointment or schedule a mock interview. Please bring a hard copy of your resume and possibly a job description.
In an interview, you will be asked a variety of questions. Some interviews last 10 minutes and others might last all day. No matter the length or what they ask, the are trying to determine the following:
"Why do you want to work here"?
The company wants to know why you are interested in working for them. To answer this question, you must do research on the company to understand their mission, services, goals, and future outlook.
"What are you going to do for us"?
The company is hoping to get an idea of what makes you unique and why they should hire you. Do you have the appropriate skills and abilities to complete the daily tasks? Can you prove it?
"Do you fit-in with us"?
This is not a direct question, but rather what they are assessing. You may have all the right answers to the interviewers' questions, but if they feel that you don't fit-in with existing team members, they won't let you into the organization.
Big Interview
A full curriculum of interview prep materials and an interview practice feature that allows you to video record your responses to review and send to others for feedback. Create your FREE Big Interview account today.
Organizational Code Needed for Registration: Leathernecks
Resources and Tools
HOW TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT AT THE CAREER CENTER
- Go to wiu.joinhandshake.com and use your ecom username and password to log in with central sign on.
- First time users will be prompter to accept terms & conditions and start building their frofile, but you can skip this and return later!
- Click 'Career Center' in the upper right hand corner and the click 'Appointments'.
- Click on 'Schedule A New Appointment', then 'Career Center' and scroll to find the type of appointment you need.
- After choosing the appointment type you will be brought to a calendar where you will choose a date and time that works best. Chose a time, add a note, and hit request!
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