Get hired! 5 tips for maximizing your spring career search

Stanford Career Education will host its Spring Career Fair on April 16 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Throughout the year, CareerEd offers programs, resources, and support for students looking to optimize their job search. (Image credit: Micaela Go)

Looking to jumpstart your job or internship search this spring quarter? Stanford Career Education has five suggestions to help you get started and land the perfect opportunity.

1. Attend the CareerEd Spring Career Fair on Tuesday, April 16, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Spring Career Fair, hosted by CareerEd, is a two-day on-campus event where students can connect with employers who are seeking candidates. Be sure to educate yourself on the employers who will be attending, develop an elevator pitch, and bring copies of your resume.
2. Connect with CareerEd. Meet with career coaches virtually or in person to get support with topics such as job search, writing a resume and cover letter, career exploration, and more. Conduct industry exploration, find career resources, attend our coaching drop-in hours, and check out our CareerEd events. Read the weekly CareerEd Connect newsletters delivered to your inbox, and subscribe to our Stanford Careers listserv for hot jobs. Need funding for an unpaid opportunity? Check out the CareerEd Rising Bird Fellows program.
3. Utilize Handshake. Check out Handshake, Stanford’s career platform offering thousands of opportunities from a wide variety of industries and employers. Complete your profile and make it visible so employers can reach out to you. You’ll also find information about career events and career fairs. Great news for graduating seniors: You can continue to use Handshake after graduation.
4. Network up, but don’t forget to network across. To network up with alumni, check out our Stanford Alumni Mentoring (SAM) program, the LinkedIn Alumni Tool, and the Stanford Alumni Association Directory. To network across, connect with resident assistants, professors, fellow student club members, community centers, and peers. You never know when a connection can lead to an opportunity.
5. Pursue opportunities beyond internships and jobs. There are many other options beyond an internship or job such as volunteering, part-time jobs, project work, classes, research, independent projects, micro-internships, and job shadowing. To find projects, check out SOLO and SAM. Use Forage to try things out, and build up your knowledge and skills through LinkedIn Learning.

For more resources and support, check out careered.stanford.edu and follow us on Instagram @stanfordcareered.