Career Advice

When searching for your first job, it’s easy to default to the familiar and only apply to roles you’ve heard of before. But in a tight job market, expanding your search and discovering new role types can make all the difference when it comes to finding the place you want to start your career. That said, you might be unsure of what roles you actually have the skills and qualifications to pursue. To aid in your search, we’ve rounded up a set of roles that you might not have realized you’re qualified for. Many of these roles call for soft skills such as communication, determination, leadership, and willingness to learn, rather than technical or industry expertise. That makes these positions a great option for students coming from adaptable academic backgrounds like liberal arts, humanities, social sciences, or general business. Read on to learn about these different kinds of roles, as well as some examples of companies that hire for them.

You sent in your resume, did an interview (or two or three), and a few days later you get an email back saying you got the internship. You’re excited and you start telling your friends and your parents what you might be doing this summer or semester. But, let’s take a step back – the initial excitement over receiving an offer can often overshadow any downsides about the position. Before you send an excited acceptance email back, it’s important to evaluate a number of factors about the offer before making a final decision.

For many college students, a career in technology seems unattainable without a four-year degree in Computer Science or extensive internship experience. Students with a knack for problem-solving and a passion for learning, however, will find a unique opportunity to grow their career in tech at McMaster-Carr, a business-to-business e-commerce company. Their innovative approach to creating high-performing, technical teams involves seeking out problem solvers from many academic backgrounds and providing immersive training and a culture of development.

Contrary to popular belief, majoring in political science does not mean that you necessarily need to work in politics. In fact, there are numerous career opportunities for political science majors across governmental, nonprofit, and private sectors. This is in large part because a political science curriculum fosters strengths in writing, communication, and research, all of which are highly in demand in the workforce. If you are a political science student exploring potential jobs or internships, here are a few career paths to consider.

With record-breaking layoffs hitting many industries due to COVID-19, many people are looking for a new job they can hold on to for a while. During strong job markets, people may be more open to taking a risk on a new, startup company, or a “cool” industry, knowing that if things fall through, another job is just around the corner. But in today’s tough job market, industries offering solid job security—including ones you might not have considered before—may suddenly be the “coolest” of all. There are three main factors that affect which industries or occupations have the best job security, including unemployment rates, industry or occupational growth, and “job tenure.”

In a world which is filled with unexpected risks, many people are looking for ways to keep their money safe and reduce their chance of experiencing financial losses. Insurance is the field which helps people and companies protect themselves from unexpected risks, by allowing customers to purchase insurance products and receive financial claims if a loss arises.

With career fairs and info sessions taking place online, forming personal connections with recruiters might feel like a challenge. But it's possible to stand out from the virtual crowd and increase your chances of landing an interview even without a face-to-face meeting.

Deciding where to begin your career is no small decision, and if you studied computer science or another technical major, you’re likely to have a host of job opportunities to evaluate. That means that as you consider which role will give you the best shot at having a fulfilling career, you can take into account everything from the professional development opportunities to the culture to the broader mission of the company.

Taking an entire internship program online isn't easy. But when COVID-19 forced work & life online back in March, thousands of companies had to quickly adapt their internship programs to the circumstances. For the employers that were able to keep their internship programs running, they were tasked with figuring out everything from remote work logistics to programming changes to online community building. Despite these challenges, companies rose to the occasion and gave their interns a truly unforgettable summer, both personally and professionally.