Chicago students tend to be interesting people when they arrive on campus and are even more so by the time they leave. As graduates, they pursue—successfully—an astonishing range of careers: from acting, teaching, activism, software design, and writing to science, art, administration, journalism, the restaurant business, and many other fields.

So, although it is true that Chicago students—probably more than students from other schools—go on to work in academe, they also gravitate to other fields that reward bold thinking, clear expression, and intellectual assertiveness—hallmarks of a Chicago education. There's a world of possibilities out there, and Career Advising and Planning Services (CAPS) is here to facilitate your journey to the right path for you.

Like most Chicago graduates, you probably expect to go to graduate or professional school at some point, and you hope your post-graduation jobs will help you confirm the type of advanced degree you want to pursue.

A liberal arts education prepares you for an enormous variety of possible careers—but it's still challenging to get started. Somewhere in the gaps between papers, labs, and just living life, peer into your future: make a stop in the CAPS office. CAPS can help you at any point in your career planning or job seeking. CAPS helps you prepare for your future, facilitates connections to people who can help, and provides opportunities, both tangible and intangible.

How CAPS can help

Career Advising and Planning Services (CAPS)
Web: caps.uchicago.edu
Address: Ida Noyes, 2nd and 3rd floors
Phone: 2-7040
Monday–Friday: 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
CAPS Library hours: 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
CAPS walk-in hours: Undergraduate walk-in appointments are available for quick questions and résumé reviews every Monday–Friday between 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.
(Note: Walk-in hours are extended during certain times of the year. Please consult the CAPS Web site for the exact schedule.)

CAPS can help you prepare to find and get internships and summer jobs, obtain a full-time position after graduation, or apply to graduate school. It's never too early to begin exploring possibilities or talking with a career counselor. CAPS encourages everyone, including first-years, to use its resources.

Another helpful resource is the Alumni Careers Network, alumniservices.uchicago.edu/careers/, where students can search for alumni contacts in a wide variety of fields. Connecting with alumni is a great way to get the insider's perspective on an industry.

Figuring out what to do
Before you even begin searching for a job, CAPS can help you identify what types of work you might find interesting and rewarding. Talking with a CAPS counselor often includes a look at many areas of your life—course work, student activities, community service, athletics, summer jobs—to discover what has given you a sense of excitement and meaning.

Once you have identified possible career paths, CAPS offers an array of programs and services to help you learn more about those areas. Every quarter during the academic year there are panel discussions with alumni who work in fields such as teaching, publishing, government, investment banking, and consulting. The CAPS Web site and the CAPS Library provide ways to research career fields and issues, and learn job-search skills such as effective interviewing.

Looking for internships—in any field
Employers of all kinds say that one of the most important things they look for in a job candidate is work experience. The best way to get such experience is through a part-time job or internship in an area that interests you. CAPS provides a variety of resources to help you find these opportunities.

CAPS and the College offer a set of internships—reserved specifically for University undergraduates—that provide paid, substantive opportunities in a variety of fields, through the Metcalf Fellows program (caps.uchicago.edu/undergrads/internships/metcalf/). You can spend the summer conducting research at the Smithsonian Institution or interning at such organizations as Second City and the New York Philharmonic to Goldman Sachs and USAToday.com. In autumn and winter quarters, check the Web and campus publications for dates of information sessions and deadlines.

CAPS also maintains UChicagoTRAK, a jobs and internship database with more than 18,000 listings of local, regional, and national enterprises. You can access the database through the CAPS Web site. Create a profile, save your documents for easy access, and check back often since the database is being constantly updated. Other opportunities can be found by using some of the CAPS library resources.

Preparing for the job market
How can you land the internship or job you've selected? CAPS can help you with the tools and the tactics. You'll need a clear and concise résumé, the savvy to produce a compelling cover letter, and practice in presenting yourself in an interview as an irresistible candidate.

Every quarter CAPS offers programs and workshops on these vital skills—check the CAPS Web site for dates and times. At an individual meeting with a career counselor, you can review your résumé and cover letter, discuss interview tactics, and talk through your questions about the job search. If you want to practice interviewing before the real thing, make an appointment with a practice interviewer. A CAPS-trained practice interviewer will take you through a series of basic interview questions and give you feedback on your responses, which will help you identify your strengths and areas for improvement.

For quick questions or a brief résumé and cover letter review, come to undergraduate walk-in hours, every Monday–Friday between 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Walk-in hours may change during certain times of the year. Consult the CAPS Web site for the exact schedule.

Connecting with Chicago alumni and students
Network, network, network. Even if you question whether the word should be used as a verb, go ahead and try it. Every alum who comes to campus to speak at a CAPS event expects to talk with students individually. If you’re apprehensive, pick up the CAPS handout on informational interviewing (in the library or online)—it has sample dialogues. Or you can use the Alumni Careers Network (on the Web at alumniservices.uchicago.edu/careers/), a network of more than 15,000 alumni in a wide variety of careers. To find the right summer job or internship, the Chicago Student Network (https://csn.uchicago.edu) is an online community designed to connect students in the College. You can use the CSN to locate and contact other students whose past experiences can help you to determine where to study, travel, and work in the summer.

Finding a job
Making the transition from school to work can be an exciting yet challenging task. The CAPS office has a wide variety of services and resources to help you find and get the opportunity that is right for you.

Seniors who started their job searches well before graduation are much more likely to be employed at graduation than those who started later. Whenever you start, expect to spend a considerable amount of time identifying your possible career options and searching for the right position. CAPS offers career counseling and job search advising assistance, which includes one-on-one meetings with a counselor, assessment instruments, and extensive Web and library resources.

The on-campus recruiting (OCR) program brings more than 100 employers to campus to conduct more than 2,000 interviews with University students for internships and/or full-time jobs. Most OCR recruiting begins in the autumn quarter, so you should register as soon as you return to school for your fourth year. Visit the CAPS office in person or check out the CAPS Web site for workshops. Be aware that most OCR is done by organizations trying to hire large numbers of people. Students seeking positions with organizations that do not visit campus should use other CAPS services and resources to obtain a desired position. CAPS can help you with a self-directed job search targeting employers directly. To find opportunities beyond the on-campus recruiting program, work closely with your CAPS counselor to identify additional resources and services.

CAPS offers multiple career fairs throughout the academic year. They have typically included fall and winter career fairs focused on full-time and internship opportunities, a nonprofit career fair in the spring, and several fairs in conjunction with the Big 10+ consortium of universities. Check the CAPS Web site for a complete schedule.

For tips on finding a part-time or summer job, see "Jobs and Internships" in Everyday Life.

Applying to graduate school
CAPS counselors can help you consider your options and prepare your applications.  Check the CAPS calendar for information sessions on applying to graduate school. The CAPS Library has a variety of materials to help you find, select, and apply to graduate school, including bulletins and applications for graduate school tests (GMAT, GRE, LSAT, MCAT) and test-prep books (with samples). You should also speak with your faculty and College advisers. The College has dedicated pre-law and health professions advisers who can assist you in preparing for those fields.

Opening a letter-of-reference file
No matter what your post-graduation plans, it's a good idea to open a confidential letter-of-reference file. The University has partnered with a leading online provider of reference file services, Interfolio. Visit the Web site, www.interfolio.com, to sign up for a new account and to find information on building a reference file. You can then ask employers and professors to send letters of recommendation to your file. When you apply for a job or to a graduate program, Interfolio, at your request, will send the letters for you. Ask your professors for recommendations within two quarters of taking a class with them so they remember details about you.

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