Networking is an important component of an effective job or internship search. You can use CareerShift to find people’s contact information. Networking outreach can be done before you apply to a particular organization or around the same time you submit an application.

After you apply to an organization, enter the organization’s name and location into the Contacts search to find people who work there. Try to identify a contact related to the position you’re applying to or within the human resources department. You can do this by turning on the By Position search function and entering keywords like: human resources, talent management/acquisition, recruiter or the team/division name related to your application.

Check if any alumni from your university work at companies of interest to you. You can easily find alumni contact information through CareerShift by entering the name of your university in the School Attended search bar, along with the company name and location.

Once you conduct a Contacts search, CareerShift provides you with a list of names, job titles, companies/organizations and professional email addresses. Similar to jobs, you can save individual contacts or searches.

Once you have identified a contact, it is time to compose your outreach email. The content of this email should include the following elements:

· Introduce yourself

· Bring to their attention particular skills, experiences and interests of yours that relate to the work they do

· Express your interest in their company or their career field

· Ask to connect for an informational interview or to discuss opportunities for you to contribute to their organization’s mission/work

If you have already applied for a job at their organization, or would hope to be considered for one in the future, be sure to attach your resume to the email.

Click Jobs on the left side of your screen and then click Search. Enable the Search by Area and Advanced Search options.

When searching, use quotation marks around the entire phrase (e.g. “product management”). Include the words “and” “not” and “or” between keywords to refine your search. For example, if you are searching for jobs in the healthcare industry but not in direct care roles, you could search: healthcare not nursing.

You can specify a location in the Area Criteria section. CareerShift defaults to the United States but you can select many international locations. Within the United States, you can refine your search to specific City/Metro Regions or to a Zip Code Radius (e.g., within 50 miles of a specific zip code).

In the Advanced Criteria section, you can select your search preferences in the Job Type (Full-time, Part-time, Internship, Temporary, Contract) and Experience Level (Entry Level, Mid Level, or Senior Level) categories. For recent graduates, selecting Entry Level under Experience will provide the most relevant results.

Other tips:

• Select 15-30 Days in the Published Within drop-down menu to find postings that are likely to still be open.
• If you are interested in virtual job or internship opportunities, click the Search Remote and Work From Home Jobs option under Area Criteria.
• You can use the H1-B Visa Sponsorship filter to view postings that indicate organizations’ willingness to sponsor visa holders.
• You can save searches and sign up to receive email alerts when new jobs related to that search are available.

You can apply to postings immediately or save postings in CareerShift to apply at another time. Saved postings will be stored in the Manage page under the Jobs section. 

Once you find a posting of interest and organize your application materials, follow the guidelines stated in the job description to submit your application.  You can also begin networking with people in the organization by clicking the Find Contacts option in the posting.