Stanford’s resource pool is like your best friend’s pantry: There are so many available choices, but you don’t know them all and, consequently, don’t know what to pick. It’s actually quite a problem because you might be missing out on the best opportunities without even knowing it. I’ve interned with the Alumni Career Services division of the Stanford Alumni Association for the past year. In addition to my sweet bosses and consistent candy stash, the Career Services branch offers fantastic career resources for both current students and alumni that I didn’t know existed. All that’s required for access is a registration with the website. Here are four of those resources you need to check out right now:
In theory, there’s little time to waste at Stanford (although most of us make the time). While you’re procrastinating your p-set or essay, reflecting on your internship and/or job success is probably more useful than watching a compilation of Jennifer Lawrence falls. Whether it’s improving your networking skills, interviewing style or resume content, career labs can help you with all three. They are short, self-guided exercises that can be done independently or with a group. Before starting the exercises, you watch a short video that introduces the topic. I recommend the “Job Search Breakthrough” guide to help you get motivated if you’re feeling stuck or discouraged in the dreaded job search. Trying these out is a perfect way to procrastinate without feeling guilty.
As a part-time Stanford student and part-time LinkedIn pro, I’m sure you joined the Stanford Alumni Group the instant you received your acceptance letter. If you didn’t and still aren’t part of the group, I highly recommend joining the other 36,000+ current students and alumni. It’s a place to ask your burning questions, read interesting articles and generally check out what other alumni are up to 10, 20 and 30+ years after graduating. You’ll also occasionally see job opening posts spotlighted, but you can find more recent and numerous openings on the Alumni Job and Internship Board.
3. Alumni Job & Internship Board
Whether you’re just starting the search for summer internships or a post-graduation job or panicking because you don’t have one yet, there’s a magical place you probably haven’t looked yet: the Alumni Job and Internship Board. It’s a central location for Stanford alumni (and only Stanford alumni) to post job openings at the companies they work for or own. It’s directly linked to the Alumni Directory, so you can see who posts the job and reach out to them personally. It’s the only job board on campus where you already have a personal connection before reaching out. You’re welcome.
Updated daily with a variety of new openings, you can always find something new or interesting. You can find advertisements from big-name companies including Apple, Uber, Google and Slack. If you’re a fuzzy, don’t worry — there are plenty of non-STEM openings available at companies including the New York Times, Visa and Ralph Lauren. You can also follow Alumni Career Services on Twitter for updates on job and internship openings.
If you’re looking for a way to check if someone actually went to Stanford without stalking them on LinkedIn, there’s a directory of every (yes, every!) current and former Stanford student. You can search by name, profession, address or just about any piece of personal information you have. On alumni profiles, you can find anything from degree and current profession to campus clubs and freshman residence. For example, Chelsea Clinton worked at the Haas Center and lived in Otero her freshman year. Cool, huh? You can even search yourself!
Contact Emily Schmidt at egs1997 ‘at’ stanford.edu.