The Graduate College Career Development Office
The Graduate College Career Development Office helps employers find the expertise they need across all programs and areas of study. We provide a central location for recruiting from a diverse pool of capable candidates engaged in cutting-edge research in top-ranked Master's and doctoral programs on the Urbana-Champaign campus.
How We Can Partner With You
Handshake Recruiting System
Handshake allows you to advertise openings, participate in recruiting events, and search resumes of qualified job candidates to match your hiring needs. Handshake is also your portal to request space to engage with our campus community.
Connecting You to Campus
Are you used to recruiting graduates solely from the same programs and want to shake things up? Do you have an interest in recruiting from a variety of disciplines? Throughout our campus, students develop skills and engage in meaningful work that might be a good fit for your organization but are not immediately apparent from the label on their degree. Tap into our institutional knowledge to help you navigate across campus to identify talented students from a broad range of majors.
Stories from Alumni
Do you have employees who are alumni of the University of Illinois interested in connecting with students? We are always looking for advanced degree-holding alumni willing to discuss their career transition and navigating life beyond graduate school. They can pass on advice to a group of students in an informal on-campus or virtual session or tell us your unique story in a featured alumni profile on our blog.
Networking Event Facilitation
Work with our office to plan an on-campus networking event so you can connect with graduate students from a targeted or broad section of campus. Our staff will assist in facilitating meaningful conversation between you and an identified group of diverse and specialized talent.
Contact us about recruiting on campus
Why Choose Illinois Advanced Degree Candidates?
Graduate education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign prepares individuals for meaningful careers that make a valuable impact on their organizations and beyond. Our students dive deep into complex ideas, learn specialized techniques, and follow their curiosity into purposeful professional experiences while developing a dynamic set of skills. Graduate education requires students to take initiative in mastering their craft, displaying a level of expertise, commitment, and passion unique to pursuing an advanced degree. We invite you to consider how our accomplished and distinct graduate and postdoctoral scholars can help advance and grow your organization.
Best Practices for Recruiting Illinois Advanced Degree Candidates
Our office works closely with graduate students from throughout campus and here are some helpful tips to consider when planning your recruiting strategy for Illinois graduate students:
Speak to Students as Colleagues
If possible, have employees who are familiar with graduate education delivering your company’s message, especially those who hold advanced degrees.
Know your Data
When delivering your message, be ready for incisive questions from strong critical thinkers and have the evidence to support and illustrate claims about your organization.
What Graduate Students Value
The most common values that students identify as important in their career decisions are: the impact and influence of their work beyond the scope of their designated responsibilities; the amount of creativity and inventiveness their work empowers them to apply; and flexibility in managing their own work/life balance.
University of Illinois Recruiting Principles and Guidelines
To facilitate opportunities and partnerships between students and employers, the University of Illinois Career Services Council has established policies that provide a consistent operational position. The Careers Services Network adheres to legal and ethical standards of the university and our profession.
Questions?
Contact Mike Firmand, Associate Director for Career and Professional Development (mfirmand@illinois.edu) or call (217)300-7261.