Top 5 employment resources you didn’t know Pitt offered

Between balancing classes and a social life, finding a job is almost as hard as an organic chemistry test. Thankfully, The Pitt News used our investigative journalism skills to dig up five resources Pitt offers that can help you go from penniless to prosperous.

Cheryl S. Finlay, associate dean and director of the Career Development and Placement Assistance office, said jobs can come from the oddest places — from a friend of the family to your former roommate.

“Tell everyone you know what type of job you are looking for, and follow up with every lead you are given,” she said.

To start your own lead on the job search, Pitt offers multiple career resources, both online and in real life.

1. Career Development and Placement Assistance        

Located on the second floor of the William Pitt Union, the CDPA offers services like resume and cover letter workshops, mock interviews and a career closet, which is a room full of professional clothing and accessories — like suits, blazers and dress shoes — that students can borrow for career fairs and interviews.
“One of my favorite services that CDPA provides is our career closet. I absolutely love the look on our students’ faces when they try their outfits on in front of a mirror!” Finlay said.                                                                                                                                                                                                        

2. Departmental Facebook Pages

These Facebook pages offer updates on departmental events and scholarship opportunities for students. From civil engineering to film studies, there’s most likely a Facebook page for it. You can pose questions to other students in your major looking for jobs, network with graduates and keep up with important information about the way the field might be changing.

3. PittSource

Look to PittSource for a listing of staff, faculty, temporary and student positions. You can specify by departmental offers, listings by certain schools and if Federal Work Study is required. And applying is easy — all you have to do is make an account and apply away. If you don’t know where to start, The Pitt News is always hiring.

4. University LinkedIn Pages

Similar to the departmental Facebook pages, University LinkedIn pages provide networking and job opportunities for Pitt students on the job hunt. There are general groups like the Pitt Career Network and Pitt Alumni Network of Western PA and more specific options like Pitt English Connections and Pitt Chinese Scholars Alumni Council. Page members post job opportunities for fellow Panthers who share interest and experience in similar careers.

5. Handshake

Formerly known as FutureLinks, Handshake is the University’s online college career center — imagine LinkedIn but specific to Pitt and your major. The service posts jobs and internship opportunities and lists events like on-campus interviews and career fairs. It’s the simplest way to maneuver the job field from the comfort of your Pitt dorm.