Job Search Resources

Job Search Databases

The CCE operates and subscribes to a number of valuable online career resources. Explore the following databases, search engines, and informational resources to find the right opportunity! More industry-specific job databases are provided in our Internships, Jobs, and Programs Resource Guide. Please note that this is not an exhaustive list of resources; to learn more about options in your area of interest, you may want to schedule an appointment with a counselor. Additionally, the CCE library houses a number of useful job search guides and directories that you may wish to peruse.

Handshake

Handshake provides students and young alums with access to Vassar’s job and internship database. This is where internships and jobs are posted when alums, parents and friends of Vassar, or employers contact us. If you are a current student, your username is your full Vassar email address and your password is the same password you use to log in to your email.

LinkedIn Jobs

Leverage the world’s largest professional network to build relationships and connect with opportunities. Use LinkedIn Jobs to harness the power of your network to uncover insights such as whom you know at a company, providing you an edge in your job search.

Indeed

The job search engine Indeed.com is an excellent resource for finding job listings. It enables you to search millions of job listings from thousands of websites, job boards, newspapers, blogs, company career pages, and associations to find job listings. All searches you do can be saved as an email alert, so new jobs are delivered daily.

Vault Campus

Vault Campus provides a variety of career guides, with which to conduct company and industry research as well as a jobs and internships database. To create a free account on Vault you must first navigate from our CCE homepage and then use your Vassar email address to set up an account.

Idealist

Idealist is a great resource for students interested in non-profit careers/social justice/etc. You can search for internship, job, or volunteer opportunities and connect with people and organizations that you’re interested in.

On-Campus & Virtual Recruiting

Employers often come to campus to host information sessions and conduct on-campus interviews. All On-Campus Recruiting events are advertised on the CCE Google Calendar, on Handshake, and in the CCE Weekly Newsletter that is emailed to students.

Networking

One of the best ways to secure a job opportunity is through networking. In addition to Vassar classmates and alums, there are a number of people you already know who could provide useful career information or job leads. Faculty, parents of friends, friends of parents, neighbors, professionals in your community—the list goes on!

Seek out opportunities to conduct informational interviews with people who work in your fields of interest. Ask them questions about: the industry, where to look for jobs in this industry, and whether there are people you should talk to, publications you should read, or email lists you should subscribe to that may aid you in your quest to become more familiar with that industry. More information about how to network and some of the networking opportunities, resources, and communities that are available to students and alums can be found in the Networking section of our website.

Alum Directory

In surveys of recent classes, approximately 10 percent of graduates obtained interviews that led to job offers through contacts with Vassar alums. You can tap into this valuable network through the Alum Directory. Vassar alums are an incredible source of career advice and support for students and alums at all stages. The Alum Directory allows you to search for alums using a variety of career-related search criteria.

LinkedIn is a powerful resource for career networking. Here are some tips for connecting with alums on LinkedIn:

Join the VassarNet group and other related sub-groups to find alums in your field(s) of interest.
Use the Advanced Search features to find people in specific organizations and industries.
Check out Vassar’s “University Page” on LinkedIn to explore the careers of the more than 20,000 Vassar alums.

Professional Associations

In many fields, professional associations play a major role in job advertising, interviewing, and hiring. Regional and national conferences are excellent places to build a network, and many conferences offer a job placement service. Newsletters and electronic bulletin boards often list positions as well. To find professional organizations in your field, check the Encyclopedia of Associations and Occupational Outlook Handbook (online and CCE library).

Local Job Boards and Newspapers

If you are targeting a specific city or region, the help-wanted classifieds in the local paper are a potential source of job leads. Newspapers.com allows you to view a list of the newspapers local to particular geographic regions. Be aware that certain types of jobs are virtually never listed in the newspaper and that classifieds are highly visible so they tend to draw many applicants. Regionalhelpwanted.com can also connect you to local job boards in a variety of United States and Canadian cities.

Temporary Employment Agencies

Employment agencies recruit, train, and assign temporary workers. They can help you find a full-time job, gain experience, give you income while you are in transition, offer a more flexible work schedule, and offer you positions in nearly every field. You can register with them to find daily, weekly, monthly, or longer positions. Virtually every profession is represented in today’s temporary workforce.

Applying for temp work is no different than applying for a full-time job. First, do your research and choose the right temp agency. Look online, on help wanted ads, or in trade magazines to find local temp agencies. Sign-up with several temp agencies that seem to have a good reputation. The more companies you are registered with, the more assignments you’ll be offered. It is often best to set up an appointment to visit the temp agency in person to get into their system. You will often be asked to fill out an application, complete basic administrative tests, provide references, and complete an interview prior to being entered into their system to be considered for open positions.

Alternative Means of Employment

Landing a permanent 9-to-5 job is not the only way to break into the work world. For someone who wants to explore multiple career options, a couple of part-time jobs may be more appropriate than one full-time position. Consulting or freelance work may be a possibility too, depending on your talents and interests. In industries where internships are highly regarded, you may want to consider a short-term internship after graduation. Some job seekers also find that volunteering is a good way to build up experience and make contacts that can lead to employment. Use your imagination to think up other creative strategies as well!