Developing your career path usually involves a variety of individuals who can help you gather career information, develop skills, build professional relationships, or obtain internships and job opportunities.

Getting Started

Check out the Career Center website for resources and tools. For example, Career Center workshops are offered each fall and spring that will help you explore career options. Through the Career Center, you can schedule an appointment to meet with a career advisor to discuss your job search.

Current Connections

Start practicing with people you see daily — faculty, research staff, and other students (especially anyone who mentions internships they completed). Family, friends, and people you volunteer with can also be great connections. Ask them about their career path or what they’re planning to do after graduation. Tell them about what you’re interested in, and ask if they know anyone working in those areas. Keep building the relationship by sending your contact articles or job postings that they might find interesting.

Attend the Career, Research, and Innovation Development Conference (CRIDC)

Each year, the Graduate Student Government Association (Grad SGA), the Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate and Postdoctoral Education, the Career Center, and Georgia Tech Professional Education (GTPE) host CRIDC, a combined effort of the previously known Graduate Career Symposium and Georgia Tech Research and Innovation Conference.

Connect with Employers

  • Monitor the Georgia Tech Career Center workshops to stay up to date on opportunities to connect with employers. These events include career fairs and employer information sessions.
  • If you are interested in an internship or full-time job in industry, create a CareerBuzz account. By establishing your CareerBuzz profile, you can follow specific employers’ activities and view job postings open to your major and degree level. Find out which employers are scheduled to conduct interviews along with the position and application details in CareerBuzz.
  • You can also connect via LinkedIn, an online professional networking platform.

Connect With Others in Your Discipline

There are many ways to connect with other people in your discipline at Tech and beyond. Ask faculty members and graduate advisors about organizations or groups that you should be involved with. Introduce yourself to people at seminars and conferences, and ask about their career paths. Ask around to see if there are any student groups that invite speakers or host local meet-ups on interesting topics. Check out your discipline’s professional society to see if they have any mentoring programs or career resources.

Visit Engage to learn more about Tech's 550+ registered student organizations.

Connect with Alumni

One of the most effective ways to build your network is to connect with alumni in your field of study. Seek out alumni from your undergraduate alma mater, a previous graduate alma mater, or from Tech. Here are a few ways you can connect with them:

Informational Interviewing

Informational interviewing allows individuals to learn about specific occupational fields and employers by interviewing professionals about their experience. Instead of trying to lock in an employment offer, your goal is to get an insider’s perspective on working in a particular field. In addition to a greater understanding of your career options, it can lead to additional connections in academia, industry, consulting, nonprofits, and other fields.

Here are some tips:

Find Mentors

Having trusted mentors that you can look to for advice and insight on professional, academic, and personal goals is key to building your network. Here are a few campus resources to help you connect with mentors: