Job Search & Networking

Searching and applying for jobs takes patience and perseverance. Networking can increase your opportunities and decrease the time you spend searching.

Ways to Conduct Your Job or Co-op Search

  • Passive Search: This involves searching for jobs on job boards such as WITworks, Indeed.com, or SimplyHired.com. Industry specific job boards also exist such as Dice.com, Archinect.com, and Gamejobs.com. See the second page of this handout for job boards specific to your industry. Select a few job boards and set up an email alert so you do not have to check back to see if new jobs are posted. Always start with WITworks as these are employers looking specifically for Wentworth students.
  • Active Search: Often more effective than the passive search, is the active search where you create a target list of companies for which you are interested in working. Search each company’s website for job postings, follow their Twitter feed and LinkedIn page, and reach out to them directly for information about opportunities.
  • Networking: This is usually the most effective way of searching for positions. Sometimes jobs are filled without ever making it to job boards. Find out about these positions by connecting with individuals in your field.
  • Informational interviews (see our Informational Interview handout) are one of the best ways to build new relationships and expand your network.

What is Networking?

  • Using existing relationships to create new connections and gain more in depth knowledge about industry standards and requirements, career paths, company cultures, and types of jobs.
  • Use networking to:
  • Explore career options, research industries, and learn about specific companies. o Uncover leads for potential job opportunities.
  • Gain advice on improving chances of getting hired.
  • Build a community of people with whom you share a professional interest.
  • Promote yourself as someone entering the industry.

How to Find People for Networking

  • Professional Associations: Join professional associations to find out about conferences or events being held in your field. Professional associations are also helpful for learning about what is happening in your industry, to find industry specific job sites, and to add something extra to your resume. Many professional associations have groups on LinkedIn that you can join as well.
  • Wentworth Alumni: Attend alumni events to connect or search for Wentworth alumni on LinkedIn. Use the “Alumni” tab on the Wentworth Institute of Technology page. You do not need to be a premium member on LinkedIn to message people as long as you are both a member of the same group. Another good reason to join professional association groups on LinkedIn!
  • Former or Current Co-op Colleagues: Build good relationships while you are on co-op so you can utilize them to connect with other professionals in the field.
  • Professors: Reach out to your professors to set up an informational interview or to ask for recommendations of people to connect with in the field.
  • Career Fairs & Events: Take advantage of on-campus opportunities to connect with employers and alumni.
  • People Already in Your Network (friends, family, classmates, neighbors, advisors, baristas, etc.): Tell everyone you know that you are looking for a co-op or a job as you never know who they might know.

Tips for Networking

  • Don’t limit your network! You never know who may be helpful to you in the long run.
  • Do your homework. Do research through LinkedIn and the company’s website about the individual you are meeting and be prepared with at least two areas of common interest.
  • Stay organized to stay connected. Create a list or spreadsheet of the people you connect with and email or message them through LinkedIn once every few months to keep yourself fresh in their minds. For example, find an article or TED Talk of interest and send it along or share new work experience or skills you have gained with an updated resume.
  • BE PROFESSIONAL! Be on time for any meetings. Dress to impress at all conferences and events. Check your email and voicemail regularly in order to respond to people promptly. Have a professional email address and voicemail message.

Selected Professional Associations (their websites often include job boards)

American Association for Artificial Intelligence (AAAI)

American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE)

American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA)- AeroWIT (local chapter)

American Management Association (AMA)

American Physical Society (APS)

American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)

American Society of Landscape Architects American Society of Interior Designers (ASID)

American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)

Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES)

Boston Society of Architects (BSA)

Computer Technology Industry Association (CompTIA)

Computing Research Association Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO)

Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA)

Institute of Biological Engineering (IBE)

Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers (IEEE)

International Interior Design Association (IIDA)

National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE)

National Society of Professional Engineers Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM)

Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE)

Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE)

Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME)

Society of Women Engineers (SWE)

Software Engineering Institute The American Institute of Architects (AIA)

The American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS)

Women in Technology International

General Job Boards

WITworks, Glassdoor.com, LinkedIn.com, Indeed.com, SimplyHired.com, CareerBuilder.com, CollegeRecruiter.com, Internships.com, Job Market Trends (https://coopsandcareers.wit.edu/job-markettrends/), USAJobs.gov

Job Boards by School (in addition to WITworks and general job boards)

School of Architecture & Design: Archinect.com, Boston Society of Architects/AIA, Careers in Architecture, Coroflot.com, JobZone.InteriorDesign.net

School of Computing & Data Science: TechCareers.com, StackOverflow.com, Hackerrank.com, Mathjobs.org, Animation World Network (jobs.awn.com), Dice.com, Gamejobs.com, Engineerjobs.com CyberSecurityJobSite.com, CreativeHeads.net, Crunchboard.com, VentureBeat.com, Angel.co, BuiltinBoston.com, Otta.com, Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (siam.org/careers)

School of Engineering: Engineerjobs.com, Mechanicalengineer.com, National Engineering Resources (nerinc.com), CivilEngineeringJobs.com, Hackerrank.com, BuiltinBoston.com

School of Management: ConstructionJobs.com, ConstructionCrossing.com, Angel.co, BuiltinBoston.com, Techcareers.com

School of Science and Humanities: Biopharmguy.com, National Science Foundation (nsf.org), Hospitalcareers.com, Careers.massbio.org, acs.org/careers, American Physical Society (aps.org/careers), Techcareers.com, Hackerrank.com, BuiltinBoston.com, Dice.com