Political Science Class Post Graduate Options 10-2016
1. Post Graduate Options for
Political Science Majors
Career Development Specialist:
Melissa Glaser Rubin
November 2, 2016
2. LEARNING OBJECTIVES
> Consider options post graduation
> Know resources - Career Development
Department and others for career exploration,
job search, and graduate school application
> Understand fundamentals of job search
> Explore issues/process for grad school
5. Which is right for YOU?
CAREER EXPLORATION RESOURCES INCLUDE:
Family, friends, professors, colleagues, alumni, professional association members
Career Development Office
Career exploration conversations/assessments
Career Development Website
Career Guides
O*Net, MassCIS
Campus organizations and professional associations
NUCareers Resources
Path Source, Vocational Biographies, Candid Career
Employers in Residence
7. Job Boards
• Indeed, Monster
• NUCareers
– On Campus Recruiting
• Industry Specific – See NEU Career Development
– Career Guides
– Nonprofit
– Gap Year
– Fellowships
– Government
• Google
8. Target Companies
Ideally identify 10-30 target companies
– What are YOUR specs for the ideal company?
• Previous knowledge/news/conversations
• Google
• Hiring on job boards like NUCareers, industry
specific sites from Career Guides
• NUCareers – Buzzfile, Going Global &
Glassdoor
9. Networking
• Not as scary as it sounds
• Networking and Informational Interviewing
• Sources include personal connections, alumni,
fellow professional association members
• Use LinkedIn to identify people. Use email or
phone to reach out.
• Ideally interview with at least one person per
target company
10. Personal Branding Tools
• Resume
• Cover letters
• LinkedIn profile
• Personal website (optional)
• Personal Statement (graduate school)
• References
• Job Descriptions = Road map
• Walk-ins (M-F 1:30-3:30), Career Express & 1 hour appointments
• Workshops covering all of these are helpful, as are resources on NEU Career
Development & NUCareers pages
• http://www.northeastern.edu/careers/
• https://nucareers.northeastern.edu/home.htm
11. Grad School/Law School?
• Still need personal branding tools
• Will target schools instead of companies
• Will still network to research best fit and make
personal connections
• Use Career Development Department
resources such as: Personal statement
editing, practice testing, mock L1 first-year law
school class, Big Interview
13. WHY ATTEND GRAD SCHOOL?
> Personal growth
> Sense of accomplishment
> Greater employment opportunities
> Financial reward
14. ASK YOURSELF FIRST …
> What are my long-term goals, and how would a
graduate degree help me achieve them?
> Is an advanced degree required? What kind?
> Will I make more money? More marketable?
> Do I have the financial resources necessary?
15. PROS AND CONS OF DELAYING GRAD SCHOOL
Pros:
> Earn more $$ for school
> Gain experience to help chances for admissions and employment
> Build skills and knowledge to clarify goals
> Work within the profession
> Establish a year of residency (in-state tuition)
> Qualify for employer sponsored tuition assistance
> Relax/refocus
Cons:
> “Use it or lose it” (academically/socially)
> Lost momentum or motivation
> Longer one waits, longer to finish
> Possible weaker ties to recommendations
> Potential life complications (job, partner, kids…)
16. GRADUATE SCHOOL CHECKLIST &
ACTION STEPS
> Make a list of what you’re looking for in a grad program
> Create a list of target schools/programs (ex. Excel)
> May be defined by your GPA, test scores & interests
> Research, compare & narrow down your options
> Online boards
> School online sites and actual visits
> Personal connections/Interviews
> Consider funding possibilities
> Begin application process
17. FINDING THE RIGHT “FIT”
> Location/Size
> Demographics
> Degree Type (ex. Online)
> Time Investment
> Career Development Resources
> Admission Requirements (i.e. testing)
18. FINDING THE RIGHT “FIT”
> Faculty
> Ranking
> Accreditation
> Mission and Specialty
> General Environment
> Cost
19. cc: GotCredit - https://www.flickr.com/photos/30576334@N05
FUNDING YOUR EDUCATION
20. FUNDING YOUR EDUCATION
> Student loans (Questions to ask
oneself BEFORE borrowing)
> Grants (ex. TEACH Grant,
Federal Pell Grant)
> Assistantships (ex. research,
teaching)
> Tuition waivers/reduction (ex.
Double Husky)
> Employer tuition remission
> App fee waivers
> Visitation reimbursement
> Work study
> Work! (part time, on/off
campus)
> Scholarships and Fellowships
22. RESOURCES
> Career Development
> Writing Center
> Admissions
> Alumni Services
> Student Financial Services
> Advising
> Library and Internet
> Faculty
> Alumni
> Friends, Family, and Colleagues
23. OTHER GRAD SCHOOL RESOURCES
Law
http://www.northeastern.edu/careers/majors-careers/pre-law-advising/
https://officialguide.lsac.org/release/OfficialGuide_Default.aspx
NEU School of Law
http://www.northeastern.edu/law/
Other Grad School Program Lookup
http://www.petersons.com/
http://www.gradschools.com/
http://www.princetonreview.com/graduate-school.aspx
NEU MBA Program
http://www.damore-mckim.northeastern.edu/en/academic-programs/graduate-
programs/mba-career-center/
24. OTHER GRAD SCHOOL RESOURCES
(CONTINUED)
Forums
http://www.gradview.com/index.jsp
Rankings
http://www.vault.com/graddegree/school/schoolsurveylists.jsp?ch)id=351&pt=2&
gclib=CL
Financial Aid
https://fafsa.ed.gov/
http://www.northeastern.edu/fellowships/
General Grad School Advice
http://gradschool.about.com/od/choosingaprogram/a/What-You-Should-Know-
About-A-Graduate-Program-Before-Applying.htm
25. Upcoming Events of Interest
• (NEU) LSAT Strategy Workshop, Wednesday, November 2…2
• (NEU) SheLEADS – Communication Tips for Women, Wednesday, November 2…4pm
• (NEU) Juniors/Seniors Focus on Full time Job Search: Straight from the Recruiter's Mouth Event Wednesday,
November 2…5:30
• LOTS of other NEU Career Development Workshops and Employer Events
– Check out calendar! Register via NUCareers
• LSAC Forum – Friday, November 11
– Free – Boston Marriot
– http://www.lsac.org/2016forums/city/boston.html
• LSAT Preparation Accelerated Course – November 19 & 20
• LSAT testing dates – Sat. 12/3, Sat. Feb. 4, also…June, Sept and Nov.
• GRE offered often
• Senior Career Fair – Friday, January 20, 2017
• Career Fair – Thursday, February 2, 2017
26. Websites for Government Jobs
• http://www.govtjobs.com
Cities, counties, states, executive search firms, advertising agencies and other government entities
• https://www.usajobs.gov/
• https://www.governmentjobs.com/
(same website for Federal government)
• https://www.usa.gov/government-jobs
Though most federal jobs are listed on USAJOBS, some agencies post jobs on their websites or elsewhere. If you’re
interested in working for a particular agency, find its website through the A-Z Index of Government Agencies.
• gogovernment.org/
(Partnership for Public Service(
• https://www.careersingovernment.com/
State & local government job boards and online resources
• www.federaljobs.net/employme.htm
Consolidated listing of federal jobs includes USAJOBS listings and related state, local government, and private
sector jobs. Use the vacancies listed on site and agency recruiting site listings to find more jobs nationwide and
overseas.
A fellowship is a monetary reward offered by an institution, foundation or other organization to support academic work, research or specialized training in areas of particular interest to the granting organization.
Specs for target companies include: Location, size, industry, reputation, training, advancement, culture, etc.
After these 3 slides show online resources for Career exploration (CDD & NUC and demo networking on LI
Reasons to attend grad school:
--I want to enrich myself intellectually and understand the time, cost, and effort involved
--I need the degree to practice my chosen profession
--A (SPECIFIC) degree will advance my career path
.
Reasons NOT to attend grad school:
--You do not know what else to do
--People whom you respect went, so it seems like a good idea
--*Pressure from family or loved ones (not to be confused with “encouragement”)
Some fields such as medicine or law require graduate degrees to even enter the field. Others such as business or computer programmer do not, although if you ultimately want to run a large company, an MBA is probably necessary.
These are just some of the details you might want to consider when researching potential graduate programs. You might have others. You also might weight issues differently than other people you know. That’s ok! Think about YOUR priorities.
You might want to create a spreadsheet listing and weighting all of your criteria for the different schools.
How will you pay for graduate school? This is a big consideration. There are a lot of different approaches to this.
Questions to ask oneself before taking out student loans:
1) Do I absolutely have to? What are the pros/cons of doing so?
2) When do I have to start making payments?
3) (If considering private loans): Have I exhausted all federal, state, and institutional options?
4) How long will I be repaying the loan(s)?
5) How are the loans disbursed (to me or to the school)?
Consider writing to your prospective grad school department to inquire about scholarships, fellowships, or assistantships offered.
App fee waivers: most grad school app fees range from $25-$100 (business schools/programs are usually higher). This can often deter students from applying to grad schools that interest them, but where they have a lesser chance of being accepted. Contact the admissions office and ask if they have fee waivers available, and if so, what the criteria are for applying. In the end, think of the app fee as a potentially smart investment in your future.
Use your network (Husky Nation, LinkedIn)! Contact alum to see how they are financing their education in graduate school.
Stay away from loans unless necessary (especially private loans). Use your own resources first!
*TEACH (Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education): provides up to $4000 of grants to students planning on going into teaching.
These are things that may potentially be required. Not in all cases.
Spring of Junior Year:
Schedule dates for testing
August/September (Fall of Senior Year)
Request application information online (note deadlines for applying and supplemental materials)
October/November
Submit applications/fees for schools
Approach faculty members, employers, etc. to write recommendation letters
Compose writing documents (Have them revised in Career Development!)
December
Request scholarship/assistantship info from schools
Jan./Feb.
File your FAFSA or other financial documents
Mar./Apr./May
Follow up with applied institutions; make final decision!
Submit commitment forms and fees to chosen institution; register for classes
Send thank you notes to those who wrote your recommendation letters or otherwise helped you in this process
—notify them (and the rest of your network) of your success!
This is last year ABA allowing NEU law school to admit NEU seniors with 3.5 GPA over 6 semesters and 85% percentile in SAT or ACT to apply without LSAT. Binding. Also 50% off of law school tuition.
Registered for December LSAT…cancel…can’t apply if already taken LSAT
Good luck with whatever you choose! Enjoy the journey!
