Student Resources

Financial Resources

Free Financial Advising Services
Gies Grad Emergency Scholarship: Offers up to $1,000 for Gies gradudate students facing unexpected financial hardship.
Graduate Student Emergency Grant: Offers up to $500 for short-term, acute financial needs.
International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS): Provides limited funding for international students facing unexpected financial hardship.

Career Centers

Students have access to three career centers here on campus. We encourage you to go talk with someone in each one of them so that you can get the most information possible.

Gies Office of Career & Professional Development: Whether you're an undergraduate or graduate student, the Office of Career & Professional Development partners with you every step of the way on your career development journey, including exploration, skill development, personal branding, interview preparation, and providing employer and industry insights.

The Career Center: Be sure to visit their International Students page, where you will find many tools, such as a list of international-friendly companies, tips on job searching in the US, information on work authorization and more!

Grad College Career Advising & Development: Online career resources include tools like our values worksheet, which students can use to understand what matters to them in their work and life, and a variety of job search guidance. Additionally, the GradCareers newsletter features opportunities to develop skills, engage with employers, and learn about meaningful career options (subscribe here).

Career Exploration

Students have access to two career exploration websites that use personality and skills assessments to help you find the right career, as well as current job opportunities in fields that fit your interests and skills.

Pathway U (free for Gies Business students – access at the bottom of this page)
O*Net (free and open to everyone)

Handshake for Internships

The Handshake @ Illinois site offers valuable information on how to make your profile stand out. About halfway down, there is also a section on searching for jobs and internships, which includes a link to an article that may be helpful in your internship search.

Learning Resources

Below are some certificate and learning resources available to you as a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign student.

Coursera for Illinois: You can take free courses for non-credit. This is a great, risk-free way to try out some courses to see if you might be interested. If you don’t like them, you can just delete them.
Rosetta Stone: Free language learning for UIUC students
LinkedIn Learning: Free access for U of I system students
Gies Professional Credentials: Includes online courses, graduate certificates, Google certificates, professional upskilling micro-courses & more! (Please note some of these are free but some do have a cost)
Career Certificate – International Students (CC-I): Gain a higher level of career competence and practical skills in order to successfully pursue job and internship opportunities. (Must be an enrolled student)

Graduate Student Success Resources

Individual Development Plans: The GradPLAN Individual Development Plan is specifically designed with University of Illinois graduate students in mind. IDPs like GradPLAN are self-assessment tools for academic goal-setting and career planning.
GradMAP: The GradMAP Canvas community is designed to be a guide to help new students get off to a good start at Illinois. This resource includes information about campus units, health and well-being, funding and employment, and tips for having a successful graduate school experience.
Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement (HACE) is dedicated to advancing the professional development of individuals from underrepresented talent pools, particularly Latinos and those from multicultural communities (this group is not currently associated with UIUC but is a great resource nonetheless)!

questions? Get in touch with a member of our team.