Career Planning for Students
Job Search
Handshake
All active Middlesex College students have an account in Handshake, no need to register. Sign in to Handshake using your NetID and password just as you use to access Canvas.
- Search for jobs
- Build your résumé to read
- Access résumé building workshops and recordings then build your résumé using CareerCoach’s RésuméBuilder
- Build an online portfolio
- Review your job search history
- Report offers/hires
- Receive emails about programs, services and job-related topics
- Access career advice videos and articles
- Register for and access online info sessions from employers
Indeed Job Search Academy
The Indeed Job Search Academy is a free, virtual career development program created to help students excel in their job search. It is a one stop shop that presents all of Indeed’s resources and educational programs in one place, helping make the job search more accessible to workers everywhere.
Career Coach
If you’re undecided about what you want to do, explore majors and in-demand careers based on your interests. You can take a career assessment and browse careers and programs.
References & Recommendations
Employers often ask for references, especially after a successful job interview. We can walk you through this step.
Gain Work Experience While in School
Co-operative Education
Cooperative Education (Co-op) at Middlesex College is a three-credit course that includes an approved field experience work site aligned with your major. Students are responsible for locating the field experience site (we can help!) and the field experience must be approved by your department and by the Director, Civic Engagement and Community Partnerships before you can be registered into the course. Because of the time required, please plan on starting the process by mid-term in the semester before you would like to take co-op.
Note: for some majors, the co-op field experience course is a graduation requirement.
Internships
Internships are supervised, structured career-related experiences in a professional setting that allow you to gain valuable work experience in your chosen field of study.
Formal internship programs often include additional opportunities to learn about the company, attend conferences or participate in networking and other professional development. At Middlesex College, the only way to earn academic credit for an internship is by enrolling in a co-op course (see above). Most formal internship programs expect students to have completed some number of credits within their major prior to applying for the internship.
Federal Work Study Program
Federal Work Study is a form of financial aid that offers eligible students employment part-time employment opportunities on campus or off-campus in community service sites.
Community-Engaged Learning
Community-Engaged Learning links classroom study to real-world problems.
Students taking Community-Engaged Learning courses are required to complete a designated amount of volunteer service hours per semester with a local, not-for-profit community partner as a part of your class, usually instead of a paper or other project.
The CEL project is prepared by your professor and generally the class participates together to work on it throughout the semester. This is an important opportunity to learn more deeply about the problems, issues and concerns facing your community and using your skills, insights and learning to participate in clarifying the issues and/or partnering with the community to work toward solutions.
While you do that, you will be learning more about yourself, your passions, your skills and using that information to help clarify your career goals.
Unemployment Resources
If you are unemployed, you may qualify for a tuition waiver or state funding for training. Determination of eligibility is made by the Department of Labor/Workforce Development.