This guide features tips, resources and events you should start to explore during your first year as a Princeton student.

This guide features tips, resources and events you should start to explore during your sophomore year. 

As a junior or senior, your timeline, next steps and search strategies will vary based on your interests and timeline for securing opportunities. This guide covers how to start figuring out your next steps, explore options and address common career development topics. 

As a Ph.D. student, you develop a diverse array of skills that build upon and expand beyond your research and teaching. This worksheet will help you assess your current strengths and weaknesses so you can identify areas that you need to work on during your graduate journey.

Learn how to create an IDP, which is a dynamic, on-going career management tool to help you:

• Develop mutually-agreed upon academic and career objectives with your mentor(s) and/or adviser(s)
• Stay on track and make progress toward these ever-evolving goals

Employers often spend only 15-30 seconds scanning a resume, so it must work hard to quickly communicate your skills and value. Think of it as a marketing tool that shows that your product (you) meets the needs of your potential customer (the employer).

A resume is a succinct outline of your education, experience, activities, accomplishments and skills as they pertain to your career goals. Effective resumes get noticed because they:

• Emphasize relevant accomplishments and potential contributions
• Focus on the skills and requirements of a specific field or position
• Are concise, well-organized and easy to read 

Need help getting starting? Check out our resume guide which includes great advice, worksheets and samples to help you get started or update your existing documents.

A resume is a succinct outline of your education, experience, activities, accomplishments and skills as they pertain to your career goals. 

Learn the differences between a CV and a resume, and how to transform your CV to a resume. 

Most job or internship applications require a cover letter as well as a resume. A well-written cover letter introduces your resume and directs your reader’s attention to specific areas of your background. 

It’s important to personalize your cover letters, and there is more to it than mentioning the organization’s name a few times or quoting the job description. Doing this well means thinking about your target audience and demonstrating the value you can add to your future employer.

Need help getting started? Check out our cover letter guide for advice, worksheets and samples to help you get started or update your existing documents. 

A well-written cover letter can set you apart from other candidates. Learn how to develop a cover letter that complements your resume and communicates your value to potential employers. 

This guide is designed for graduate students in all fields and is not tailored to any specific discipline. It offers introductory advice on how to write or update a CV.

In recent years, many colleges and universities started prioritizing diversifying their faculty, staff and student bodies. Writing a diversity statement will allow you to outline how you can contribute to an institution's approach to diversity, equity and inclusion.

If your summer plans are disrupted or unclear for any reason, this guide will help you to explore possible alternatives beyond traditional internships or study abroad programs and create your own summer experiences. 

If you're considering an opportunity that requires academic credit, refer to the Internship Milestone Credit page on the Office of the Dean of the College's website. 

The job and internship search for federal government roles is different than a search in the private and nonprofit sectors. This guide covers resources, preparation and the advice you need for applying to internships and jobs within the government.

The search for state and local government roles is different from a search in the private and nonprofit sectors. This guide includes information about hiring, compensation and benefits, and how to find internship and job opportunities within state and local government.

The job search process can be exciting and stressful. This guide will help you plan your search, reduce stress and frame your expectations.

We encourage you to make an appointment with a career adviser to get support with this regardless of where you are in the process, particularly if you are feeling confused or overwhelmed.

This guide features information on work authorizations, how to research employers hiring international students and global job search sites. 

These are fixed-term — typically six months to three years — opportunities that begin soon after graduation. Common opportunities that fall under this category include fellowships, rotational programs and post-graduation internships. Many recent graduates pursue these as part of gap or glide years before law, medical or graduate school, while others use these opportunities to try something new.

Learn more about these programs, resources Princeton offers and if they may be a good option for you. 

Funding is available from Princeton-affiliated sources for Princeton students who independently secure unpaid internships, propose special projects or plan to conduct independent research.

SAFE Funding Portal

The Student Activities Funding Engine (SAFE) connects students with university funding for a range of activities on- and off-campus, including internships, summer study abroad, senior thesis research projects or other independent projects.

Additional Princeton Resources

• Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment (ACEE): For summer research projects related to the ACEE, particularly for field work and lab research
• Alumni Association Funding Guide for Princeton Undergraduates: For public service initiatives and academic work
• Center for Information Technology Policy:  For scholarship internships for both grads and undergrads
• Class of 1978 Foundation Grant: Financial for undergraduates who wish to benefit communities or constituencies in need by participating in direct, hands-on community service activities.
• Class of 1991 Fund: For independent work and community service summer internships
• Council of the Humanities: For internships in writing, journalism and publishing
• High Meadows Environmental Institute Funding
• International Internship Program: For international internships in private or public sector
• Lewis Center for the Arts Awards: For summer projects in the creative and performing arts
• Pace Center for Civic Engagement: For public service internships affiliated with a Pace Center program or project
• PIVOT: An online tool from the Graduate School matching research interests to potential external funding sources for research support, fellowships, equipment, travel funds and other related research and educational endeavors from federal, state, and private sponsors
• Princeton Research Funding Gateway: The Office of the Dean for Research hosts the Gateway, a database of funding opportunities, to help faculty, postdocs, graduate students and staff discover possible support for research
• Program in Law and Public Affairs: For internships in public interest law
• Program in Hellenic Studies Seeger Fellowship: For study programs in Greece, archaeological work, independent research, creative projects in the arts and internships
• Streicker International Fellows Fund: For undergraduate students interested in carrying out substantive research or educational projects while immersed in a foreign culture
• U.S. Health Policy Scholars Program: For juniors pursuing global health-related internships and independent research

Fellowships for Independent Projects

The following is a sample of awards that require applicants to propose an independent project.

Martin A. Dale ’53 Fellowship: Awarded for an independent project of extraordinary merit that will widen the recipient’s experience of the world and significantly enhance his or her personal growth and intellectual development.

Princeton ReachOut ’56 Fellowship: Open to Princeton seniors who commit to spend their first post-graduation year performing a public interest project. It emphasizes innovative and entrepreneurial projects.

Daniel M. Sachs ’60 Graduating Scholarship: The Scholarship’s core concern is to encourage the development of individuals whose life’s work is likely to benefit the public interest. The Sachs Scholarship at Worcester College, University of Oxford allows the Sachs Scholar to read for any appropriate degree from the University of Oxford. The Sachs Global Scholarship enables study at any foreign institution or the pursuit of an independent program of the Scholar’s own devising.

Funding for International Projects

The Office of International Programs maintains information on the range of fellowships and awards.

Academic Departments

Some academic departments have funding available for students who do work related to their concentration or to that field of study. Please check with each department for current information.

Internships provide a valuable experience to develop skills and clarity about your career interests. These resources will help you get the most out of your experience. 

• Learn how to excel in a virtual internship
• Set your goals before the internship begins
• Evaluate progress towards your goals mid-summer
• Evaluate progress at the end of your summer

Your Princeton experience offers frequent opportunities to naturally engage in networking — sometimes without even realizing it — including: 

• Professors’ office hours
• Event speakers and panelists
• Career fairs, employer events and professional conferences
• Summer internships or volunteer opportunities with your manager and coworkers
• Connections made through on-campus jobs
• Student organizations and volunteer opportunities 
• Reunions
• Princeton alumni clubs near your hometown, post-graduation location or the summer location
• City Treks and Princeternships through the Center for Career Development

This guide will help you through every step of networking from how to get started to maintaining your relationships. 

Learn about the benefits of information interviews and discover resources that will help you plan and conduct them with alumni and other professionals. 

Whether you are making decisions about academics, life at Princeton or potential careers, alumni are often eager to offer advice and referrals. Learn about resources to help you identify and connect with alumni. 

An elevator pitch is your short (30-60 second) professional introduction. A prepared elevator pitch will help you start a conversation with potential employers, faculty members, alumni and others. Learn how to create your pitch in five steps. 

LinkedIn is a tool for networking and job and internship searches. From searching and connecting with alumni to learning a new skill, think of LinkedIn as your lifelong career management tool. Learn about resources that will help you create an effective student profile and start to connect with others

The HireTigers Career Fair is a chance to meet with dozens of organizations and alumni from different industries interested in recruiting for full-time employment and summer internships. Learn more about the differences and tips to make the most out of the event. 

Whether this is your very first formal interview or you just want to brush up on your interviewing skills, this guide covers preparation tips and more nuanced advice for specific types of interviews.

If you're interested in opportunities in the consulting field you will need to prepare for case interviews. This guide covers the basics of case interviews and provides resources to help you get ready. 

A quantitative (quant) interview is designed to help the interviewer understand how you think, and may include specific industry references including financial terms, economic theories or established mathematical models. This guide covers the basics of quant interviews and provides resources to help you get ready. 

A technical interview is designed to help an organization evaluate a candidate’s knowledge of coding algorithms, data structures and common software development terms (e.g., binary trees, strings, arrays, queues, graphs, linked lists). This guide provides an overview of tech interviews and provides resources to help you get ready. 

Considering graduate or professional school? This guide will help you think through your motivations and prepare you for the application process. 

This guide covers reflection, preparation tips and advice for the law school application process. It is not intended to serve as a substitute for working with a career adviser to get individualized advice and discuss the more nuanced decisions you will make throughout your pre-law journey. To do this, make an appointment in Handshake.