Extracurriculars

You mean I’m supposed to choose out of 400+ organizations…..?

Start here! The Harvard College Dean of Students Office provides a list of all registered student organizations. From beekeeping to affinity groups to robotics, there’s something for everyone.

Internships

Internships

Generally, it’s best to apply to an internship position as long as you feel that you fit the requirements (next section might be a bit useful for any questions regarding this). Remember that the purpose of an internship is to expand on your skillset given that you have the minimum requirements.

Being on lots of mailing lists may seem annoying at times, but sometimes it's useful to read emails containing different open positions, especially for junior and sophomore summer.

Most importantly, try and attend career fairs early on. Harvard and MIT regularly have them in the fall, and even if you’re not looking for a job or position yet, it’s good to gain early networking experience and stay in the loop with how this process works. This is very important! Whether it be getting a contact or becoming more familiar with how the recruiting process works, definitely try and attend one. The calendar can be found here.

*The job market IS rough right now, so unfortunately expect rejections and seek out all the help you can get!

Application materials

  • Scheduling a one-on-one meeting with Keith Karasek, especially as someone who’s never gotten their resume looked over, a great starting point. Prior to the meeting, he asks for a one-page resume (which is the standard), and a general sample outline can be found here on the MCS website. 

    This will look different for everyone, but highlighting education, skills, and experience applicable to future opportunities will likely be most relevant and at the top of the page. (It’s also okay to not have any yet, and your skillset will also grow as you progress further into your coursework!) 

    However, this advice extends primarily to entering the workforce as an engineer. For fellowships or more holistic applications, it’s best to have a second, more detailed version of your resume that can speak more to who you are as a person outside of your major.

  • Networking on LinkedIn is a great way to find job opportunities or connect with alumni for potential openings at a desired organization. 

    The MCS has put together a short guide for general advice and a link to the Harvard Alumni group found here.

  • Some postings will ask for a portfolio which usually include projects that you’ve worked on in the past to showcase your skills. If this applies to you, a good strategy to follow would be keeping your structure simple with an “Overview”, “Contributions”, and “Results” section (if applicable) for each project and adding relevant pictures. 

    There are many ways to do this, and some formats include PDF, GitHub, or Google Sites. PDF can easily be done via downloading a Google Doc in such a format, and there are many tutorials available online on how to bootstrap a GitHub site from scratch. This all depends on your bandwidth and how you choose to best showcase your abilities :)

    No need to stress about this so early on, but good to keep in mind as you progress through coursework and gain experience!

Research

Most students find positions by cold emailing professors. (If your first email doesn’t get a response, try again after 7 days, then 5, then 3.)

Upperclassman tip: Try to find labs that already have undergrads and let you explore semi-independently. Smaller labs may have a more hands-on PI, while others prefer more isolated but large, structured teams.

Contacts

Keith Karasek

Keith Karasek is the SEAS director for career development, so a great person to reach out to for resume advice and advice on tailored best steps to take regarding applying for different types of positions. He can be reached at kkarasek@seas.harvard.edu.

Anthony Arcieri

Anthony Arcieri is the Director of Undergraduate Career Advising and Programming and engineering contact at MCS. His work can go hand in hand with Keith Karasek’s. An appointment with him can be scheduled here.