Looking for a job or summer internship? Check out UCAN, or University Career Action Network, an intercollegiate job/internship database and my personal favorite career tool. Maintained by a 22-university syndicate, UCAN’s expansive network is a goldmine for even the pickiest job searcher.
Perhaps “you-can” sounds unfamiliar to you. If you’ve ever browsed TigerTracks or another similar job/internship search site, you’re probably familiar with the process. Just register with your Princeton email address, punch in basic profile information, and you’re good to go. You can also add basic academic information, upload your resume, and create a Onestop Talent Search profile. This last feature enters your information and resume into a search engine for employers that helps them find and recruit their candidate of best fit. That’s right, employers search for YOU.
If you’ve ever researched jobs and internships, you probably know that effective search tools make all the difference. One of my favorite features of the UCAN website is the sheer multitude of ways to approach the job search. On the internship homepage, you can browse opportunities by job title, employer, keyword, employer name, description, major, and location, either separately or all at once.
Another of UCAN’s perks is its search employer feature. Say you want to search journalism opportunities in New York City. Just go to the employer tab at the top, plug in the information, and a list of employers and their corresponding websites appears on your page. Tip: if a company does not have an internship posted on UCAN, check out their website. Usually under “career,” “contact us,” or (of course) “internships” you’ll find details on the position you’re looking for. UCAN also contains a list of contacts from companies listed by industry, if you’re looking for career advice from someone in the business.
If you’re motivated or just plain curious about your career future, UCAN is the perfect place to start or refine your search. Just go to Princeton’s Career Services website, click on UCAN on the right-hand sidebar, and check it out for yourself!