student holding portfolio at career fair

Career Services

The graduate program office and undergraduate chemistry office offer career services to students. A variety of industrial chemistry companies work with us each year to identify and recruit talented students. The Department of Chemistry also provides an avenue for chemistry-related companies to publicize job openings through our online recruitment tool, Handshake.

Company recruiting visits

There are no upcoming events.

In addition to providing on-campus interview opportunities and allowing companies an opportunity to publish job openings, we also coordinate and publicize on-campus career and job-related skill workshops. View the calendar for upcoming events and on-campus interview opportunities.

View our Career, Internship, and Fellowship Opportunities.

For more information about Chemistry Career Services, please contact Francisca Jofre.

Campus Career Resources for Graduates

  • The College of Engineering Career Services website also offers interview questions, resume examples, and information on how to prepare for your job search.
  • The Graduate School places a strong emphasis on professional development.  Visit their website for information about Discover PD, Individual Development Plans (IDP), Versatile PhD, and professional development seminars and workshops.
  • The Office of Postdoctoral Studies runs career workshops that are open to postdocs and graduate students.
  • UW-Madison’s Handshake connects current undergraduate and graduate students and recent graduates with employers. Through Handshake, you can find internships, full-time employment opportunities, learn about prospective employers, and sign up for information sessions and campus interviews.

On-Campus Recruiting

On-campus interviews are conducted throughout the academic year. The Handshake website allows employers to submit open positions, students to submit online resumes, coordinate online interview schedules, and more.

To access Handshake, students must register online. Within 24 hours of registration registrants will be granted full access to the site.

PREPARING FOR ON-CAMPUS INTERVIEWS

PREPARE DOCUMENTS

Start developing the following items well before your first interview, and bring these materials with you to your interviews.

  • Resume: Handshake allows for several versions.
  • Cover letter: You may customize several versions.
  • Research Summary: 1-2 pages
  • References: Include names, titles, companies,phone numbers, email addresses.
  • Transcript: You should have copies of your undergraduate and graduate transcripts available.

GET ORGANIZED

Keep track of to whom you have submitted your resume, what contact you have had with that organization, etc. The Handshake system also contains your own personal calendar to indicate your interview dates and Information Session events. Check your email frequently for updates and invitations.

BRING THE FOLLOWING TO YOUR INTERVIEW

Check the employer information in Handshake, but typically graduate students give a 15-20 minute presentation, including graphics, about their research. The graphics can be viewed via a computer, paper handouts, or the chalkboard available in the interview room. Bring copies of your graphics so that the interviewer can take notes. Also bring an extra copy of your resume and research summary.

We help direct undergraduate chemistry majors to campus career resources. View the calendar for upcoming events and on-campus interview opportunities or see the latest job listings, research/internship opportunities and student hourly positions.

View our Career, Student Hourly, and Research/Internship Opportunities.

For more information about Chemistry Career Services, please contact Katie McCullough.

KATIE MCCULLOUGHKatie McCullough

Academic Advising Manager
klmccullough@wisc.edu
608-262-8898
7408 Chemistry

Campus Career Resources for Undergraduates

Recruiting Graduate Students & Postdoctoral Researchers

On-campus interviews are conducted each fall. Please contact Erin Grunewald in the Chemistry Graduate Program Office to establish a recruiting date and for assistance with Handshake, the electronic recruiting system.

The Chemistry Graduate Program Office provides the recruiter with:

Access to Handshake to view calendars, resumes, and interview schedules.
Management of and communication about recruiting events.

Typical Interview Schedule

8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

  • 30 Minutes = 13 time slots
  • 45 Minutes = 9 time slots
  • 60 Minutes = 7 time slots

Registering for Handshake and Posting a Job:

  1. Contact Graduate Program Office to establish a date for your on-campus recruiting event if applicable.
  2. Create an account in Handshake. (See here for detailed instructions.)
  3. Log into Handshake to post a job/internship or to post a job for an on-campus recruiting event.
  4. Take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with the options available. For tutorials (e.g., creating a job/internship posting, using an existing job template, archiving jobs, etc.), select “? Help” at the top of the screen.
  5. You may now post your job/internship. Be sure to provide a detailed description of the open position(s), required/desired qualifications, application start date, and application end date. (See here for more details.)
  6. Job postings may be edited at any time.
  7. Log in to Handshake to review and/or print resumes submitted by applicants. You may choose to receive applicant resumes as they are submitted or in one batch by email at the end of the application period.

Recruiting Undergraduates

Employers who would like to visit our undergraduate chemistry majors can contact the Undergraduate Student Services Coordinator, Katie McCullough (klmccullough@wisc.edu).


Corporate Recruiting at UW-Madison Department of Chemistry

The Department of Chemistry encourages companies to visit the department to create awareness of their company, interview graduate students and postdocs, and build connections with faculty.

Companies typically present a 1 – 1.5 hour information session to showcase the company’s research, job opportunities, and living environment.  The information session can be schedule at any time during the day, but often is early in the morning with breakfast provided or in the late afternoon or early evening with pizza provided.

After the information session (later the same day or the next day), the company representatives interview selected graduate students and postdocs from the Department of Chemistry and other departments of interest (Chemical Biological Engineering, Material Science Engineering, Pharmacy, Biochemistry, etc.). Students apply for interviews by uploading company-requested documents (resume, research summary, cover letter) using Handshake, a password-protected software program that connects students and employers.

Erin Grunewald, Graduate Program Coordinator, works with the companies to coordinate the campus visits.

Services provided by Graduate Student Services to visiting companies:

  • schedule the dates, times, and rooms for the campus visit
  • promote the company visit with flyers and emails and work with the company to identify other departments of interest for company recruiting
  • reserve parking permits in the lot across from the Chemistry Building
  • American Chemical Society (ACS) Career Navigator contains information on career pathways, job fairs, and resume writing. You can also use the site’s job search function.
  • For resources and questions pertaining to employment with the federal government, contact the Career & Internship Specialist at SuccessWorks who covers Government, Policy, International Affairs, and Law.
  • Federal government career opportunities for students and recent graduates are available at USAJOBS.gov.