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Recruitment Timelines for a Successful Job Search

Step #1 to a successful job and internship search: Know the recruitment timeline for your industry of choice. Every industry has its own application and hiring cycle.

If you’re looking for a job or internship in consulting, finance or engineering, the application and recruitment period is happening now. Other industries, like journalism, education and government, pick up in October and November.

It’s important to keep in mind that employers use different strategies for recruitment. Some employers, such as those in finance and consulting, participate in on-campus recruiting (information sessions, career fairs and interviews). Others, such as those in the arts and culture and nonprofit, are more likely to recruit through networking or posting opportunities in CareerCat, Northwestern Career Advancement’s central platform for career activity.

How can you prepare?

  • Stay active in CareerCat to ensure that you don’t miss an opportunity. Select your career interests when creating or updating your CareerCat profile and schedule a Job Search Agent to receive the career opportunities that you care about most.

  • Connect with your Northwestern Career Advancement (NCA) career adviser to develop a job or internship search strategy in advance of your preferred industry’s hiring cycle.

Here are the timelines for internship and full-time recruitment. These tables provide general time frames, as NCA continues to receive internship and job postings throughout the year for many industries.

Get ahead of the job search at the Fall 2016 Internship & Job Fair. Stop by the second floor of Norris on September 27 and 28 to network with potential employers. More than 160 employers from a variety of industries will attend, with 80+ different employers each day.