Step 5: Identify a List of Graduate School Programs/Employers by Career Field

Whether searching abroad or in the United States, you have to have a sense of where you are applying, before you can start. At the Career Center, we call this a “hit list” of graduate schools or employers.

This “hit list” can be developed using many different sources.

Graduate Schools and Programs
If you are looking for graduate schools, it is important to talk with faculty, classmates and advisors about programs in your field. We also have listings of graduate programs in the United States available in the Career Center.

Employers
To create a “hit list’ of employers, it is important to have clearly stated your goals. You need to know what industry you are interested in, where geographically you’d like to be located, and what type of position you are looking for. With this information in mind, the Career Center can direct you toward resources to help identify employers to which you can target your application.

In the United States, many positions are never publicized, and are filled through proactive contact. Proactive contact is when you send your materials to an employer who may not have posted a position yet. “Hit Lists” are important to this process, as once you know who you are interested in, you can submit your resume through mail, email or fax. The Career Center is able to help you identify sources to pull employer contact information from. Check the Resources page for places to start, but make sure to also meet with a Career Professional or an overview of our print resources.