Career Resources - Internship & Job Search Information

Internship and Job Search Information

Join Handshake is our online recruiting portal. This is available for all Gallaudet students and alumni. 

Employers can use Handshake to post internship and job availabilities, view student and alumni resumes, register for internship and job fairs, as well as sign up for informational booths, on-campus recruiting events, and mock interviews.

Social Media

Social media is a part of networking. Networking is the process of establishing relationships with people, exchanging information and ideas, and working together for future mutually beneficial exchanges.

While social media is not the primary way employers are finding their job applicants, it is being utilized more frequently as a form of networking. Knowing the various uses and brands of technology and social media is essential to being relevant in a changing workforce. Work on improving your social media skills and market those skills on your resume when looking for jobs.

Don’t know how to get started? Meet with a Career Consultant to work on your profiles and discuss how social media can be used effectively in your job search.

Graduate school information

Is graduate school the next step for you after completing your bachelor’s degree at Gallaudet University? This very personal decision requires self-awareness, research, planning, and preparation.

The decision to pursue graduate study usually follows your professional goals. Clarity about your desired career path is needed to make good decisions about whether and how graduate study will support those goals, what kind of program to pursue, and which institutions to apply to.

The Office for Career Success can help. Please stop by SAC 2220 and make an appointment with your Career Educator. Also, check out our Library on the first floor in SAC for graduate school guides, testing information, and other helpful resources.

An excellent unaffiliated website, Exam2jobs, has comprehensive exam information for various fields, including graduate school, certifications, and more.

Common reasons to attend graduate school

• You welcome the intellectual challenge and are intrinsically interested in the subject matter
• An advanced degree is helpful or may be required to find employment in your desired field
• An advanced degree may help you to do your job more effectively
• An advanced degree may lead to advancement in your field or entry into a new field

Word to the wise

Applying to graduate school for vague reasons such as “I don’t have anything else planned,” or “My friends are all heading to grad school” or “Why not hang around Gallaudet University for another year or two?” will probably not motivate you through one to two years of challenging study. If you plan to attend grad school, you must be prepared to work hard. It’s a big commitment.

Now or later?

Many students apply for graduate programs during their senior year and enter immediately after receiving their bachelor’s degrees. Others choose to gain perspective and financial stability through full-time work before entering graduate school.

Progress toward an advanced degree will be faster through a full-time degree program. Still, some students decide to work part-time and pursue a graduate degree part-time. Many graduate programs offer courses in the late afternoon, evenings, and even on weekends to fit the schedules of working professionals.

Prepare for graduate school

In some respects, you are setting the stage for graduate school application the day you walk on campus as a freshman. Your choices of major, extracurricular commitments, development of work habits, friendships, and knowledge of support resources will all contribute to your readiness to enter graduate school after earning your bachelor’s degree from Gallaudet. Above all, your academic performance and your connection with faculty mentors will determine your readiness to enter graduate school and your competitiveness in the admissions process.

Establish relationships with faculty mentors

Gallaudet University faculty can be your greatest resource throughout the graduate-school application process. Aside from writing letters of recommendation, faculty can provide keen insight and advice about particular schools and programs.

If you haven’t already developed a relationship with a faculty member who shares your interests by your senior year, it is important that you do so now. You should select a faculty member with whom you have taken classes and visit during office hours to discuss various issues, including graduate school. Developing a relationship will also help when it comes time to request letters of recommendation.

Build on your strengths

Grades and test scores are important factors in the grad school application process, but they are only part of the total picture. Aside from basic coursework, begin to pay attention to other aspects and experiences that you have that make you a stronger candidate. These include lab work, volunteer or work experience, awards and honors, and extracurricular activities.

As you prepare your application, gather any information and materials that demonstrate these accomplishments, including letters of recommendation, writing samples, and a resume, which many schools are now requesting along with your application.

Select the best program for you

A program that has a high ranking and a sound reputation may nevertheless not be the best choice for you.

General evaluations and resource guides offer a broad perspective on a school, but your own focus is much narrower and harder to characterize. The key to selecting the ideal program for you is to know yourself and what you want to study.

Does a given school, for example, have the faculty or facilities to support your studies? Also, you may have to relocate to attend a program of your choice, and you will need to research the location as well as the student life at that school.

Some questions to consider:

• Does this school offer the program I am seeking, at the time and location that fit with my financial and personal situation?
• What is the student profile for this program? Look at diversity, age, professional experiences, interests, and student life.
• Does the faculty exhibit special strengths and research qualities through their graduate mentoring, published works, and/or funded research?
• Have my undergraduate academic and/or professional experiences prepared me for this program?
• Will this program give me an opportunity for hands-on experience, either as a professional practitioner or researcher?
• As I approach degree completion, what type of career counseling/job search support would be available to me?
• Does the department of interest have a sufficiently large and varied curriculum to allow me a broad offering of courses and options?
• How senior are the professors from my area of study; what are their interests and availability?
• Is financial support available (including teaching and/or research assistantships)?
• What are the class sizes, and what is the student/faculty ratio?
• How active is the faculty in my field?
• Are there facilities to conduct my research?
• How does the program’s reputation compare with the university’s reputation?
• Are the classes I am interested in offered? If so, how often?
• Will graduate student life there be a good fit for me?

Once you identify a program that you are interested in, research it thoroughly. Check out the faculty members at the prospective school to learn their areas of expertise and how they may relate to your interest. If there are a few faculty members who impress you, you should review some of their recent research and publications.

You should also ask your faculty mentor if s/he is familiar with the program you are considering. Faculty members may be able to provide a professional assessment of the program’s quality. If you are interested in a science program, for example, make sure the university has the necessary facilities and laboratory space to conduct your specific research.

Online websites that can help identify graduate schools to consider:

• GraduateGuide
• CollegeNet: Law, MBA, and medical schools
• GradSchools.com: Search by subject and geographic area for graduate programs in your field
• Petersons: Identify schools by location, major, tuition, sports and more

Graduate testing information

Graduate Record Examination (GRE)

Many graduate school programs regard test scores as an important part of the application. There are two types of GREs: the General Test and Subject Tests.

The GRE General Test is intended to measure critical thinking, analytical writing, verbal reasoning, and quantitative reasoning skills. This test is NOT offered at Gallaudet; rather, it is available in the Computer Adaptive format at testing centers around the United States (and in paper-based form at other sites around the world).

The GRE Subject Tests are designed to measure undergraduate achievement in eight specific fields of study. These are offered twice yearly at the Career Center and other testing locations. The GRE Subject Test is paper-based and is required by only certain graduate school programs. Be sure to check the policy for the graduate school of your choice before taking the test.

To take the GRE (either General or Subject test), you must register and pay in advance either online or by mail. Test registration and preparation materials are available at the Gallaudet University Career Center.

The Educational Testing Service, which oversees the GRE, has more information online.

Miller Analogies Test

The Miller Analogies Test (MAT) is offered electronically at the Career Center (Student Academic Center, Room 2221) on every second Thursday of each month.

To take the exam, you MUST register in advance by contacting us. Space is limited to four registrants per testing date; registrations are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.

Test administration begins at 8:00 a.m., and those who have registered should arrive at least 10 minutes beforehand. Late arrivals will not be admitted.

Test takers should bring the following information on the test date:

• Two forms of identification:
  • A picture ID, such as a current driver’s license or passport
  • Another ID with you name written on it exactly the same as on the picture ID
• A check, money order, or cash for the $70 test fee. A check or money order should be made out to Gallaudet University.

Test takers will receive a Preliminary Score Report upon completion of the exam. Pearson (MAT Administration Site) will mail the Official Personal Score Report to selected universities and test takers approximately three weeks after the exam has been taken.

For more information on the MAT exam, call 1-800-622-3231 or visit the MAT website.