Alums

Alums within 1 Year Post Graduation can connect with a dedicated alumni advisor in OCS by requesting a 30-minute appointment online using the Yale Career Link.

Alums Pursuing Graduate and Professional School can  meet with an advisor by completing an online form which will in turn give you access to schedule an appointment with a career advisor.

Click  here to access the Appointment Request Form for Graduate and Professional School Advising. Access will be granted within 48 hours.

OCS has negotiated with a group of professional career coaches to provide assistance to Yale alums. All coaches listed have agreed to offer a 20-30 minute complementary session for Yale alums to discuss general tips for a specific career transition, as well as the state of the market in the coach’s geographical area.

• To access the list of External Career Coaches, log into the Yale Career Link.
• Enter your email address (or whatever permanent email address you have on file) and if needed, click “forgot password”.
• If you have never logged in, please click on “sign up”.
• Once you are logged in and in the system, click on the “resource tab” on the left side and select “Career Library”.
• When you are in the Career Library, search by the phrase “External Career Coach List” in the keywords search box.

In addition, alums are encouraged to search the National Career Development’s website.

Volunteer Alumni Career Advisors: In partnership with the Yale Alumni Association, OCS has onboarded a cohort of Volunteer Alumni Career Advisors across industries and functional areas to provide virtual career coaching to fellow Alums from all Schools of the University.

• 18 industries are represented across 20 Industry Experts as well as General Career Advisors. 
• This diverse group of experienced Volunteer Alums are ready to offer personalized career advice in key components of the job search process—from resume and cover letters, networking, job negotiations, interview prep to insights into specific industries. 
• The Alum Volunteers listed in the General Career Advice category will assist you with exploring, choosing, and managing your career path more broadly and not framed within a specific industry. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to pivot, these Volunteer Alumni Career Advisors are here to help you navigate your path with confidence.
• The Volunteer Alumni Career Advisors are only offered to Yale Alums and all participants will be verified before accessing this service. This service is at no cost to Alums.
• To review this list of Volunteer Alumni Career Advisors, Descriptions and Contact Information, log into the Yale Alumni Directory Yale Alumni Directory – Login. If you are not registered in the directory, you can register here. Once you are logged in, simply select the Volunteer Alumni Career Advisors from the top list of hyperlinks and that will give you the password to access the page.

Cross Campus expands our campus community and bolsters the alums experience by harnessing the power of our Yale community for exchanges of advice, wisdom, and ideas. For mentors, it is an opportunity to give back and share all that they have learned. For mentees, it’s an opportunity to network, to get advice from those who have been through the process, and an opportunity to get one-on-one coaching from Yalies who have “been in their shoes”.

OCS provides templates that work with Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), used by many employers to screen resumes.

• The Behavioral Interview: Check out sample behavioral interview questions and use this accomplishment stories worksheet to develop your answers.
• The Case Interview
• ​The Technical Interview
• Firsthand Career Guides (previously Vault): Provides interview advice for specific industries or fields.
• Big Interview: Licensed by OCS, through this tool choose among thousands of interview types, record your answers, and watch them back for further practice. Click here for instructions.
• Illegal Interview Questions

Building strong professional connections is essential to a successful career search. 85% of jobs are found through Networking (U.S. Bureau of Labor & Statistics)

• The Value of Networking
• How to Start Networking
• Using OCS to Find Contacts for Networking
• Connecting with Your Contacts
• LinkedIn: 87% of recruiters and hiring managers source for candidates on LinkedIn. Visit OCS’ detailed tips on Building Your LinkedIn Profile

Informational Interviewing is a powerful tool to learn about career paths and build relationships. Although an informational interview may lead to a job offer, that is not the primary goal. 

• Sample Emails to Request an Informational Interview 
• How to Set Up an Informational Interview
• Key Questions to Ask
• Ways to Engage Your Interviewee

Connecting with an Executive Recruiter or search firms that specializes in your career field can be beneficial to your job search. Executive recruiters work primarily with candidates that have prior work experience, but there are some exceptions. These recruiters will assist you in your job search as well as expose you to new opportunities. Keep in mind, working with an executive recruiter or search firm does not replace your own diligent management of your job search. Click here for tips and services.

The Office of Career Strategy does not have direct experience with these organizations and does not directly endorse any of their services.

Yale Career Link, powered by Symplicity, offers a centralized place to view career resources and find opportunities. It is only accessible to alums of Yale College, the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, and the Yale Postdoc Program. Access Yale Career Link on your desktop or mobile device (‘Symplicity Jobs and Careers’ app in Apple App Store or Google Play). If you have had an account in the system, select the Forgot Password button and you should receive an email to reset your password. If you have never had an account in this system, please email careerstrategy@yale.edu.

CareerShift: Licensed by the OCS, this job aggregator is a powerful tool to search for internship and full-time positions posted across thousands of employer websites and other public sites. It also allows the job seeker to find millions of contacts for networking (including Yale alums) and find recruiters for various companies or by industry. CareerShift is neither created nor maintained by Yale OCS; therefore, Yale is not responsible for the content presented therein.

How to Access CareerShift: Yale College Alums, Yale GSAS Alums and Postdoc Alums – Log into Yale CareerLink . You can find CareerShift by selecting Resources from the top of the page and then proceeding down to the My Shortcuts section. The first time you use CareerShift, you will be asked 1 quick question to verify your affiliation to Yale.

GoinGlobal: GoinGlobal Country Career Guides are the ultimate jobseeker’s tool for finding employment at home and abroad. Packed with country-specific career information, each guide has been developed by a local career specialist, updated annually, and features recommended websites and detailed resource descriptions for vital employment topics.

Log in through your Yale Career Link Account, choose Resources from the top toolbar and scroll down to “My Shortcuts”, choose GoinGlobal

Exploring Careers: Take time to understand different job paths, industries, and roles to see what aligns best with your skills, interests, personality and values. It’s about more than just browsing job listings—it’s researching options, talking to professionals, gaining hands-on experience, and reflecting on what interests you.

Design Your Career: This effective and engaging online tool is based on Stanford University’s approach to applying Design Thinking principles to career decision-making. Please visit our designated page for more information on Designing Your Career@Yale.

5 Steps to the Career Decision Making Process: The career decision-making process is ongoing throughout your professional life and as your career progresses, you may find yourself using this process again. There are times you may feel frustrated as if you are no closer to finding direction than when you started. If you’re going through the process, you are making progress. Each area you explore takes you closer to the options that are a good fit.

My Next Move: An interactive tool for job seekers created by the National Center for O*NET Development for the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. It provides easy access to career exploration, educational programs and more.

Explore PhD Pathways: Your Ph.D. has equipped you with skills that can be applied to diverse careers within and beyond academia. Learn more about Humanities and Social Sciences Ph.D. pathways and STEM Ph.D. pathways.