Alumni

Information for Alumni

Career Services remain available to Penn alumni served by our office even after you graduate! We have a variety of career related digital resources available for alumni which you can explore on this page, including our Handshake job board which lists thousands of positions posted for Penn alumni each year.  Note that alumni of online-only programs should contact their program for services.

Alumni may schedule up to three appointments per 12-month period with a career advisor through Handshake or by calling our office at 215-898-7531. Career Services advisors can discuss a range of topics with you from helping you to think through and clarify your career goals, to perfecting your resume or interviewing skills, to applying to graduate or professional school.  (Note that alumni within one year of graduation who may need additional career support are not subject to the three appointment limit.) See the list of Career Advising teams to find your appropriate advisor. Alumni who feel they may need additional support are welcome to review this list of External Career Coaches as an additional resource.

Handshake & Appointments

Handshake is Career Services’ core platform where you can find our job board, network with students and alumni, view an events calendar, or schedule a videoconference or phone appointment with an adviser.  Alumni who graduated in 1997 or later automatically have an account, which can be accessed with your PennKey. If you graduated prior to 1997 or are having trouble accessing Handshake, please contact our general inbox.

Network & Explore

Career Services provides many ways to network with potential employers and fellow alumni to explore career options.  Through MyPenn you can access a searchable database of Penn alumni. Utilize CareerShift and other networking resources to establish a strategic way to  network with contacts across career fields and employers. Consider joining the Penn Alumni Career Design Fellowship to plan what comes next in your career.

Prepare For Your Job Search

Many resources are available on the Career Services website to help you at any stage of your career. Update your resume, cover letter, and other professional documents; learn about key interviewing techniques; explore industry-specific resources; and learn how to develop negotiating skills.

Apply to Graduate School

Career Services has an entire team dedicated to helping you explore and apply to graduate, law, or health professions schools. Whether it be gathering information on programs that match your interests and career plans, identifying graduate school resources, preparing your application materials or understanding timelines, a pre-graduate school advisor is here to help.

Career Tools Webinar Seires logo

Connect with Alumni Relations

Penn Alumni Lifelong Learning partners with Career Services to offer the Career Tools Webinar Series, a wide array of professional development seminars and workshops focused on alumni. Update your MyPenn account to stay connected. Feel free to join the LinkedIn Penn Alumni Group to network with your peers! Click here to discover other ways to engage with other Penn alumni.  Click here to see upcoming and archived webinars.

Recruit & Support Penn Students

Penn alumni can stay connected with current Penn students through a variety of mentoring and networking opportunities. Career Services can also help you to recruit students for internship or full-time opportunities! Alumni who wish to support students in their careers may also do so by contributing to the Career Services’ General Fund or to our Summer Funding Program.

From Failure to Leadership: Lessons for Executive Growth and Development

Today, Henry Ford is synonymous with American innovation and progress.

But while he was developing his first automobile, his investors decided he was too careful – and they backed out of their agreement. 

The second time he started a company, …

By Ivy Exec
Ivy Exec is your dedicated career development resource.
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On Leveraging Immortality, Splicing, and Erythroid Stem Cells

Annie Xia, COL ’25, Cincinnati, Ohio

This summer, I was glad to have the opportunity to continue my work at the Jurado Lab at Perelman’s Department of Microbiology. Coming into Penn as an aspiring physician-scientist, I’d always hoped to hone …

By Career Services
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First Day at a New Job? Here Are the 3 Most Important Questions to Ask

When it’s our first day at a new job, we tend to have all the questions. And If you know me or you’re familiar with my career advice (or if I’ve ever been your direct report!), you may know that …

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Advice for new faculty!

With graduation right around the corner, many soon-to-be PhDs and postdocs will be beginning their first role as a faculty member.  Earlier this semester, Penn’s Career Services hosted a First Generation Graduate Student Week, which included a panel of faculty …

By Dianne Hull
Dianne Hull Senior Associate Director, Graduate Students & Postdocs
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A Summer With The Pioneer In Nutritional Psychiatry

Vina Tran, COL ’25, Lawndale, CA

Nutritional psychiatry is a rapidly rising field of research that has so much potential in shaping brain health. Ever since indulging in Dr. Uma Naidoo’s book This is Your Brain on Food: An Indispensable …

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Career Services
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Location

Phone
(215) 898-7531
Address

McNeil Building Suite 20
3718 Locust Walk
Philadelphia, PA 19104

Service Hours

Monday 9am-5pm
Tuesday 9am-5pm
Wednesday 9am-5pm
Thursday 9am-5pm
Friday 9am-5pm