As a first-generation student, you’re already demonstrating courage, resilience, and determination as you make progress through your undergraduate or graduate program at Penn. You will use these same skills as you begin your career planning, and the sooner you can start this process, the more confident you will be making decisions about your career next steps. There are many online tools and resources that you can leverage as you think about your career next steps (take a look at the bottom of this page), but understanding each stage of career planning and development will help you approach your future with clarity, confidence, and purpose. Here’s why each stage matters:
Career Exploration
Career exploration helps you discover and understand your own interests, strengths, and values—and how these align with potential career paths. As a first-generation student, exploring careers early can open doors to opportunities you might not have known existed. This stage is essential because it allows you to make informed decisions about majors, internships, and jobs that truly resonate with who you are and what you want for your future. Here are some steps you can take to get started with your career exploration.
Explore careers and industries: https://careerservices.upenn.edu/channels/explore-careers-industries/
Where do Penn students go when they graduate: https://careerservices.upenn.edu/post-graduate-outcomes/
Vault industry guides with clear descriptions of opportunities and requirements: https://careerservices.upenn.edu/resources/vault-career-insider/
CareerExplorer – a free exploration and self-assessment tool: https://careerservices.upenn.edu/resources/careerexplorer/
Beyond Graduate School video library of interviews with Master’s professionals across industries: https://institutions.beyondgradschool.com/career-video-library/
Imagine PhD – a exploration and self-assessment tool for PhDs in the humanities/social sciences: https://www.imaginephd.com/
Beyond the Professoriate video library of interviews with PhD professionals across industries: https://institutions.beyondprof.com/career-exploration-video-resource-library/
Networking and Getting your Career Questions Answered
Networking means building meaningful relationships with professionals, mentors, alumni, and peers who can provide guidance, insights, and support throughout your career journey. It also means finding answers to questions about jobs, industries, or any career-related topic by finding people whose lived experiences gives them perspectives they can share. For first-generation students especially, networking is important because it helps you gain access to valuable career knowledge about career fields, uncover hidden opportunities, and build connections that can lead directly to internships or job offers. Make the most of your networking by exploring some of these resources.
“Learn how to network” overview page on the Career Services website: https://careerservices.upenn.edu/channels/make-connections-network/
myPenn – the Penn-specific alumni database you can use to explore careers or make connections: https://mypenn.upenn.edu/
LinkedIn Alumni tool – giving you the power to find Penn connections by location, industry, or employer: https://www.linkedin.com/school/university-of-pennsylvania/people/
Networking workshop playlist on the Penn Career Services YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSGMA1mn7ql2xf0rJ1E4UgYum_XFurI1b
Informational Interviewing Guide for graduate students and postdocs: https://careerservices.upenn.edu/resources/informational-interviewing-for-graduate-students-postdocs/
Networking resources for Master’s students: https://institutions.beyondgradschool.com/finding-people-to-network-with/
Networking resources for PhD students: https://institutions.beyondprof.com/maintain-and-grow-your-network/
Application Materials (resume, CV, cover letter)
The application stage is your opportunity to clearly communicate your unique experiences, skills, and accomplishments to potential employers or graduate programs. The more you know about an internship, job, or graduate program, the easier it will be for you to showcase the value that you will bring in your application materials. Know yourself, and know your audience, and you will have a strong foundation for creating effective CVs, resumes, and cover letters. And cover letters can be a great way to also highlight how you have used your resilience, adaptability, and determination in your academic and professional experiences. Mastering the application process ensures that employers see the full value of what you bring to the table. Here are some great resources to get you started.
Resume advice overview and samples on the Penn Career Services website: https://careerservices.upenn.edu/channels/resume/
Cover letter overview on the Penn Career Services website: https://careerservices.upenn.edu/channels/cover-letters/
Advice for CVs and other materials used for faculty job applications: https://careerservices.upenn.edu/application-materials-for-the-faculty-job-search/
Resume advice for Master’s students: https://institutions.beyondgradschool.com/how-to-write-a-resume/
Resume advice for PhD students: https://institutions.beyondprof.com/writing-resumes-that-communicate-your-value-to-employers/
Resume and cover letter workshop playlist on the Penn Career Services YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSGMA1mn7ql2fAzNHsoSd5AR0ZxsTm7nq
Interviewing Effectively
Interviewing allows you to share your story in person—to highlight your abilities, experiences, and personality beyond what’s written on paper. For first-generation students who may not have prior exposure to professional interviews in different types of career fields, developing strong interviewing skills is critical. Being prepared for interviews helps you confidently express yourself and demonstrate why you’re the ideal candidate for the opportunity. Telling engaging stories about your experiences, or navigating case, technical, or graduate school interviews with confidence, takes practice, and so take a look at these resources.
“Learn how to interview” overview on the Career Services website: https://careerservices.upenn.edu/channels/interview/
Big Interview – a tool for practicing interviews with “do-it-yourself” mock interviews: https://careerservices.upenn.edu/resources/big-interview/
Exponent – a platform with advice on technical interviews: https://careerservices.upenn.edu/resources/exponent/
Management Consulted – a platform with advice on case interviewing: https://careerservices.upenn.edu/resources/management-consulted-2/
Best practices for case interviews guide: https://careerservices.upenn.edu/resources/case-interview-guide/
Interviewing guide for graduate students and postdocs: https://careerservices.upenn.edu/resources/grad-interviewing/
Interviewing advice for Master’s students: https://institutions.beyondgradschool.com/how-to-prepare-for-your-interview/
Interviewing advice for PhD students: https://institutions.beyondprof.com/how-to-answer-common-interview-questions/
Interview workshop playlist on the Penn Career Services YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSGMA1mn7ql0sf2XKmxRLAqk_mpl_lA6R
Negotiation and Offer Evaluation
Negotiation involves advocating for yourself when accepting job offers or internships—ensuring you’re fairly compensated for your skills and contributions. First-generation students may find negotiation unfamiliar or uncomfortable at first—but it’s an essential skill that can significantly impact your financial security and professional satisfaction throughout your professional journey. Learning how to negotiate effectively and optimistically empowers you – and while you won’t always get everything you try to negotiate for, you will always be glad you asked. Here are some resources to learn how to evaluate offers and plan for your negotiation strategy.
“Learn how to negotiate” overview on Career Services website: https://careerservices.upenn.edu/channels/research-salaries-negotiate-offers/
Glassdoor: https://careerservices.upenn.edu/resources/glassdoor/
See aggregated salary data from the first destination surveys: https://careerservices.upenn.edu/post-graduate-outcomes/
Negotiation Guide for Graduate Students and Postdocs: https://careerservices.upenn.edu/resources/negotiation-guide-for-graduate-students-postdocs/
Negotiation resources for Master’s students: https://institutions.beyondgradschool.com/how-to-negotiate-a-job-offer/
Negotiation resources of PhD students: https://institutions.beyondprof.com/how-to-negotiate-a-job-offer/
Negotiation workshop playlist on the Penn Career Services YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSGMA1mn7ql3CQdXA7PcZ3aqmdCcrtGyC
