Organizing Your Job & Internship Search

Piper Center
How-to Guides
Organizing Your Job & Internship Search

Approaching your career search with intention helps turn an overwhelming process into a focused and purposeful journey. By staying organized and clear about your goals, values, and priorities, you stay in control, make better decisions, and pursue opportunities that truly align with who you are, setting you up for long-term success. Make a copy of our Career Activity Tracker or use the Rain Careers app to assist in this process.

For more information on how to discern what career area(s) you may want to search for internships and jobs in, please visit our Find Your Path page.

Explore how your personal approach to organization can impact your work style, productivity, and career satisfaction.

Understanding your organizational tendencies can help you choose environments and roles that align with your strengths. For tools and strategies to support your development in this area, check out the resources below.

Resources

You already have a network just by existing in the world! Think of your direct supporters – this could be family, friends, or others you feel a close connection to. All of those people have experiences to share AND all of those people know other people that may be helpful to you in your journey. Start asking your people about THEIR people and if there is anyone who you may want to connect with based on your career goals.

Other ways to identify helpful people are by attending events or looking through the alumni database and LinkedIn. Take a look at the Piper Center’s Networking Guide to see how to appropriately reach out and make a connection.

Resources

Learning about potential employers is an essential part of your career journey. Understanding a company’s mission, values, and culture helps you figure out whether it’s a place where you can thrive. It also allows you to speak more confidently and genuinely about why you’re a strong fit, whether you’re writing a cover letter or preparing for an interview.

Researching employers isn’t just about checking boxes; it’s about making sure the opportunities you pursue align with who you are and what you care about.

Resources

Handshake (employers tab)
LinkedIn
Piper Center Events
Look up the company’s website

Exploring your opportunities means looking at both what’s out there and how you’re going after it. On average, people submit 30-70 applications before landing a role, and it’s common to apply to many different places at once. Considering this, keeping everything organized in one place is essential. It allows you to see patterns in your job search, analyze what’s working (and what isn’t), and adjust your strategy as needed. Over 70% of jobs are still found through networking, so it’s not just about how many applications you submit, but how you’re building connections and following up on leads.

By combining strategy, persistence, and relationships, you’ll open more doors and be ready to walk through the ones that fit you best. Consider tracking these by making a copy of the Career Activity Tracker. There you will be able to track your applications, sort by priority, and share your tracker with a Piper Center coach so they can better understand your approach and offer more tailored guidance.

Helpful Hint: Capture screenshots of job postings and link them directly in your tracker so you’ll still have the full details after the position closes.

Resources

CLICK HERE to access the Career Activity Tracker