Take advantage of one-on-one career planning and assessment, networking and mentorship opportunities, internship and job postings, industry insights and more.
Focus2 Career is a reliable, intuitive career & education decision-making assessment designed to help students explore majors offered at TCU, research occupations & make informed, self-directed career decisions. Access your free TCU Focus2 account here. If it is your first time using Focus2, create a user account using the access code: frogs
Need more guidance? We’re here to help. Schedule a 15-minute appointment with peer advisers through Handshake, TCU’s online job platform, to get started on your career exploration and internship/job search process. Once you're ready for a more in-depth conversation during your junior and senior year, schedule an appointments with our career consultants through Handshake.
Watch this quick video tutorial to learn how to navigate Handshake, TCU’s online job platform, and learn more about different opportunities.
Explore Handshake for all TCU career fairs, employer-hosted events, webinars, panels and more.
Ready to hone your skills? We’ve compiled various opportunities to help you expand your knowledge and develop in-demand skill sets employers are seeking in candidates.
Connecting with others who share similar professional interests, goals and aspirations is a great way to learn about industry trends and nuances. We often associate networking with getting a job or learning about opportunities, but it’s so much more. Networking can help you gain insight into an organization or industry, and assess whether an organization’s mission and purpose align with your values and goals.
It’s important to exercise curiosity, demonstrate authentic interest and practice engaging in these types of conversations. After networking conversations, evaluate which organizations or industry job functions fit with your desired career path, then plan your next move based what you’ve learned from your networking conversations.
Explore Handshake for all TCU career fairs, employer-hosted events, webinars, panels and more.
An informational interview is an informal conversation you can have with someone working in an industry of interest to you. It’s an effective research tool to start exploring your interests and future career path. You’ll find most professionals enjoy taking a bit of time out of their day to share their experiences and advice with students interested in their industry.
Informational interviews will help you:
Not sure where to begin? Here are a few resources to get you started and help find contacts.
Download our Informational Interviewing Guide
TCU Neeley helps students grow their skills through mentorship opportunities.
Our Neeley Mentorship Program offers sophomore business students the opportunity to connect with successful alumni mentors who can help you expand your professional skills, explore potential careers and gain access across industries.
Our Transaction and Investment Professionals Board offers one-on-one career mentoring for select students pursuing investment banking.
LinkedIn can be a powerful online tool for building your network, connecting with recruiters and searching for career opportunities. Our resources will help you polish your profile and optimize your connection strategies.
Download LinkedIn Profile Checklist
Download LinkedIn Optimization Guide
LinkedIn Tutorial
When you're networking, organizations, recruiters and contacts often ask: Tell me about yourself. To answer this question, it's important to understand your strengths, motivations, values and experiences in order to tell your story in a compelling and authentic way. This can also be applied to your LinkedIn profile, résumé, cover letters and more.
Read our tips and examples, and download our worksheet to get started.
Neeley’s Professional Development Center (PDC) assists students with résumé support. Reference the resources on the PDC’s website to develop a competitive resume. As you move into your major, it is recommended to transition your resume to an industry specific resume template located in the Handshake Resource library.
We will help you put your best foot forward with a polished, professional résumé and cover letter. Submit your current drafts and receive feedback within 48 hours from the Professional Development Center. General résumé reviews are offered throughout the year to all pre-business and business majors.
A healthy, workable job or internship search includes more than submitting applications through a job board using your résumé. If you're looking to find a job or internship that aligns with your values, interests and skills, then make time to talk with people in careers that interest you (i.e., Informational Interviewing and Networking).
This will help you:
Ready to get started? Here are a few resources to help you find contacts.
If you have been admitted to the Neeley School of Business and would like to receive class credit for your internship, consider enrolling in the Business Internship Course designed specifically for business students. *International students see below.
Class Purpose: The Neeley School offers this opportunity for students to earn academic credit for their internship experience. The School’s main priority is that the internship offers academic substance that is worthy of college credit. Fall and Spring semester students must take the internship concurrently during the semester of the internship, however students participating in a summer internship may only receive course credit if they enroll in the following fall class since it is not offered in the summer.
Date & Time: TBA
Grading System: Pass/Fail, 1-3 variable credits
*Please note for International students:
Handshake is TCU’s online platform for jobs and internships. It’s a great tool to leverage during your search process.
In addition to using Handshake for your job or internship search, our center recommends using LinkedIn and visiting company websites to search for opportunities. Be sure to set up job alerts so you can stay on top of new openings.
You can use the Target Employer List Template to stay organized and reference a collection of industry-specific job search resources in the Handshake Resources section.
Lastly, the “hidden job market” refers to jobs that, for one reason or another, are not publicly listed on job boards or elsewhere. The only way to access these jobs is through networking or by having a recruiter reach out to you. Be proactive in your search and start networking before you need a job.
Some industries have structured, early recruiting timelines while others hire on a just-in-time basis. For example, the finance and consulting industries typically follow a structured recruiting process during the fall semester.
Schedule an appointment with your career consultant to gain a better understanding of timelines relevant to your career interests.
Every year recruiters come to TCU to meet our students, interview top candidates and showcase their companies. On-campus interviews give you the opportunity to connect with employers as part of the interview process. Check the Interview tab in Handshake to find upcoming on-campus interview opportunities.
Some employers that traditionally came to campus for in-person interviews have now shifted to virtual interviews. Need a space for a virtual interview? Contact the Alcon Career Center at alconcareercenter@tcu.edu and we’ll get you set up.
Have an upcoming interview? Schedule a mock interview with the Professional Development Center to receive feedback on your interview skills.
Preview Sample Interview Questions
You crushed the interview and received an offer … now what? First, congratulations on successfully completing the interview process. Second, here are a few things to consider during the post-job offer process:
After Receiving an Offer
You should send a thank you correspondence to the employer. Doing so demonstrates your interest in the job and appreciation of the offer. Next, you need to decide if you want to accept, decline or ask for more time to think over the offer. If you ask for more time, you should call the employer to do so. If you ask for more time, you should call the employer to ask for an extension.
What Not to Do
Once you’ve accepted an offer, you are committing to that organization. Make sure you remove yourself from any further consideration from other organizations to which you have applied. Your personal and professional brand are at stake and you don’t want professional contacts questioning your integrity if you renege on an offer. Reneging means accepting an offer, then later declining the offer because you’ve decided to continue pursuing other opportunities.
When you receive an offer, you will need to make the best decision you can at that moment. If you need more time to make a well-informed decision, ask kindly for an extension if you think it will be helpful for you.
Extensions and Timelines
Need more time to decide? It’s important to be transparent with an employer when asking for an extension. There is no guarantee that an employer will be able to offer an extension. Schedule an appointment with a career consultant through Handshake if you need assistance with navigating this process.
Prepare to Negotiate
As you prepare to negotiate your job offer, think holistically about the offer. While most offer evaluations focus on base salary, it is important to consider all factors, including:
Negotiations should take place over the phone, in person or through video conferencing. It is not recommended to conduct negotiations through email. Before the conversation, prepare a statement that shows you:
We also recommend you use these sites to research comparable salaries:
Tell Us Where You’re Working
We would love to hear where you will begin your career journey. Report your offer to us through Handshake Experience (for internships) and First Destination (for full-time jobs). We want to celebrate your success.
Need more guidance? We're here to help. Schedule an appointment with our peer advisers or career consultants through Handshake, TCU's online job platform.
The Neeley Professional Development Center will help you create a competitive résumé, present ideas with polish and expand your professional network.