December 3, 2025

Ever wondered why some candidates get recognized, remembered, and recommended, while others with similar skills remain invisible? Are you intentional about how you’re perceived, clear about the value you offer, and strategic about creating opportunities that align with your goals? This upcoming holiday break is a good time to review your PERSONAL BRAND.

Here are five things that you can do to prepare yourself for your career:

  1. Update your Handshake & LinkedIn profiles: Today’s recruiters are efficient by proactively searching social media profiles (e.g., LinkedIn, Handshake) for particular skills & reaching out to qualified candidates. In Handshake be sure to upload the latest copy of your resume and mark it as “visible.” In LinkedIn you can use the “Featured” section to add the document. And be sure to update your graduation date – that is one of many employers’ first filters.
  2. Do at least two informational interviews: A great place to start is the “Alumni” tab of the University of Washington LinkedIn page. Reach out to learn more about particular companies and/or roles to see if they would be a good fit for you.
  3. Understand the skills necessary for desired roles: Find 10 entry-level job postings of interest to you. Put yourself in a hiring manager’s shoes; if they look at your resume/profile, does it look like you have these skills?
  4. Prepare & practice the 30-second answer to “why should I hire you as opposed to any other candidate?” This “elevator pitch” is the basis of PERSONAL BRANDING and the most overlooked step when it comes to preparing for the internship/job search, including resume creation.
  5. Determine your top two skills & practice telling two stories (using STAR format) that prove that you do each skill well: A good STAR answer should be about two minutes (or 120 seconds) in length. Follow the formula 30-40-50: the first 30 seconds should describe “Situation” and “Task,” the next 40 seconds should explain your “Actions,” while the last 50 seconds (yes, almost half of your answer!) should be discussing “Results” (or “Reflection”).

The CC@E is available to help with any of the items above. You can schedule an appointment (via Handshake) for spots over the next couple weeks, and the CC@E will host its final Autumn Quarter drop-in session on Wed 12/10 from 1-3pm. Our staff is also happy to answer questions and/or review your materials via e-mail by sending them to engrhire@uw.edu.