June 15, 2020
Dear L&S Undergraduate Students,
I know many of you are concerned about career and internship prospects in an economy hindered by the COVID-19 pandemic. I am writing today to let you know about a major new summer initiative to help current UW-Madison students and recent graduates develop confidence and strategies to move forward with career development in this challenging time.
Badgers on Track features a series of remote summer programs and opportunities to help you foster resiliency, build networking skills, gain experience, and secure jobs and internships with employers in Wisconsin and around the country. Launched by SuccessWorks, the state-of-the-art career center within the College of Letters & Science, Badgers on Track should be your go-to resource for career planning and professional development this summer.
You may find yourself re-thinking plans and hopes for a full-time job or internship this summer. Don’t get discouraged. You can gain meaningful experience in a variety of ways this summer, whether it’s through micro-internships (short projects 5-40 hours long), volunteering, or preparing for future interactions with employers. Through Badgers on Track, you will also find tips and tools for interviewing and resume-building, summer career prep courses, virtual advising, and ways to network online with potential employers and Badger alumni.
The job market may look very different at the moment, but there are opportunities available. Many companies are still moving ahead with job and internship hiring. I encourage you to stay flexible, be open and keep moving forward. You will weather this difficult period, but you will need help, advice and connections to do so. You’ll find all of that, and more, through Badgers on Track:
- Learn from career & internship specialists and advisors at live, online virtual workshops, such as “How to Find Jobs & Internships During COVID-19” (Tuesday, June 16, at 1:00 pm CDT).
- Set up your account on Handshake, the online platform that connects you with thousands of potential employers and internships.
- Search for micro-internship opportunities to build your skills and experiences with short-term assignments with a variety of employers.
- Explore Badgers on Track’s “learn on your own” professional development tools, including access to Big Interview, career development modules and SuccessWorks’ guide to networking.
- Set up a one-on-one virtual appointment with a SuccessWorks advisor.
- Participate in a virtual Q&A panel for all current L&S students and parents on Tuesday, June 30, from 4:30 – 5:30 pm CDT to learn and ask questions about what SuccessWorks has to offer. You can register for the event here.
The global pandemic has re-configured the job market and the uncertainty is difficult. But I want you to look forward with confidence, knowing that the degree you are working towards, regardless of your major, has prepared you for success. Badgers on Track is designed to keep you moving forward.
Stay focused, motivated and confident – you’ve got this, and we’ve got your back.
On, Wisconsin!
Eric M. Wilcots
Dean and Mary C. Jacoby Professor of Astronomy
College of Letters & Science
University of Wisconsin-Madison