Clemson Center for Career and Professional Development

Career Development & Recruiting

Graduate Student FAQ's

The Michelin Career Center is located at 316 Hendrix Student Center.

As soon as possible.  Early attention to career planning and professional development is increasingly necessary in today’s competitive job markets.  You play the biggest role in preparing for your professional future, so take initiative and do not allow avoidance and fear to get the better of you.  Break down the process into incremental parts.  Knowing where you are headed and identifying the career options you want to keep open will help guide you in choosing which programs to participate in during your time at Clemson University.  Take advantage of professional development programs offered by your department and other offices on campus, regularly check the News and Events section on the main page of our web page, read our online materials, and feel free to meet with a career counselor. 

The Michelin Career Center is designed to help all students, including Master's and PhD students, explore their career options and identify the path/s that best suit the individual.  We conduct self-assessments in one-on-one advising, expose students to strategies and techniques that facilitate career exploration, and bring students in touch with alumni, employers, and online and print resources that aid immensely in the career goal identification process. 

Graduate students possess advanced skills and training that are highly valued by many employers.  You will need to rethink your skills and experiences from a new perspective.  Moreover, in addition to asking yourself what you can do, you should also ask yourself what you want to do.  After all you have invested to get to this point, you owe it to yourself to pause and reflect on your values, interests, and skills before embarking on a job search.  The Michelin Career Center can help you identify your targets and create a plan for an effective job search.  You may decide that you are well-trained for a particular line of work, but you would prefer to develop skills in a different area.  It can take a while to shift your focus and prepare to market yourself for a new career goal.  Get started early. 

All interactions with a graduate career adviser are private and strictly confidential. Even though a career counselor may talk with faculty, no students are ever mentioned by name.  We understand the complexities of the graduate experience and faithfully respect student rights to privacy.

All Clemson University students who are currently enrolled, conducting research off-campus, or newly graduated are eligible to use the services of the Michelin Career Center. Graduates may take advantage of career services up to one full year after the completion of their degree programs.  From that point on, as alumni they may consult the Alumni Center for career assistance.

The Michelin Career Center offers a variety of resources and services to assist students in exploring careers and securing internships. A career counselor will work one-on-one with you to develop successful job search strategies and to help students connect with employers through job postings, resume collections and on-campus interview opportunities, alumni connections, and employer outreach in the US and abroad.

Interfolio allows you to create an electronic file folder (also called a portfolio) so you can manage your important credentials documents online. Your documents can include letters of recommendation, curriculum vitae, writing samples, graduate school forms, dissertation abstracts, teaching certifications, student evaluations, and more. Once you sign up and upload your documents, the application process becomes as simple as telling Interfolio where you want to apply and when. Interfolio does all the work!

Creating an Interfolio account is easy:

Go to www.interfolio.com.

Spend a few minutes to create an account. Highlighted fields are required and data must be entered. Choose the type of account you want and enter information and a valid credit card for payment.

Begin building your portfolio immediately. Your portfolio is a record of what will be received and sent from your account. After logging in, click on “Documents→Add a Document” from the toolbar at the top of the Welcome page. Then begin naming your documents. Each document will be given an I.D. number. All this information will appear in your portfolio so that you can keep track of when documents are received and when they are mailed to prospective employers or grad schools. You may also start the document request/upload process at the same time. If you do not wish to upload or request the document at this time, see step 4 below.

The next step is to begin uploading your documents into the file by going to Document Request. Once you have named your documents, just click on Request Form under the Status heading for that document. This form contains information on how to submit letters either electronically or by regular mail.

In accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, Interfolio maintains the confidentiality of all closed letters of recommendation that are stored with them. Strict guidelines are followed for receiving and mailing all closed letters of recommendation to ensure that confidential documents stay that way. Account holders are notified when letters of recommendation are received on their behalf, and have the ability to select it in a mailing to a potential graduate school or employer. They do not, however, have the ability to view the document at any point in time.

For information concerning your H1B visa, please go to: http://www.h1base.com/content/h1bvisa.