Questions?

Q: Can ISCPA get me a job?

A: ISCPA provides many opportunities of which you may take advantage. It is nobody else’s responsibility to “get you a job.” Your school is a member of the Illinois Small College Placement Association in order to provide you with a shared wealth of employment opportunities. This list of opportunities is updated every business day as positions become available. This list is not available to the public, but only to you as a student or alum of a member school. It will be your responsibility to apply to advertised positions that are of interest to you. Likewise, our ISCPA provides you with opportunities to apply for interviews and attend annual job/internship fairs. It is up to you to prepare (with the assistance of your campus’ career center), apply, and present yourself in a professional manner as you take the first steps toward your new career.

Q: How can I find out about upcoming events hosted through ISCPA?

A: After you log in, you will see a calendar of events listed on the main page. You may click on that event to learn more about it. As new events become available, they will be posted here, so check back frequently.

Q: I have another year until I graduate so I’m only looking for internships right now. How can I find out about internships?

A: After you log in, you will click on Jobs/Internships and select Internship under Position Type to search the internship listings. This will ensure that you are only seeing internship opportunities and not full time, degree requiring jobs. Employers have listed in the internship ads the means by which they would like you to apply. Be sure to carefully follow their application directions. Contact your school’s career center for assistance with writing your resume and cover letter.

Q: Can I visit the ISCPA?

A: The Illinois Small College Placement Association does not physically exist in a location or centralized office. It is a consortium of 22 small colleges and universities across Illinois. We share our resources for the benefit of you, the student. Think of it as a group in which your school holds a membership. Your school’s career center is required to uphold certain membership responsibilities to keep this association running smoothly. While you cannot visit the ISCPA, you can certainly take advantage of our events and opportunities as described on our Web site.

Q: Is there a dress code for ISCPA events?

A: Yes. Professional attire is required for attendance at all of our events. You are not only representing your college or university, but you are representing our consortium to our employers. Professional attire typically means a business suit. Men should wear a tie and women should wear a conservative blouse under the suit. Some students borrow a suit and some purchase a suit from a second-hand store when finances are an issue. Your career center at your school will help you in determining appropriate attire. In order to maintain the professionalism of our association, we will only permit entrance to our events to those candidates who are dressed in professional business attire.

Q: I uploaded my resume but it says it is pending approval. What does this mean?

A: All resumes uploaded onto the ISCPA system must be approved. You are representing your school as well as our consortium and it is our responsibility to ensure that you are presenting a professional looking document, free of errors. You will receive an e-mail message indicating that your resume has either been approved or not approved. If it is not approved, you will be instructed to contact your career center for assistance. If you choose not to make the resume corrections per your career center, your resume will not be approved on our site. Keep in mind that resume recommendations are coming from experienced professionals in the field of career services who want to see you succeed. You are not required to have a resume posted on our site in order to view job and internship ads.

Q: I heard that you have a job and internship fair every year. How do I find out about it?

A: Yes, the ISCPA hosts a job/internship fair every February for a variety of internships as well as full time, degree requiring positions. This fair is called CareerFest. Currently enrolled students, graduate students, and alumni from ISCPA member schools are invited to participate. This event is not open to the public or students from non-ISCPA member schools. Each year, over 100 employers attend this event to recruit our students for their vacancies. Pre-registration for this event is done through your school.

Q: I earned my bachelor’s degree a while back and have been in the workforce for a few years already, but now I want to change jobs. I am even considering going back to school for a master’s degree. Can ISCPA help alumni or graduate students?

A: Yes. Alumni as well as graduate students are invited to search our job bank for new employment opportunities. Some of our posted positions do require experience or graduate degrees. You will need to read the ads carefully and search the “experienced” positions. Alumni and graduate students are always welcome to attend our job fairs. This will provide you with a wonderful opportunity to talk face to face with a recruiter from the companies that are of interest to you.