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Professional Development Center

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CONTACT US

Room: L-114

Phone: 718-260-5050

Email: pdc@citytech.cuny.edu

Vault Access

OFFICE HOURS

Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri: 9:00am – 5:00pm

Thur: 9:00am – 6:00pm

Welcome City Tech Students!

Professional Development Center – Career Services include:

  • Exploring Majors, Interests, and Values
  • Job and Internship Search
  • Creating a Linkedin Profile
  • Resume/Cover Letter Critique
  • Interview and Mock Interview Preparation
  • Graduate School Advising
  • Workshops and Seminars
  • Informational Sessions with Employers & Organizations
  • Networking Events

What is Handshake?

Handshake an online career management system for students of New York City College of Technology to search and apply for internships and employment opportunities.

City Tech students can search and apply for internships, fellowships, part-time and full-positions. Students may also use Handshake to:

  • Access to personalized job recommendations based on major and interest
  • Upload a resume and complete a Handshake online profile
  • Make your profile and resume viewable to employers
  • View and learn about employers by attending career events and informational sessions
  • Search for and apply to open positions

Handshake is for City Tech students and alumni access.

  • Current City Tech students and alumni
  • City Tech students may access their accounts using your City Tech .edu email or via City Tech’s home campus page for Handshake
  1. Claim your Handshake account
    • Log on to https://citytech.joinhandshake.com/ (using your City Tech email address)
    • Activate your account
    • Update your profile and your notification preferences so that employers can view your profile
  2. Upload your Resume
    • On your profile, click on “Documents,” which is located on upper right side of the page.
    • Click “Add New Document” to upload your resume, cover letter, and other application documents using a PDF version
  3. Build your Profile
    • Handshake will prompt you to build your profile. Add your content and fill in fields for a more accurate and complete profile.

Handshake Tips:

  • Handshake has a calendar, which can be synced to your personal schedule – click on “Account” in your profile to export your calendar.
  • Handshake does not substitute for a LinkedIn page. These profiles are separate sites employers may use to search for talent. Be sure to keep all career related profiles complete and up to date.
  • Set notification preferences in settings and privacy to make your profile visible to employers and students. Privacy is important, so Handshake allows you to indicate who may see your profile and you can decide on your personal preferences.

Please reach out to pdc@citytech.cuny.edu if you are having any issues. You should not create your own Handshake account, as the platform will not connect and sync to City Tech’s career services account. You will not be allowed to search, apply for positions, events, or request appointments by creating your own account.

What Can I Do With This Major? is a website featuring 106 major profiles with information on common career paths, types of employers that hire in the field, and strategies to maximize opportunities. Links to professional associations, occupational outlook information, and job search resources are included.

LEARN MORE

The Professional Development Center (PDC) – career services, supports City Tech students to make informed decisions to achieve career goals. Employers emphasize eight essential employability qualities for “career ready” applicants. The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) has defined career readiness as: “The attainment and demonstration of requisite competencies that broadly prepare college graduates for a successful transition into the workplace.” PDC recommends using the following resources to complete an assessment.

It is critical to complete at least one internship if not more while you are pursuing your degree to make you more marketable to employers upon graduation. Employers today are looking for college graduates that have some type of internship experience in their field.

Definition of an Internship

An internship is:

  • A structured work experience related to a student's major and/or career goal
  • An experience that should enhance a student's academic, career, and personal development
  • Supervised by a professional in the field
  • An experience that can be one academic term (fall, spring, summer) or multiple academic terms in length
  • Paid or unpaid, For-Credit, part-time or full-time
  • An experience that is mutually agreed upon by the student, supervisor and/or faculty member
  • Meets registration requirements for 0 credit hour or academic internship course
  • It's important to note that to qualify as an internship the position does not have to be labeled "internship". Internships might also be called a practicum or co-op.

Types of Internships

Paid Internships — With a "paid" internship the employer will pay you for the work that you are doing. These internships can go for any length of time depending on the employer's needs and the student's availability.

For-Credit Internship — With a "for-credit" or "credit-bearing" internship, the student receives academic credit for completing the internship. These internships generally last for a semester. The student must consult with an academic advisor/faculty in their program to find out the best way of obtaining credit for their internship. Internship "for-credit" or "credit-bearing" must be arranged ahead of time and students usually would need to register for a course that goes along with the internship.

Volunteer/ Unpaid Internship — With a volunteer internship, the student volunteers his/her time in order to get experience in their desired career field. In doing a volunteer internship it provides you with additional skill that would make you more marketable to employers.

Benefits of an Internship

Key Benefits: Career Exploration, Resume Enhancements, Leadership & Skill Development, Networking & Establishing Mentors and References Students planning to enter the permanent work force should complement their academic preparation with a range of other experiences, such as study abroad, community service, research experiences, participation in student organizations, membership in pre-professional organizations, and internships.

An internship offers you the chance to learn by doing in a setting where you are supervised by a work-place professional, and have the opportunity to achieve your own learning goals, without the responsibilities of being a permanent employee.

An internship also offers you the opportunity to work with someone who can become a mentor for you - not only in the internship, but throughout your career.

Please contact the Professional Development Center at 718-260-5050 or pdc@citytech.cuny.edu if you have questions regarding these programs.

CUNY Service Corps

Building on CUNY's history of service to New York City, the CUNY Service Corps creates opportunities for students, faculty, and staff at the University to work on projects that improve the city's short and long-term civic, economic and environmental sustainability.

CUNY Tutor Corps

The CUNY Tutor Corps in Math and Computer Science brings students from CUNY colleges into middle and high school classrooms, helping them become highly effective tutors and teaching assistants in the mathematics and computer science. The Tutor Corps is a partnership between CUNY, the Office of the Mayor, New York City Department of Education (DOE), and others.

CUNY Tech Prep

CUNY Tech Prep is an industry-informed program for exceptional computer science students in the CUNY senior college system. CUNY Tech Prep is designed to provide students with industry exposure to software development and a connection to tech jobs post-graduation.

CUNY Internship Programs

Building from the success of the former IT Specialists Internship Program, CUNY Internship Programs is expanding our relationships with New York City agencies to include internships in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). For over a decade, numerous interns have been hired by their agencies through this program, some moving into leadership positions where they oversee current CUNY interns. Students who are part of CUNY Internship Programs gain valuable experience working to help their fellow New Yorkers, as well as becoming part of the future of NYC's workforce.

CSTEP

CSTEP is a student success initiative designed to provide transfer students from underrepresented groups with the support needed to succeed in college.

CUNY Cultural Corps

The City University of New York (CUNY) is partnering with New York City's Department of Cultural Affairs and The Rockefeller Foundation to launch the CUNY Cultural Corps, which will create opportunities for CUNY students to work in the City's cultural sector starting in Fall 2016. Modeled after the CUNY Service Corps, which provides hundreds of CUNY students with paid work experience in civic-oriented jobs in community-based organizations and government agencies, the Cultural Corps aims to be a strong student pipeline for successful alumni into New York City's arts and culture institutions. These institutions include non-profit cultural organizations involved in the visual, literary and performing arts as well as public-oriented science and humanities institutions including zoos, botanical gardens and historic and preservation societies.

CUNY Startup Accelerator

During the 4 months of the Accelerator, you will work with your own team and with other CUNY entrepreneurs along the 4 gear program. You will take your idea from early ideation stage to a well-defined launch plan. You will translate your idea into a business model, form your founding team, research your competition, build a pilot and iterate based on customer feedback.

Women in Technology and Entrepreneurship in New York

The mission of the Women in Technology and Entrepreneurship in New York initiative is to facilitate, encourage and enable a significant increase in the participation of women in both higher education and entrepreneurship in fields related to technology in the New York market. Through strategic initiatives and purposeful integration with key institutions and program in the city of New York, WiTNY targets high school girls getting ready for college, undergraduate and graduate women, preparing them to secure a rewarding and lucrative position in the technology industry.

Please contact the Professional Development Center at 718-260-5050 or pdc@citytech.cuny.edu if you have questions regarding these programs.

MTA New York City Transit

MTA New York City Transit established the Internship Program in 1981 and currently has a partnership with more than 200 colleges and universities throughout The United States and Puerto Rico. Internships include paid and unpaid projects. The program has been a success for New York City Transit, colleges, universities and students. A minimum of 170 students participate in the program during the school year and more during the summer. Since the program's inception, a considerable number of participants have been hired for full-time positions after graduation.

Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation (BNY) – Internships