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Meet top Tippie employers.
With the help of our amazing student interns, TCS wants to highlight engaged companies and their representatives' advice for Tippie students! Check back regularly for new insights from top Tippie employers.
Your drive, energy, and ability to persevere are what’s going to help you stand out.
As a scientific account manager for Actalent, a company that supports engineering and science services and talent solutions, Grace specializes in the hiring and retention of scientific and healthcare professionals in her region. Actalent is where she started her career after graduation with an opportunity she found on Handshake. Grace emphasizes the importance of Handshake, saying that she wishes she’d used it earlier in her college career. Grace advises students to push to keep working hard in school; your drive, energy, and ability to persevere are what’s going to help you stand out and succeed in an organization, she says. In other words, the results you achieve reflect the work you put in, and opportunities arise from what you actively pursue.
Handshake is a platform available to all University of Iowa students. On it, you can explore career options, find jobs and internships, and connect with employers. The search engine and filters make it easier to narrow down the search and help find what you’re looking for, but TCS knows that the number of options can still be overwhelming. That’s why we post career leads on a biweekly basis to ensure relevant, up-to-date options are available for both full-time and internship opportunities for each of the seven Tippie majors. Leads can be found on our website under the Undergraduate Career Leads tab, or in dispatch emails.
“Don’t be afraid to brag about yourself.”
As a recruiter for Cottingham & Butler, an insurance agency that thoughtfully assesses the risks and coverage tailored to their clients, Maddie has insight into recruitment and company interests, not to mention advice for students looking for a full-time job or internship. She spends her time working on current projects while also planning for almost a year into the future. Invested in all that she does, Maddie wants to ensure that she’s finding the right fit for both Cottingham & Butler when she recruits students, as well as the right fit for students themselves.
Maddie has a few pieces of advice for graduating seniors and undergraduate students, but the overarching theme is the importance of being authentic throughout the recruitment process. In other words, don’t try to fit the role – find a role that fits you. “Be proud of who you are,” Maddie says. “Don’t be afraid to brag about yourself.”
VMock, a free tool available exclusively to Tippie students, can help you understand if a role is the right fit for you. The platform is a resume builder and editor designed to optimize your resume for jobs in your field, and you can even upload a job description into the platform and compare it to your resume. Take time to reflect on your experiences and how you’ve applied your skills before interacting with employers. Consider adding this information to your LinkedIn profile too, and check out the career advice posted in the Tippie Undergraduate Career Services LinkedIn group to further enhance your skills.
“Be yourself; you’ll find yourself more comfortable and find the right role for you.”
Chris is a campus recruiter who knows the ins and outs of landing an internship or full-time position with Echo Global Logistics, where teams of experts work together to simplify transportation management with one-stop technology. Chris spends his time finding individuals who fit the company culture at the 12-15 universities he visits and manages company relationships. He says his goal is to increase brand awareness, which he does by attending career fairs, connecting with student organizations, and presenting in classrooms.
Chris encourages students looking for an opportunity to avoid changing themselves to be the ‘perfect fit’ for a role. “It’s pretty clear when people are putting on a show,” he says. “Don’t be afraid to be yourself; you’ll find yourself more comfortable and find the right role for you.”
Got upcoming interviews? Check out a virtual reality headset from W160 and utilize BodySwap, a VR simulation app that offers feedback on physical and verbal response. To stay up to date on available internship opportunities relevant to you, Tippie Undergraduate Career Services team updates our Lead Sheets bi-weekly with internship and full-time opportunities at companies that hire Tippie students.
“Take learning into your own hands and keep a positive attitude.”
For Group O, a business process outsourcing company that provides marketing, supply chain, and packaging solutions, serving the community has always been a top priority. Maria, the corporate and community liaison for the company, provides employees with the opportunity to give back to the community. Group O’s philanthropic values began with Maria’s grandfather, Robert Ontiveros, who started the company in 1974. Today, she carries on his passion as Group O continues to support the Quad Cities.
Across many valuable experiences, Maria’s advice has the same point: take initiative. She encourages us all to seek out and say “yes” to different opportunities. “You get what you put into it,” Maria says. “Take learning into your own hands and keep a positive attitude.”
For undergraduate students looking to get involved, Tippie offers many opportunities for volunteering, professional development, and building connections with fellow students. The Tippie Undergraduate Career Services LinkedIn group is another great source of unique opportunities, as well as career-oriented advice, information on giveaways and other events, student ambassador stories, and more. All are a chance to put yourself out there and take advantage of the resources and opportunities that Tippie has to offer.
Use your network.
Nicole’s time at Tippie included many of the experiences that marketing majors may have. A conversation with recruiters at the all-majors career fair landed her an internship with HNI in a product launch marketing role. That internship eventually turned into a full-time offer from the company, which provides workplace furnishings for a range of work environments with an emphasis on corporate social responsibility and inclusive company culture. Nicole is currently in a year-long leadership development program.
Nicole‘s advice for graduating seniors embarking on their post-graduate adventure is simple: use your network. She says it’s important to connect with like-minded peers in a similar career stage, both at work and outside of it, forming bonds both professionally and personally. Not only is such a network advantageous in the workplace, but it’s also a valuable support network outside work.
To stay connected to Tippie peers and alumni, consider applying for the Young Alumni Board (YAB) and joining the Tippie Undergraduate Career Services LinkedIn group. The YAB is a group of recent graduates that strives to build connections between the college and its alumni and develop a network of mutually beneficial relationships for alumni, students, faculty, and staff. Meanwhile, the TUCS LinkedIn group is full of business-oriented career advice and offers a great opportunity to connect with other Tippie students. If you’re a current undergraduate student, consider joining a Tippie student organization to build connections and learn with others.
“The world moves fast and is only going to move faster. ... Be willing to try anything”
As a member of one of the first classes to use the Pappajohn Business Building, Kristin is eager to share her experiences with those following in her footsteps. Landing an internship after volunteering at the all-majors career fair helped her identify a passion for people-focused roles, eventually leading her to her current role as director of talent and leadership development at Pella Corporation, an industry-leading window and door manufacturer.
Kristin encourages undergraduate students to be true to themselves but be willing to take risks and opportunities that come their way. “The world moves fast and is only going to move faster,” Kristin says. “Be willing to try anything.”
Tippie Undergraduate Career Services sources leads to help undergraduates find internship and full-time opportunities. The leads, refreshed biweekly, are broken down by major to ensure diverse choices for students. As Kristin experienced, internships are a great opportunity to explore different areas of interest, so take advantage of this resource to help you find your passion!
"Be resourceful ... work with intensity."
Tori Graham, a seasoned recruiter from Transamerica, hasn’t just seen what it takes to succeed; she also understands the common challenges students face as they transition from college to career. Transamerica is a financial services and insurance company with experts in retirement, employee benefits, life insurance, annuities, and investments.
Tori advises students to keep an attitude of wanting to take things on. She shares that it makes an impression on employers when young talent is willing to take initiative with their finished tasks and look beyond what’s next. She also notes that not all your experiences are going to be the best, but learning from experiences that aren’t ideal is what’s important. “Your first job may not be exactly what you thought it’s going to be,” she says. “Be resourceful by taking the skills and lessons from that to your next job and work with intensity.”
There are many resources on campus to help you find an internship or full-time position to start exploring your passions. If the number of choices feels overwhelming, make an appointment with the Tippie Undergraduate Career Services team, who can offer guidance regarding leads and professional development. Schedule an appointment today on MyUI!
“Questions fill in the gaps and make things more efficient.”
From the classroom to the business world, recent Tippie alum Daniel is familiar with today’s Iowa student experiences. Landing an eCommerce Business Analyst internship at Uline, a leading North American distributor of shipping, industrial, and packaging materials, eventually turned into the full-time associate position he holds at the company. Daniel prepared for his current job with a capstone project as a business analytics major, where he worked in a team to analyze sales.
Daniel’s time as an intern and full-time Uline employee gave him the opportunity to ask questions of other experienced professionals. It’s a practice he advises for current Tippie students as they move along in their education and into the workplace. “Questions fill in the gaps and make things more efficient,” Daniel says. “Clarification will make your job easier.”
To prepare for career fairs, interviews, and networking overall, read through the Tippie Career Services Guide on the Tippie Undergraduate Career Services website. Our site also has free certification courses for professional development that you can use to fill any knowledge gaps before starting an internship or full-time job. Meanwhile, for daily advice and action items, the Tippie Undergraduate Career Services LinkedIn group (open to students, alumni, faculty, and staff) has tips and tricks posted on a regular basis.
Ready to start your own career journey?
Visit the Lead Sheet page for your major to see current leads from top employers curated by TCS staff.