Career Assistance for Online Students

Unlike many other online programs, the School provides numerous resources to make it possible to pursue your professional goals while enrolled in the online MHRIR.  In fact, 77% of online students are promoted or change employers during their degree or within six months of graduation.

The online program has a dedicated Career Consultant, Erin Mies, to assist with our online students’ professional needs. Erin is the co-founder and Principal of the HR consulting firm, People Spark Consulting, where she provides HR solutions and strategies for small- and mid-sized businesses. She  supports students through one-on-one appointments (phone or video call), and programming with webinars on career development and functional HR topics.

In addition, as an online student you will be invited to take part in a number of virtual workshops as they are offered through the traditional on-campus program, as well as a small library of workshop recordings, when available. You will have access to both a Handshake account for job search assistance, and Big Interview software for mock interviews. Please remember that as a student in the LER Online program, you agree to abide by the policies set forth below, and to uphold the LER reputation through ethical recruitment practices.  

You are encouraged to reach out to program staff to discuss opportunities for professional involvement, and/or faculty areas of research in order to identify opportunities that best meet your professional aspirations.

Recruiting Technology for Online Students

Handshake is the online recruitment platform that connects Illinois students to internship and full-time opportunities posted by external employers. 

New LER students are automatically uploaded into Handshake and can access the system using your NetID and campus login credentials.  Check out Getting Started with Handshake to learn more about uploading your resume, creating your profile, and searching for opportunities.    In the event of unauthorized access to your Handshake account, please contact the School immediately.

Big Interview is an online resource adopted by campus to help current students prepare for all interview situations.  You can learn about the different interview formats through a series of helpful videos, or go record a video mock interview and get a link to share the video with someone to receive feedback.  There are also videos for special situations including Military Transition, LGBTQ+, Introverts, ESL, and more.

Practice a sample interview or create your own from a library of hundreds of sample interview questions. 

Online Student Career Resource Agreement

By using career-related resources offered through the School of Labor and Employment Relations for online master’s candidates, I realize that I must abide by ethical standards in the job search process. These resources include using the Online Career Consultant, attending workshops, using secure online materials such as recordings of presentations, Big Interview, and Handshake. My use of these resources while I am a registered student with the School implies that I am an ambassador for LER and I must behave accordingly. Any actions I take that may be damaging to my fellow students and alumni or the School’s reputation as a provider of top talent will be assessed on a case by case basis and may require corrective action by the administration or the revocation of my use of LER resources. This includes, but is not limited to, failure to honor an already-accepted offer of employment, behaving inappropriately with an employer, or any significant behavioral or academic infraction.

  • I understand that by using Handshake, I must share honest and updated information on my profile and in my documents. This includes my profile, resume, cover letters, writing samples and transcripts. I will keep information updated regarding my changes in my contact information, graduation date, visa, residency or citizenship status.
  • I will attend events and appointments that I have voluntarily scheduled to attend.
  • If I have shared my resume with the School, I give them permission to share that document with employers for the purpose of connecting me for employment opportunities.
  • I understand that full use of on-campus recruiting and related workshops is restricted to students in the on-campus master’s program.
  • I understand that reporting my job changes to the School will help to compile useful employer and salary data that will help inform future students of trends and opportunities.

For more information, please contact Eden Haycraft ehaycra@illinois.edu.