Career Services Resources for Social Policy & Practice Students
Career Services


Internet Connections

Provide Career Services with your e-mail address and we will send weekly career announcements directly to you. Simply send an e-mail message to Andy Coopersmith, (ascooper@pobox.upenn.edu) and ask to be added to the social work distribution list. Don't miss our homepage, where you can find this semester's program calendar, job listings, resume writing, interviewing and job searching tips as well as sample resumes and cover letters. Take a look at the searchable social services employer contact list and internet links for social workers

 Individual Advising

Discuss career issues/options, job search strategies/implementation, networking tactics with a counselor. Have your resume, c.v., and cover letters critiqued. Call 898-4381 to schedule an appointment with Andy Coopersmith or John Tuton, or come to walk-in appointments at GSE. Call 898-4381 to confirm walk-in appointment times. Quick questions may also be handled through e-mail, ascooper@pobox.upenn.edu. All meetings and discussions are confidential.

Alumni Contacts

A large number of Penn alumni have offered to speak with you about their careers and employers. If you are evaluating career opportunites, seeking informaiton about employers or wish to learn more about a professional role, the advice of experienced alumni can be invaluable. Check out this connection on our home page - the Penn Career Network.

Job Listings

Are available on-line. Select Job Listings, to enter PennLink. If you have not previously registered for PennLink you will need to do so by entering the school password which can be obtained by calling 215-898-4827 (Career Services) to verify your status. Search jobs by type of work, geography, key word and employer name. The hard copies of these positions are also available in Career Services.

Social Work Employer Fair

This annual event, held in early April, connects students with social service employers who come to campus to discuss social work career, employment and summer job opportunities. Held in the professional On-Campus Recruiting Suite in the McNeil Building, this is a career program not to be missed.

Mock Interviews

Practice is the best way to approach interviews with confidence. Meet with Andy Coopersmith or John Tuton for a practice interview to sharpen your skills. Videotaping is available.

Credential File Service

You may establish a "credential file" which holds your letters of recommendation for your use in applying for employment, graduate school, and/or fellowships. Once established, your file may be added to and used throughout your career. To start a file, stop by the Career Services reception desk to complete the necessary forms. Also, online information on this service, as well as how to ask for a letter of recommendation, is available on-line.

Career Workshops

Learn how to maximize your job search by attending our resume writing, job search strategies and interviewing skills workshops. We also offer a Social Work Summer Job Forum in early Spring, and a weekly lunch-time workshop series for doctoral students.

Career Library

Arranged by career field, our career library has a wide variety of materials and resources. Some of the most used resources include: Good Works, A Guide to Careers in Social Change, Careers for Good Samaritans and Other Humanitarian Types, Mental Health and Social Work Career Directory, Women Helping Women (a directory of women's organizations nationwide), and geographic directories for Philadelphia, New York, Chicago, Massachusetts, California, Washington, D.C., and various counties in New Jersey. NOTE: Our library is open Monday - Friday, 9a.m. - 5 p.m. When classes are in session, we have extended hours on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings until 7 p.m., check out the library's On-line Index.

  Funding Information

The best advice if you are trying to identify funding resources is to start early - many deadlines are up to a year in advance of when funding begins. In the funding section of our library are several excellent directories including: The Annual Register of Grant Support, Directory of Financial Aids for Women, and Foundation Grants to Individuals. Information is also available on-line.





Career Services
University of Pennsylvania
Suite 20, McNeil Building,
3718 Locust Walk
Philadelphia
PA 19104-6209