Career Development
The MCB curriculum is designed to prepare you for a wide spectrum of career opportunities. Please see our Career Options for MCB Students Handout outlining many of the possibilities aforded to students in the MCB curriculum.
Handshake @ Illinois: Employers and Opportunities at Your Fingertips
Illinois' campus-wide recruiting platform, tens of thousands of jobs and internships are posted here annually.
Students and Recent Alumni Use Handshake @ Illinois to find:
- Jobs and Internships
- Upcoming Career Fairs
- On-campus Recruiting Events
- Networking Opportunities
- A Calendar of Career Programs and Events
MCB Career Spotlights: Different types of careers you can pursue with an MCB major.
From the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Are you career ready? https://www.naceweb.org/career-readiness/competencies/career-readiness-defined/
Partial List of Companies Where Our Recent Grads are Employed
- AbbVie North Chicago, IL, Operations Development Program and Clinical Trial Operations Development Program
- Eli Lilly Indianapolis, Indiana, USA Scientist-Manufacturing Science
- Accenture, Management Consulting Analyst
- Cerner Kansas City, MO, Consulting Analyst
- Neurocognitive Kinesiology lab at UIUC, Research Technician
- CSL Behring Bradley IL, QC Chemistry Analyst
- Epic, Madison, WI, Quality Assurance
- ProAmbulance, Champaign IL, EMT-B
- Carle Foundation Hospital, plebotomist
- ScribeAmerica, Medical Scribe
- University of Illinois, Laboratory Technician
- Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Research Technician
- InnSight Technology
- University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Laboratory Technician
- Feinberg School of Medicine Chicago, IL, Research Technician
- Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Chicago, IL, Research Technologist
- UIUC Army ROTC, Champaign, IL, Gold Bar Recuiter
An Article from The American Society for Microbiology: A Career in Industry: Quality Control
Announcements
National Alliance of Research Associates Programs (NARAP) - A Clearinghouse for Pre-Health Professions Students as COVID 19 Tracers
Tracing is an age-old, very effective means used by public health agencies to break the chain of transmission spreading an infectious disease. To do this literally requires an army, an Army of Tracers.
Municipalities and states around the U.S. are recruiting bright, motivated individuals to make up this Army.
Who better to do this than pre-health professions students eager for clinical experience, but most often blocked from getting this at the moment by the mandates of social distancing? With the pandemic, RAs (research associates) cannot be in the emergency departments, but NARAP has adapted its recruiting to help you join the critical work of tracing through the COVID 19 Potential Contact Tracer Registry. Found out you can help: http://www.thenarap.org/.
Resume and Personal Statement Reviews
MCB Academic Advisor, Aurora Cruz, will be available to review your resumes and personal statements, give you feedback and answer your questions regarding resume etiquette. If interested, send an email to tacruz@illinois.edu with your resume and/or personal statement to schedule an appointment.
Tips for writing and formatting your Resume
Tips for writing your Cover Letter
Tips for writing your Personal Statement
Are you a pre-health student? Looking for career enrichment opportunities? Check out ExploreHEALTHCareers.org. You can search by career, type and location.
Career Fairs
*COVID-19 update*
In light of the university's decision to suspend all face-to-face instruction, events and activities, the Career Services Community at Illinois is taking the following actions:
- All in-person networking and recruiting events are suspended.
- The career services community is planning alternative ways to connect employers to students who are seeking employment and internship opportunities. More details will be shared as they become available.
Listed in chronological order. Check the bottom of the list for the most recent fair dates.
Career and internship fairs hosted on campus provide the opportunity for students to network and find internships and jobs. Fairs are also a great way to explore careers and different employment sectors. LAS students are welcome at all career and internship fairs on campus. Students are encouraged to attend LAS preparation workshops or Career Center workshops available before some fairs. These workshops help students know what to expect and how to get the most out of the experience.
- Illinois Career & Internship Fair
Thursday April 1, 2021Virtual
- Illinois Grainger Engineering Spring 2021 Virtual Career Fair
Wed February 17, 2021Virtual
- Illinois Gies Business Virtual Fair- Spring 2021
Thu February 11, 2021Virtual
- Spring 2021 Statistics and Mathematics Virtual Career Forum
Tue February 9 to Wed February 10, 2021Virtual
- Illinois Part-Time Job Fair - Spring 2021
Tue February 2, 2021Virtual
- 16th Annual Graduate & Professional School Virtual Fair
Thu October 22, 2020Virtual
- Illinois ACES + LAS 2020 Virtual Career Fair - Registration Open Now!
Thu September 24, 2020Virtua
- Gies Virtual Career Fair- Fall 2020
Thu September 17 to Fri September 18, 2020Virtual
- Illinois Engineering Fall 2020 Virtual Career Fair
Wed September 9 to Thu September 10, 2020Virtual
- Illinois Part-Time Job Fair Fall 2020
Tue September 8, 2020Virtual
Job/Internships
Post Date | Company / Institution — Details |
---|---|
Jan 19, 2021 | The Illinois Leadership® Center (ILC) is hiring for the 2021-2022 academic year! Application will be going live on Monday, January 25th. We'll be accepting applications for the following positions... Communication & Marketing Specialist Leadership Certificate Program Specialist Data Analytics Specialist Graf Intern Podcast Intern* Photographer* Job descriptions for each of these positions can be found on the employment page on our website. Please note some positions (*) require additional items to be included with your application. Those details can also be found on the employment page. |
Dec 3, 2020 | Gap Year Opportunity: 2021-2022 Spine Research Assistants at Rush University Medical Center – Dr. Kern Singh — Application deadline: March 31, 2021 Dr. Singh is searching for motivated pre-medical students to work in the capacity of a research |
Nov 18, 2020 | Remote sales representative/affiliate — Matchingdonors.com is a national nonprofit organization that connects people in need of organ transplants with living, altruistic donors. Since 2004, MatchingDonors.com has helped thousands of people get their lifesaving transplant. Full time or part time, remotely In these uncertain times, the ability to work flexible hours on your own schedule from home and still make a lot of money is more important than ever. This is a perfect work remotely from home sales person/affiliate opportunity that allows you to earn a great income while saving lives. You can work from anywhere in the world; this opportunity is not just for United States based sales representatives/affiliates. |
Nov 18, 2020 | Dr. Paola Mera's Lab — Jan 4, 2021 The academic hourly employee will conduct research on bacterial cell cycle regulation in the research lab |
Oct 28, 2020 | Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowship — Deadline Nov 4, 2020 The WW Pennsylvania Teaching Fellowship is looking for talented, committed individuals with backgrounds in the STEM fields to teach in high-need Pennsylvania secondary schools in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. The Teaching Fellowship includes: admission to a master's degree program at one of three well-established partner universities teacher certification in science or mathematics education extensive preparation for teaching in a high-need urban or rural secondary school for one full year prior to becoming the teacher-of-record in a science or math classroom a $32,000 stipend during their first year while completing the master’s degree once Fellows are certified teachers (have completed their master’s degree), they obtain salaried employment in high-need schools after graduation, Fellows commit to teaching in a high-need urban or rural secondary school for three years: PA Fellows who attend the University of Pennsylvania and West Chester University must complete their Fellowship commitment in Foundation-approved public schools in the School District of Philadelphia (SDP) PA Fellows who attend Duquesne University must complete their Fellowship commitment in Foundation-approved schools in Pittsburgh Public Schools (PPS) or the surrounding area support and mentoring throughout the three-year teaching commitment support of a cohort of WW Fellows passionate about science and math education lifelong membership in a national network of WW Fellows who are intellectual leaders. |
Oct 23, 2020 | Arthrex Arthrex, a world leader in orthopedic surgical device design, research, manufacturing and medical education, is committed to one mission: Helping Surgeons Treat Their Patients BetterTM. Learn more about their company culture, their full-time positions, and their internship opportunities. |
Oct 23, 2020 | SLU's MPH-Maternal and Child Health Program Join Saint Louis University’s HRSA Center of Excellence in Maternal and Child Health Education, Science, and Practice (MCH COE) for a virtual open house on October 27 Become an MCH Scholar at SLU and address the critical shortage of public health professionals working to improve women and children’s health in the US. Please join us on October 27 at 1:00 p.m. CDT for our first Virtual Open House to learn more about the Saint Louis University Center for Excellence in Maternal and Child Health Education, Science and Practice (MCH COE), including information about scholarships and the strong job market for students with Master of Public Health degrees in Maternal and Child Health (MPH-MCH). The Open House will take place virtually, via Zoom, on October 27 at 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM CDT, and will be a wonderful opportunity for you to get to know the MCH COE leadership team, learn more about the MCH COE goals and activities, and ask any question you may have. We hope to see you all there and look forward to meeting you! |
Oct 20, 2020 | RUSH Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Research Fellowships 2021-2022 Dr. Adam Yanke is seeking ambitious medical school bound students who are interested in pursuing a year-long clinical research fellowship at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, IL. Dr. Yanke works with the renowned Division of Sports Medicine and is also the Assistant Director of the Cartilage Restoration Center at Rush University. Dr. Brian J Cole and Dr. Adam B. Yanke direct the Cartilage Restoration Center. Drs. Cole and Yanke are both leaders in developing innovative biologic methods for addressing early cartilage damage in the knee, shoulder, elbow, foot, ankle and hip. This unique position will allow the research assistant to work closely with gap year medical students, residents, fellows, and faculty at Rush. The research assistant will also have extensive opportunities for publication and presentation of research at various conferences. |
Sept 15, 2020 | Microbiologist Position I am seeking a microbiologist with experience culturing and isolating DNA from bacteria and fungi and an interest in lichens. Tasks include developing culturing procedures for lichens and maintaining pure cultures of their mycobiont and photobiont components; using morphological, molecular, and chemical methods to accurately identify lichens; and conducting stress tolerance research on lichens. Work is located at the Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratory in NW Champaign. B.S. in microbiology required. M.S. or Ph.D. preferred. Hours and schedule are negotiable. Please send resumes to Ryan.R.Busby@usace.army.mil. |
Sept 2, 2020 | The Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) Microbial Water Technician (Hourly Assistant) Position The Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) is part of the Prairie Research Institute (PRI) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, which is centrally located between Chicago, St. Louis, and Indianapolis. ISTC integrates applied research, technical assistance, and information services to advance efforts in the areas of pollution prevention; water and energy conservation; and materials recycling and beneficial reuse. Learn more at go.illinois.edu/PRIjobs. We are seeking an individual to obtain and analyze samples for Legionella pneumophila, incubate the samples, and identify the species of Legionella present. Position is based in Champaign, Illinois. |
July 15, 2020 |
Located just 30 miles North of Chicago, Stepan is a major manufacturer of basic and intermediate chemicals. Stepan was founded over 80 years ago and has 19 global manufacturing locations with a support network of over 2,000 employees. Seeking a talented individual to join the Antimicrobial Product Development team. He/she will play a key role in supporting disinfectant formulations and customer requests to support the Biocide business. |
Feb 24, 2020 |
The United States Environmental Protection Agency and the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education are advertising research opportunite s that would be a good fit for MCB students. Some examples include; Mechanisms of Chemical and Non-Chemical Stressors Impact on Health and Susceptibility Variations, Evaluating the Effects of Chemicals on Human Cell Culture Models. |
Summer Enrichment
The following is a list of summer enrichment programs that have expressed an interest in MCB students. It includes both current and the past three years entries in an effort to give a more robust idea as to which institutions to investigate for potential opportunities.
Summer 2021
Post Date | Institution — Program — Location — Application Deadline |
---|---|
Jan 19, 2021 | Texas A&M University — Summer Undergraduate Research in Genetics and Genomics (SURGe) Program — College Station, TX — February 15, 2021 |
Jan 14, 2021 | The University of Alabama at Birmingham — Clinical and Research Undergraduate Summer Programs — Birmingham, AL — February 12, 2021 |
Jan 13, 2021 | Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine — Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program — Athens, OH — February 1, 2021 |
Jan 11, 2021 | SENS Research Foundation — SRF Summer Scholars Program — Several locations — January 15, 2021 |
Jan 11, 2021 | Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Technology — Repperger Research Intern Program — Several locations — February 15, 2021 |
Dec 22, 2020 | The Ohio State University — Discovery Prep — Columbus, OH — Rolling admissions (roughly the beginning of Apil 2021) |
Dec 10, 2020 | Loyola University — Loyola Adventures in Urobiome Data Summer Research — March 1, 2021 |
Nov 30, 2020 | UC Davis — Neuroscience Initiative to Enhance Diversity (April 22-23) — January 31, 2021 |
Nov 20, 2020 | City Internships — Summer 2021 Programs |
Nov 18, 2020 | University of Chicago Pritzer School of Medicine — Summer Pathway Programs — Feb 8, 2021 |
Nov 18, 2020 | UW-Madison — Biological Interactions: Phenotype, Genotype, and Environment Research Program — Feb 15, 2021 |
Nov 18, 2020 | Johns Hopkins Medicine — Summer Internship — Nov 8, 2020 |
Nov 18, 2020 | Memorial Sloan Kettering — Chemical Biology Summer Program — February 5, 2021 |
Nov 18, 2020 | Summer Health Professions Education Program — February 5, 2021 |
Oct 28, 2020 | National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences — Summer Internship — March 1, 2021 |
Oct 28, 2020 | Office of Intramural Training and Education — Summer Internship in Biomedical Research |
Oct 28, 2020 | National Science Foundation — Research Experience for Undergraduates |
Oct 23, 2020 | U.S. Department of Energy Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists — Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship — Jan 12, 2021 |
Oct 20, 2020 | University of Pennsylvania and Washington University St. Louis — Center for Engineering Mechanobiology — Feb 1, 2021 |
Oct 10, 2020 | Mayo Clinic — Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship — Nov 8, 2020 |
Oct 10, 2020 | Stowers Summer Scholars — Medical Research Experience — Kansas City, MO — February 1, 2021 |
Oct 2, 2020 | University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine — Summer Undergraduate Opportunities — Iowa City, IA |
Summer 2020
Post Date | Institution — Program — Location — Application Deadline |
---|---|
March 6, 2020 | Keck Graduate Institute — Summer Explore Health Professions — Claremont, CA |
Feb 5, 2020 | Northwestern University — Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital Summer Internship Program — Winfield, IL — Feb 14, 2020 |
Jan 23, 2020 | The University of Alabama at Birmingham — Short Term Research Experience for Under-Represented Persons (STEP-UP)— Birmingham, AL — Feb 15, 2020 |
Jan 23, 2020 | The University of Alabama at Birmingham — Surgery Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) — Birmingham, AL — Feb 15, 2020 |
Jan 23, 2020 | The University of Alabama at Birmingham — Summer Health Professions Education Program (SHPEP), a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Funded Program — Birmingham, AL — Feb 15, 2020 |
Jan 23, 2020 | The University of Alabama at Birmingham — Kidney Undergraduate Research Program (KURE) — Birmingham, AL — Feb 15, 2020 |
Jan 23, 2020 | The University of Alabama at Birmingham — Summer Program in Neurobiology (SPIN) — Birmingham, AL — Feb 15, 2020 |
Jan 23, 2020 | The University of Alabama at Birmingham — Summer in Biomedical Sciences (SIBS) Undergraduate Research Program — Birmingham, AL — Feb 15, 2020 |
Jan 23, 2020 | The University of Alabama at Birmingham — Preparation for Graduate and Medical Education (PARAdiGM) — Birmingham, AL — Feb 15, 2020 |
Jan 21, 2020 | U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research — Summer Internship Program — San Antonio, TX — Fab 15, 2020 |
Jan 15, 2020 | UCLA — B.I.G. Summer Research Program in Genomics, Bioinformatics, and Systems Biology — Los Angeles, CA — Jan 5 (early decision) and Jan 19, 2020 |
Jan 12, 2020 | U.S. Air Force Research Lab — Repperger Research Internship Program — Dayton, OH & San Antonio, TX —Jan 31, 2019 |
Jan 7, 2020 | University of Colorado Boulder — Young Scholars Summer Research Program in the Chemical and Biological Engineering Department — Boulder, CO — Feb 14, 2020 |
Dec 30, 2019 | The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) — Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) — Boulder, CO or Gaithersburg, MD — February 3, 2020 |
Dec 17, 2019 | SENS Research Foundation — Postbacc Fellowship— Various — Feb 17, 2020 |
Dec 17, 2019 | SENS Research Foundation — SRF Summer Scholars— Various — Jan 15, 2020 |
Dec 12, 2019 | Rush University — Summer Undergraduate Research Program — Chicago, IL — Feb 1, 2020 |
Dec 12, 2019 | National Human Genome Research Institution (NHGRI) — The Genomics Summer Research for Minorities (GSRM) — Salt Lake City, Utah — Feb 3, 2020 |
Dec 10, 2019 | University of Pennsylvania and Washington University in St. Louis — Summer undergraduate research opportunity in mechanobiology — Feb 1, 2020 |
Dec 4, 2019 | Janelia Undergraduate Scholars Program — 10 Week Summer Research — Ashburn, VA — Jan 7, 2020 |
Nov 20, 2019 | Indiana University — Summer Undergraduate Research Experience in the Biomedical Sciences (SUREBS) — Bloomington, ID — Jan 15, 2020 |
Nov 18, 2019 | American Society for Microbiology — Undergraduate Research Fellowship — Washington, DC — Feb 15, 2020 |
Nov 18, 2019 | Stowers Institute for Medical Research — Summer Scholars — Kansas City, MO — Feb 3, 2020 |
Oct 31, 2019 | Detroit Mercy Dental — Summer Enrichment Program — Detroit, MI — Late February 2020 |
Oct 31, 2019 | University of California-Los Angeles — Bruins-In-Genomics Summer Undergraduate Research — Los Angeles, CA —Jan 5, 2020 |
Oct 17, 2019 | Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center — Molecular Imaging Summer Program — New York, NY — Feb 2, 2020 |
Oct 17, 2019 | Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center — Chemical Biology Summer Program — New York, NY — Feb 2, 2020 |
Oct 9, 2019 | University of Pittsburgh — Summer Research — Pittsburgh, PA |
Summer 2019
Post Date | Institution — Program — Location — Application Deadline |
---|---|
April 15, 2019 | Muscular Dystrophy Association — MDA Summer Camp Volunteer — Nationwide Campuses |
April 15, 2019 | Horizons School of Technology — Software Engineering Bootcamp — San Francisco, CA |
March 8, 2019 | Berkeley School of Optometry — Opto-Camp — Berkeley, CA — May 17, 2019 |
Feb 7, 2019 | Loyola University Maryland — Baltimore Health Immersion — Baltimore, MD — Feb 25, 2019 |
Jan 31, 2019 | Johns Hopkins Medicine — Emergency Department Volunteer Program — Baltimore, MD — Feb 8, 2019 |
Jan 29, 2019 | Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine — Aspire Medical School Preparation — Chicago, IL |
Jan 24, 2019 | University of Alabama at Birmingham — Summer Undergraduate Research Opportunities — Birmingham, AL — Feb 15, 2019 |
Jan 22, 2019 | University of California at Los Angeles — Bruins-In-Genomics Summer Undergraduate Research Program — Los Angeles, CA —Feb 4, 2019 |
Jan 22, 2019 | Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center — Chemical Biology Summer Program — New York, NY — Feb 1, 2019 |
Jan 22, 2019 | University of Illinois at Chicago — Summer Pharmacy Institute — Rockford, IL — April 1, 2019 |
Jan 22, 2019 | Boston University — Summer Program in Neuroscience — Boston, MA — Feb 28, 2019 |
Jan 22, 2019 | Sens Research Foundation — Postbaccalaureate Fellowship Program — March 4, 2019 |
Jan 22, 2019 | Sens Research Foundation — Summer Scholars Program — Feb 4, 2019 |
Jan 22, 2019 | Tri-Institutional MD-PhD Program — Gateways to the Laboratory Summer Program — New York, NY — Feb 1, 2019 |
Jan 22, 2019 | University at Buffalo — Pharmacy Summer Institute — Buffalo, NY — June 1, 2019 |
Dec 21, 2018 | Emory University — Laney Graduate School's Summer Opportunity for Academic Research (LGS-SOAR) program — Atlanta, GA — Jan 28, 2019 |
Dec 17, 2018 | U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research — Summer Internship Program — San Antonio, TX — Jan 21, 2019 |
Dec 17, 2018 | U.S. Air Force Research Lab — Repperger Research Internship Program (Application) — Dayton, OH & San Antonio, TX —Jan 21, 2019 |
Dec 12, 2018 | Harvard T.H. Chain School of Public Health — Summer Program in Epidemiology and Biostatistics — Boston, MA — Feb 8, 2019 |
Dec 11, 2018 | Pritzker School of Medicine — Pritzker School of Medicine Experience in Research (PSOMER) — Chicago, IL — Jan 18, 2019 |
Dec 11, 2018 | Mayo Clinic & Illinois Alliance for Technology-Based Healthcare — Information Technology & Biomedical Informatics Internship — Rochester, MN — Dec 15, 2019 |
Dec 11, 2018 | University of Illinois Social Work — Banner Day Camp — Lake Forest, IL |
Dec 11, 2018 | Summer Science Program — Teaching Assistant and Residential Mentor — Dec 31, 2018 |
Dec 6, 2018 | Center for Engineering MechanoBiology — Research Experience for Undergraduates — Philadelphia, PA or St. Louis, MO — Feb 1, 2019 |
Dec 4, 2018 | Des Moines University — Health Professions Advanced Summer Scholars Program — Des Moines, IA — Feb 15, 2019 |
Dec 4, 2018 | University of Michigan Medical School — UM-SMART Summer Undergraduate Research Program — Ann Arbor, MI — Jan 18, 2019 |
Dec 4, 2018 | Medical College of Wisconsin — Diversity Summer Health-Related Resarch Education Program — Milwaukee, WI — Feb 1, 2019 |
Nov 30, 2018 | University of Chicago — Pritzker School of Medicine Summer Pipeline Programs — Chicago, IL — January 18, 2019 |
Nov 30, 2018 | Fulbright Commission — UK Summer Fulbright Institutes — United Kingdom —February 6, 2019 |
Nov 30, 2018 | University of Nebraska — Summer Research Program — Lincoln, NE — March 1, 2019 |