Career Accelerator programs give incoming Harris students early access to coaching, skill-building, networking, and career exploration opportunities designed to help you begin your journey at Harris with confidence, clarity, and a stronger sense of direction towards your future career.

  • Create a clearer career roadmap for the year ahead
  • Strengthen how you tell your professional story
  • Gain exposure to career paths and recruitment practices across sectors
  • Build early confidence in networking and professional engagement
  • Form connections with peers, alumni, and the Harris community
  • Begin the academic year with momentum toward your career goals

Built for You

Students come to Harris with varying levels of experience, career goals, and familiarity with the U.S. professional landscape. Through tailored career readiness programming, you will begin to:

  • build confidence in networking and professional relationship-building
  • translate prior experience into a clear and compelling professional narrative
  • strengthen job search strategy and interviewing skills
  • develop leadership presence and communication skills
  • explore sector-specific pathways and recruitment practices
  • navigate career transitions with greater focus and intention
  • understand professional norms and expectations in the U.S. context

Schedule

 

Preparation Accelerator

Skills Accelerator

Networking Accelerator

Networking Accelerator (continued)

When

Week of 8/31

Week of 9/7

Week of 9/14

Week of 9/21 (Welcome Week)

How it works

Students opt into 1 track

Students opt into 1 track

Students select sessions

Students select sessions

What to expect

Two 90-minute sessions led by coaches

Three 120-minute sessions led by experts

Alumni panel and virtual networking opportunities

Career exploration and employer engagement opportunities

Options

  • Group A: Under 4 years of experience; no U.S. experience
  • Group B: Under 4 years of experience; some U.S. experience
  • Group C: Over 4 years of experience; no U.S. experience
  • Group D: Over 4 years of experience; U.S. experience
  • Finance Technical Interview Skills
  • Consulting Case Interview Skills
  • Professional Writing Skills
  • Research & Think Tank Virtual Speed Networking
  • Local Government In Person Career Panel 
  • INSPIRE - Climate/Energy, International Development, Technology (virtual alumni coffee chats)
  • Chicago Climate and Energy Policy Trek
  • Global Career Pathways Virtual Panel
  • Internship Search & Fair Preparation Session
  • Harris Recruitment Fair (registration through HarrisLink)

Learning Objectives

Available June 1Available June 1Available June 1Available June 1

Frequently Asked Questions

Career Accelerator: What is the Career Accelerator program?

What is the Career Accelerator program?

The Career Accelerator program is a career readiness experience for incoming Harris students. It offers early access to coaching, skill-building, networking, and career exploration opportunities designed to help you begin your Harris experience with confidence, clarity, and momentum.

Career Accelerator: Who is the program designed for?

Who is the program designed for?

The program is designed for incoming Harris students with a range of backgrounds, experience levels, and career goals. Whether you are early in your career, bringing years of professional experience, new to the U.S. professional landscape, or preparing for a career transition, the program is built to support where you are now.

Career Accelerator: What will I gain from participating?

What will I gain from participating?

Students in the program begin to build a clearer career roadmap, strengthen their professional story, explore sector-specific pathways, and develop confidence in networking, interviewing, and professional communication. The program is designed to help you start the academic year with stronger direction and early momentum toward your career goals.

Career Accelerator: How is the program structured?

How is the program structured?

The program unfolds over multiple weeks and includes four phases: Preparation Accelerators, Skills Accelerators, Networking Accelerators, and Welcome Week programming. Together, these phases combine coaching, expert-led sessions, networking opportunities, and career exploration experiences.

Career Accelerator: Will I be able to choose sessions or tracks?

Will I be able to choose sessions or tracks?

Yes. Students opt into one Preparation Accelerator track, one Skills Accelerator track, and select networking sessions. This structure allows you to engage with programming that aligns with your background, goals, and areas of interest.

Career Accelerator: Why does this happen before classes begin?

Why does this happen before classes begin?

Career development begins as soon as students arrive at Harris. By offering this programming before the academic year is fully underway, the Career Accelerator program helps you start early, build confidence, form connections, and better understand the resources and opportunities that will support your professional development throughout your time at Harris.