Career Services Blog

Author: Career Services

Navigating Pre-Employment Drug Screenings

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Securing a conditional job offer for an internship, co-op, or full-time position is an exciting milestone! However, before you can officially cross the finish line and start your first day, many employers will require you to complete a pre-employment drug screening as part of their hiring policy.

To help you seamlessly navigate this step of the onboarding process, the team at Michigan Tech Career Services has broken down what to expect, industry standards, and how to handle testing logistics from our unique location in the Keweenaw.

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How to Identify and Avoid Job Market Scams

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As you navigate the job market looking for internships, co-ops, or full-time roles, it is vital to stay vigilant. Online scammers frequently pose as legitimate employers in order to defraud students. These scams can be incredibly difficult to identify, but keeping a few key safety practices in mind will help keep your search secure.

At Michigan Tech Career Services, your professional safety is our top priority. Use this guide to recognize the red flags, protect your data, and safeguard your job search.

1. Recognize the Red Flags: When an Offer is “Too Good to Be True”

Employment scams often prey on a student’s need for flexible, high-paying work. Understanding the anatomy of a scam is your first line of defense.

  • The Financial Hook: A legitimate employer will never ask you to pay money upfront, process financial transactions, or purchase equipment with the promise of reimbursement. Watch out for “check-cashing” or “task” scams, where an employer sends you a large check, asks you to deposit it, and requests that you wire or transfer a portion back (via Venmo, cryptocurrency, or gift cards). Once the bank discovers the scammer’s check is fraudulent, you will be held legally and financially responsible for those missing funds.
  • Over-Urgency and Minimal Vetting: Be wary of recruiters who extend an immediate job offer without a formal interview or background check. Scammers often use language that creates a false sense of urgency (“Immediate start,” “Reply within 24 hours”) to bypass your critical thinking.
  • Vague Roles with Sky-High Pay: If a posting promises $500 a week for minimal, unstructured remote work—such as a “virtual assistant” or “data entry clerk”—but completely neglects to mention core job responsibilities, proceed with extreme caution.
  • Text and Chat-Only Hiring: Legitimate organizations require thorough vetting. If the entire interview and hiring process takes place solely via text message, WhatsApp, Telegram, or Google Hangouts, refuse to move forward until you can secure a video or in-person interview.
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Fall 2026 Career Fest Schedule

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Are you concerned that students won’t recognize your brand? Career Fest events allow you to highlight the things you make and do!

What kinds of things does your company bring to an industry trade show? Bring those same items to campus to show off to our students in an outdoor, casual event. This “show and tell” format lets students learn what you do or make and what kinds of jobs they can find at your company. Enhance your branding by participating in one or more of these days.

The lineup for Fall 2026 includes:

  • Thu, Sep 4 | $75 | Local Jobs Expo (Employers in Baraga, Houghton, and Keweenaw Counties)
  • Wed, Sep 9 | $550 | Michigan Day (Employers with an office in Michigan)
  • Tue, Sep 15 | $550 | General Industry Day
  • Thu, Sep 17 | $550 | General Industry Day
  • Tue, Sep 22 | $550 | Foundry Fest
  • Wed, Sep 23 | $0 | Aerospace Day (Employers in the Aerospace Industry)
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2026 Signing Day

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We took advantage of a sunny spring day in Houghton to celebrate our students with a “Signing Day” photo session at the Husky statue. This event serves as a visual testament to the hard work and dedication our students put into their professional development. Whether embarking on a summer internship, a semester-long co-op, or a full-time career after graduation, these Huskies are ready to make a significant impact in their respective fields.

It is an exciting time on campus as we watch these students launch into their next chapters. These photos represent more than just a job placement; they represent the culmination of a rigorous Michigan Tech education and the bright futures that lie ahead. We are incredibly proud to see our students joining industry leaders and innovators across the country.

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How to Complete Your Handshake Profile

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Handshake helps you find job opportunities by matching your profile with roles that align with your interests and experience. The more complete your profile is, the better it can deliver relevant and personalized job recommendations.

Here are the steps to get you started.

Activate Your Account

Simply log in to Handshake using your standard SSO credentials. 

Complete Your Profile

Handshake will guide you through the process of adding details about the types of jobs you’re seeking and the work experience you bring.  For more details about the process, please review the Completing Your Profile in Handshake article.

Profile Picture

You can use the photo booth in Career Services to get a professional profile picture in less than 15 minutes.

Download The Handshake App

You can use Handshake from your desktop, but you might find it more convenient to use it on your mobile device.  The Handshake app is available on both Android and iOS. Learn more about what you can do on the Handshake Mobile app. 

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How to Leverage the Career Fair Map

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You can access FairMapr directly through your event’s unique link:
Event Link: https://mtuspring26.fairmapr.com/

If you don’t know your event’s unique link, check all events here: https://fairmapr.com/events

Recommended devices

  • Before the fair: Laptop or desktop for planning
  • During the fair: Smartphone for live navigation

In order to sync favorites and employer notes between desktop and mobile, you will need to sign up for a free account. 

Click “Sign In” in the upper right corner and then click “Sign Up”. Creating an account only takes a moment and will ensure your data is saved beyond the current browser session.

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Tips To Get Ready For Spring Career Fair

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Download Handshake and Set Up Your Profile

Don’t wait until you get to the Career Fair — download Handshake ahead of time! You’ll need the app to find the latest information about the companies at the fair.

Companies want to be able to find candidates by searching through Handshake, too! Make sure your profile makes it easy for them to find you.

  • First, learn more about building a public Handshake profile.
  • Next, optimize your resume. Career Services is happy to help with this — don’t forget to share your resume with us once you have it done.
  • Upload your final resume to your Handshake profile and make it public. 
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Leadership & Rotational Programs

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Leadership Development and Rotational Programs offer mentoring and training across a variety of industries and functional areas, helping participants identify where their skills and interests align best within an organization. These structured programs provide opportunities to rotate through multiple roles and business functions, allowing participants to gain broad experience while developing expertise in a primary functional area. Rotations typically last between one and three years and include focused training and professional development throughout the program.

These programs can be excellent in your early career to provide you broad exposure within a company.

To help make it easy to find these programs, Career Services curates a Handshake Collection with many of these opportunities offered by companies that actively recruit on our campus.

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Tips To Get Ready For Career Fair

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Hello from Career Services! We are so excited to kick off the Fall 2025 Career Fair — and we know that many of you are anxiously awaiting the chance to speak with more than 350 employers. With just a week to go, we have compiled some tips to help you minimize your stress and maximize your opportunities.

Download Handshake and Set Up Your Profile

Don’t wait until you get to the Career Fair — download Handshake ahead of time! You’ll need the app to find the latest information about the companies at the fair.

Companies want to be able to find candidates by searching through Handshake, too! Make sure your profile makes it easy for them to find you.

  • First, learn more about building a public Handshake profile.
  • Next, optimize your resume. Career Services is happy to help with this — don’t forget to share your resume with us once you have it done.
  • Upload your final resume to your Handshake profile and make it public. 
Continue Reading →

Handshake Collection For Alumni

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Career Services is excited to introduce a new Handshake Collection: By Huskies For Huskies.

Similar to “staff picks” at your favorite bookstore, this curated collection highlights select job opportunities to help you discover roles that may be a great fit.

If you’d like to feature a job from your company in this collection, we’d love to include it! Simply send the URL of your Handshake job posting to career@mtu.edu, and Career Services will manually add it to the By Huskies For Huskies collection.

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