The University of Illinois Career Center offers a full range of programs, services, resources and counseling to assist all students and alumni of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, regardless of academic affiliation.

• Career Center job posting platform: Handshake @ Illinois
• Additional campus career services: careerservices.illinois.edu. Learn about specific college offices, career readiness competencies, and how to articulate your experiences into valuable resume building content.

The College of ACES Career Services helps you explore potential careers, prepare for the job search, connect with potential employers for internships and full-time jobs, or get ready for graduate or professional school.

Other On-campus Job Boards

• Illinois Job Board for students: Assists students in finding part-time employment on campus  
• Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Program (URAP)
• Illinois Human Resources: Job postings at any University of Illinois location
• Prairie Research Institute - Careers
• Ask your advisor and faculty about other opportunities they may know about

As an NRES student or alumni you have multiple departmental resources available to you:

• The NRES Career Information Blog is updated regularly with job and internship postings. We recommend students subscribe to the blog when job hunting to be sure they don’t miss a posting.
• NRES 108: Environmental Science and Natural Resource Careers is recommended for students as soon as they can fit it into their schedule. NRES students who have taken this class as seniors always talk about how helpful it was and how much they wish they had taken it earlier.
• The NRES @ Illinois group on LinkedIn is also an excellent resource to learn about potential careers and ask alumni career-related questions.
• Our IllinoisNRES Twitter account regularly posts news, jobs, and internship opportunities.

Internships: 

• Ecological Society of America (ESA) SEEDS program: Offers fieldtrips, travel to ESA annual meetings, leadership meetings and SEEDS Partnerships for Undergraduate Research (SPUR) Fellowships.  SEEDS is ESA’s flagship education and diversity mentoring program. 
• Federal Pathways Program for Students and Recent Grads: The Pathways Programs offer clear paths to Federal internships for students from high school through post-graduate school and to careers for recent graduates 
• Pathways to Science: Lists internships, research opportunities, scholarships, postdoc programs and other short term opportunities like travel awards. 
• Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs) in the Biological Sciences: Funded by the National Science Foundation 

Jobs & Internships:

• American Fisheries Society Career Center
• Chicagoland Environmental Network (CEN)
• Conservation Job Board
• EcoJobs.com
• eeJobs
• Great Lakes Email Groups - Great Lakes Commission: GLIN-Jobs
• Illinois Dept of Natural Resources | Employment Opportunities
• Illinois Extension | Careers | U of I
• National Academies | Careers
• National Association for Interpretation | Jobs Board
• National Association of Environmental Professionals
• National Science Foundation Job Openings 
• Prairie Research Institute - Careers
• USAJobs.gov
• Wildlife Jobs - The Wildlife Society
• Zoo Jobs Near Me | AZA
• Specific employer’s websites; your city’s Chamber of Commerce will usually have listings of businesses

We also recommend looking into the following professional organizations to grow your network:

• Environmental Law Institute
• Ecological Society of America
• International Environmental Communication Association
• International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council
• North American Association for Environmental Education
• National Association of Environmental Professionals
• Society for Ecological Restoration International
• Society of Wetland Scientists
• Soil Science Society of America
• The Wildlife Society

Many careers in NRES-related fields have certification programs that enhance your credentials and impress employers. Many require a certain amount of post-education experience and continuing professional development.

While you will not be able to attain many of these certifications with just your NRES coursework, you can choose coursework during your degree program that will provide you with the background you need to pursue certification after you have gained the necessary experience.

You can find certification requirements for many professions linked below:

• Board for Global Environment Health & Safety Credentialing
• Certified Arborist
• Certified Ecologist
• Certified Environmental Professional In Training (CERT-IT)
• Certificate in Interpretive Guiding or Certified Environmental Educator
• Certified Fisheries Professional
• Certified Lake Manager (CLM)/Professional (CLP)
• Certified Professional Soil Scientist/Classifier
• Certified Wildlife Rehabilitator or Professional Wildlife Rehabilitator
• Energy Manager in Training (EMIT)
• Qualified Environmental Professional
• Wildlife Society certifications