Career Services | Current Students Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is SAISWorks?
2. How do I register for SAISWorks?
3. How long do I have access to SAISWorks?
4. How do I upload my resume or other documents into SAISWorks?
5. What is a resume collection?
6. I forgot my password for SAISWorks, what do I do?
7. How do I set up a search agent on SAISWorks?
8. Where is SAIS Career Services located?
9. What kinds of events and programs does Career Services hold each year?
10. When should I plan on making contact with Career Services?
11. Is Career Services responsible for getting me a full-time job after graduation?
12. Can your office help me secure a job outside of Washington D.C.?
13. How can I research employers?
14. Who sees my resume once I upload it into SAISWorks?
15. How do I enhance my job search and interviewing skills?
16. Where can I find salary information?
17. What companies do SAIS graduates work for?
18. What is the best way to find out what career events are scheduled?
19. How do I contact SAIS alumni?
20. What are the best careers for my concentration?
21. How do I set up an appointment to see a career counselor?

1. What is SAISWorks?

SAISWorks is a web-based career services program specifically designed to bring employers and students together. It replaced MonsterTrak, a program previously used by SAIS. Through SAISWorks students are able to participate in on-campus recruiting programs, search job and internship postings, sign-up for events, submit resumes, and research employers.  SAISWorks is available for use by all current, full-time, SAIS students in Washington D.C., Bologna, and Nanjing.  Alumni and Employers are also able to use SAISWorks but in varied capacities.

2. How do I register for SAISWorks?

After pre-term, you will receive an e-mail from Career Services with a temporary password to SAISWorks.  Your username will be your school e-mail address.  Once you log on to the system using that temporary password you will be able to set up your profile – including a new password.  If you ever forget your password just click on the “Forgot Password” button on the log-in screen to have a new one e-mailed to you.  Also, if you do not receive a temporary password e-mail please contact us at Career Services at careerservicesweb@jhu.edu.  We have a SAISWorks Quick Tips Guide available to assist you in setting up your profile and navigating the system.

3. How long do I have access to SAISWorks?

You will maintain access to SAISWorks even after you graduate.  The only change in your account status will be that you will no longer be able to apply to On-Campus Recruiting events (OCR).  An example of this would be the resume collections.

4. How do I upload my resume or other documents into SAISWorks?

From the Home Page in SAISWorks, click on the button titled “Documents” in the top navigation bar.  Click on the "Add New" button.  You will be prompted to label your document.  We suggest titles such as “Resume2006” or “Writing Sample” that easily identify the document.  Keep in mind you can upload up to 10 documents so keeping them easily identifiable is a good idea.  Also keep in mind that Employers will see the title you give your document.  Next, specify what type of document you are uploading.  Finally “Browse” to locate the file on your computer.  Click the “Submit” button. 

Once you upload your first resume, it will be put under Pending Documents.  Your first resume is put on hold in the system to be approved by one of the Career Services employees.  This initial check is just to make sure the resume is in the SAIS format.  You will receive a notification email once your first resume has been approved.  After the initial resume is uploaded, subsequent uploaded documents will not need approval. 

5. What is a resume collection?

Using SAISWorks, we are able to collect resumes for internships or full-time job opportunities.  These opportunities are posted on the main page of SAISWorks as well as in the Career Services’ Weekly Email.  Employers set up resume collections instead of setting up a single posting if they want one set of resumes at one time for a specific position or opportunity.  Once the deadline arrives, all the resumes received are sent as one .pdf file to the employer.  This is just a convenient option for employers to collect resumes. 

6. I forgot my password for SAISWorks, what do I do?

If you forget your username or password for SAISWorks at any time just send an email to  careerservicesweb@jhu.edu with your full name, graduation year, and the e-mail address you want the new username or password emailed to. 

7. How do I set up a search agent on SAISWorks?

Setting up a search agent is a very useful tool in SAISWorks.  A search agent allows you to define job criteria that match your needs.  Once you set this up an e-mail will automatically be sent to you whenever a job is posted that matches your defined criteria.

You must be logged in to SAISWorks to begin this process.  To setup or edit a search agent, the student must first go to CMS JOBS and click the Advanced Search tab. To edit a previously created Search Agent, select it from the [select existing] drop-down menu at the top.  To create a new agent, first select the criteria the search agent will be based on.  Once chosen, type a title for your search agent into the 'Save As' field and click the checkbox to save it.  All search agents will be saved in the Search Agents tab (next to Advanced Search). To schedule the search to run and email the job list automatically, click the "schedule" button in the Options column.

8. Where is SAIS Career Services located?

The Career Services office is located in the Nitze building of the SAIS Washington D.C. campus.  The physical address is 1740 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Room 212, Washington D.C. 20036.  Click here for a map, complete driving directions, parking, and metro information.

9. What kinds of events and programs does Career Services hold each year?

Career Services offers a variety of events each year.  A brief example would include the Fall and Spring Career Fairs, Professional Development Conference, Mock Interview Days, annual career trips to New York, Capitol Hill, San Francisco, etc., speakers and career panels, career workshops etc.   In addition, we provide individual counseling sessions, career exploration tools and individual professional development planning. 

Please review the Web site for a complete overview of our services.

10. When should I plan on making contact with Career Services?

We encourage all students to make an appointment during the first few weeks at SAIS.   Before your schedule gets hectic with school work and classes, plan to make an initial appointment.  You will meet the counselors and get started on your Professional Development Plan.  The earlier you start the better!  For a general career development/search timeline, please view THIS PAGE.

11. Is Career Services responsible for getting me a full-time job after graduation?

The Career Services team here at SAIS will work with you every step of the way to gain full-time employment after graduation. We provide many services to help you, but the ultimate responsibility for getting a job is yours. You will need to assess your skills and interests, focus on a career goal, and make sure you are well-prepared for your career choice.  We are here to help you manage your career.

12. Can your office help me secure a job outside of Washington D.C.?

Absolutely.  While Washington, D.Cc has the largest number of SAIS alumni globally, we also have a large presence in New York and San Francisco, as well as throughout Europe and Asia.  Career Services works to develop employer relationships both domestically and internationally.  Working with local alumni clubs, individual SAIS alumni and a variety of employer contacts, we frequently refer students to contacts outside of Washington, D.C.

13. How can I research employers?

We have set up a NEW feature on SAISWorks which allows employers to create provide profiles which can be viewed by students and alumni.  In addition to this we also have

14. Who sees my resume once I upload it into SAISWorks?

Please note that when setting up your profile in SAISWorks there are privacy settings that you need to select.  One option available to you is to have your resume available to be placed in “resume books.”  If you select YES to this option, if a company requests a resume book then your resume will be automatically included in that book of resumes sent to that employer.  If you select NO, your resume will never be included in any resume books sent to any employers.

Once you upload your first resume it is put on hold in the system to be approved by one of the Career Services employees.  This initial check is just to make sure the resume is in the SAIS format.  After the initial resume is uploaded, subsequent uploaded documents will not need approval.  Once uploaded, your resume will be available to be viewed by the career counselors here in Career Services.  It will also be viewable to any employers to which you submit an application. 

15. How do I enhance my job search and interviewing skills?

We suggest making use of the tools available in the Career Services office and on our Web site.  Specifically, there are many handouts we have created to aid in such areas as interviewing, negotiating salary, writing a cover letter, etc.  Visit our Handouts page or stop by the office for a complete view of those.  You may also consider attending a mock interview session or using InverviewStream.  Please view and sign-up on the SAISWorks event calendar for the next Mock Interview Day.  We also have many books in our library focusing on skills and job-search strategies.  There are many resources available, and our counselors would be more than happy to meet with you to discuss your options! 

16. Where can I find salary information?

The quarterly Salary Survey developed by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) is available in the Career Services office.  In addition, several national salary surveys may be accessed by going to this web site: www.udel.edu/CSC/findajob.html#salary.  If you have more specific salary questions, we suggest you meet with a counselor.

17. What companies do SAIS graduates work for?

SAIS alumni work in the public, private and nonprofit sectors all over the world.  They work for government agencies, international organizations, investment firms, financial institutions and businesses in the fields of education, research, consulting and journalism.  For a listing of recent employers of SAIS students visit our Who Hires SAIS Grads? page.  

18. What is the best way to find out what career events are scheduled?

All Career Services events are posted  exclusively on the SAISWorks calendar. SAISWorks is also available for you to use to post your own schedule.  Please consider SAISWorks to be your information portal to all Career Services events, job postings, resume collections, etc. 

19. How do I contact SAIS alumni?

The Johns Hopkins University maintains InCircle, an online database of alumni information.  Students can search the database by professional sector, specific employer and/or geographic location.  The profiles are created by the alumni and they select what information they wish to share.  If contact information is provided, then you can contact them for information or advice.  SAIS alumni also volunteer for career panels, employer site visits and a variety of mentoring activities.  Career Services maintains a close relationship with many SAIS alumni.  If you don’t find the information you are looking for on InCircle, please ask us for assistance. 

20. What are the best careers for my concentration?

Good question.  Some concentrations have a more natural connection to career areas than others.  For example, if you want a job in a financial services area, it makes sense to enroll in the International Finance Specialization at SAIS.  If your goal is to work in a defense or intelligence related area, Strategic Studies as a concentration may give you a leg up.  And if you have as your professional focus a career in the energy sector, it probably makes sense for you to seriously consider the International Energy Policy concentration.

But, there are many concentrations at SAIS – our regional concentrations, for example, that do not lead to a specific kind of career.  Regional concentrations are certainly going to increase your marketability for jobs related to that region, but these opportunities could be in many different sectors.  The more general SAIS concentrations are going to give you an even wider range of options.  What’s important is that you don’t depend only on your concentration to find career focus.  Take a look at your own individual interests, the skills you’ve developed both before and during SAIS, and your key motivating values around work.  Combine this self-assessment with field research in areas of career interest to formulate your professional goals.

For help with these kinds of focus issues, Career Services staff members can work with you individually, or suggest a range of assessment instruments that will be useful.

21. How do I set up an appointment to see a career counselor?

Please call our office at 202-663-5710 to set up an appointment with a counselor.  We will match you with one of our career counselors based on sector focus.  In most cases, you will need to have an up-to-date resume available in SAISWorks prior to your meeting with a counselor.

Send in your own FAQs to careerservicesweb@jhu.edu.