Education, Government, Human Services & Nonprofits

Illinois Institute of Technology · Career Community

Government & Nonprofit

Drive Social Impact.

Do These Three Things This Week

2. Build one civic-data project from the Chicago Data Portal — evidence this sector loves

3. Build your public-service resume:

Book a Career Coach

$78,240

Median Salary (BLS 2024)

6%

Job Growth 2024–34

18,600+

Annual U.S. Openings

City of Chicago · Foundations

Public-Service Hub

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook — Social & Community Service Managers (May 2024 wages; 2024–34 projections)

Leverage Chicago’s diverse landscape of public service — from the City of Chicago to major foundations and social innovation hubs. At Illinois Tech, you blend technical expertise with policy understanding to address complex societal challenges. This powerful approach prepares you for meaningful careers in policy analysis, program management, data-driven public administration, and civic innovation. Use your skills to design, evaluate, and scale solutions that create a more equitable and sustainable world.

Every agency and every nonprofit needs a technologist. Bring the data skills — the mission is already waiting.

1Three Moves to Launch Your Public-Service Career
Experiences, sector-ready materials, and alumni mentors — Elevate, Your Future▾

I. Find & Secure Experiences

Explore internships, fellowships, and roles with government agencies, nonprofits, and foundations.

Search Experiences →

II. Craft a Public-Service Resume

Work with a Career Coach on resumes, cover letters, and applications built for the sector — federal formats included.

Book a Career Coach →

III. Meet Alumni Mentors

Connect with Illinois Tech alumni working in government, policy, and nonprofits.

Find a Mentor →
2Essential Skills for Success
From grant writing to GIS — what it takes to excel in public service▾

Technical Prowess

Master data analysis, research methodologies, grant writing, program evaluation, budgeting, GIS, and technology implementation for social impact.

Transferable Strengths

Hone critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, collaboration, cultural competence, and ethical decision-making.

Illinois Tech’s programs, combined with Elevate experiences, develop both the technical expertise and professional skills needed to make meaningful impacts in government and nonprofit sectors.

3Jobs, Fellowships & Service Programs
The boards this sector actually hires from▾
  • USAJOBS — the federal government’s official careers portal; note that federal resumes run longer and more detailed than private-sector ones
  • Idealist — the nonprofit world’s home board for jobs, internships, and volunteering
  • City of Chicago Careers — the city’s own hiring portal, blocks from campus
  • AmeriCorps — paid service terms with a stipend and an education award; a proven first rung into the sector
  • Handshake — vetted for Illinois Tech students; filter by government and nonprofit
4Grants, Evaluation & Civic Data
The skills that fund the mission — and the open data to practice on▾

Grants & Program Evaluation

  • Grants.gov — every federal grant opportunity, searchable
  • Candid — funder research and grant-writing training; the nonprofit field’s reference desk
  • Coursera — program evaluation and policy courses from top schools

Data, GIS & Civic Tech

  • Esri ArcGIS — the mapping and spatial-analysis standard in government work
  • Chicago Data Portal — open city data; a civic-analysis project here is portfolio gold
  • Data.gov — U.S. open datasets across every agency

Grant writing and program evaluation are the two skills this sector hires for hardest — and both can be evidenced with a student project before you graduate.

5Professional Associations & the Chicago Ecosystem
Where public-service careers are built — and who builds them here▾

Join the Field

  • ASPA — the public administration profession’s home, with student membership
  • Independent Sector — the national voice of the nonprofit field
  • Forefront — Illinois’ own association of nonprofits and funders; their events are where this state’s sector networks

Know the Local Players

  • City of Chicago — agencies and initiatives, and the region’s largest public employer
  • The Chicago Community Trust — the region’s community foundation and a window into local philanthropy
  • Your “why this work?” answer lives here — name the institutions, then go meet the people inside them
6Elevate Experiences & Your Community
Simulations, internships, and your sector hub on Elevate▾

Build Experience Now

Ready to drive social impact? Bring your target agencies and a draft resume — we will build it for the sector, federal formats included.

Connect With Career Services

All external resources independently verified by Career Services, July 2026.

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Undergraduate Career Outcomes

Illinois Tech graduates are in high demand. See what our graduates are doing within six months of graduation

Career Services tracks career outcomes on an annual basis through a survey known as First Destination. This data refers to the post-graduation status of students within six months of graduation and provides a snapshot view of the success undergraduates obtain.

For the 2025 class, surveys were collected from 91% of graduates.

Graduates of Illinois Tech pursue a wide variety of industries and positions in leading companies and organizations, and Career Services strongly believes that engaging in internships, research, study abroad, and student organizations are practices that lead to post-graduation success. For additional information or questions, please get in touch with Illinois Tech Career Services at careerservices@iit.edu and review our collection and reporting methodology.

  • First Destination
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  • Employment Locations
  • Top Universities
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  • Fields of Study

First Destination

The vast majority of our graduates obtained full-time employment or decided to continue their education through graduate studies.

Learn more about the percentages of our graduates employed full-time, part-time, in graduate school, serving in the military, or pursuing volunteer opportunities.


Access & Opportunity — We make sure every talented student — whatever their background or situation — gets the coaching, connections, and experience to launch a career.

Contact Information:

Phone
(312) 567-6800
Website
http://iit.edu
Address

McCormick Tribune Campus Center
3201 S State St, Suite 106
Chicago, IL 60616

Career Services Office Hours

Monday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday Closed
Sunday Closed