Illinois Tech Career Services · Community & Access
Build Your Community,
Build Your Career
Every Hawk deserves a network, a mentor, and a clear path to a great first job. Here’s how to find yours.
Career Services is here for every Illinois Tech student. This page brings together the communities, programs, and mentors that help you launch — and we especially want our Black and African American students, Latino/a students, Native American students, Asian American students, and first-generation students to know: you belong here, and so does your community.
If you’re building a professional network from the ground up — without family in your field to open doors — these national organizations, fellowships, and scholarships were built to help you do exactly that. Every service we offer is open to all students; the groups below are yours to join.
Communities to Join
National Professional Communities
These national societies offer mentorship, scholarships, career fairs, and some of the biggest recruiting conferences in the country. Many have an Illinois Tech student chapter — join here, then find your chapter on campus.
NSBE
The National Society of Black Engineers — the largest student-governed community for Black engineers, with a national career center and convention.
Join NSBE →National Black MBA Association
Career development, scholarships, and a major annual conference connecting Black professionals with top employers.
Explore NBMBAA →SHPE
The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers — empowers the Hispanic community in STEM through mentorship, career fairs, and a national convention.
Join SHPE →ALPFA
The Association of Latino Professionals For America — career development and recruiting for Latino students in business, finance, and beyond.
Explore ALPFA →AISES
The American Indian Science and Engineering Society — scholarships, internships, and a national conference for Native and Indigenous students in STEM.
Join AISES →SACNAS
Advances Chicano/Hispanic and Native American students in science with mentoring and a national diversity-in-STEM conference.
Explore SACNAS →SASE
The Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers — professional development and a national conference for Asian and Asian American students in STEM.
Explore SASE →Programs & Fellowships
Career-Launch Programs
Coaching, paid internships, and mentor networks — many built specifically for Black, Latino/a, Native American, and first-generation talent.
Management Leadership for Tomorrow
An 18-month Career Prep program with personalized coaching and a 10,000+ leader network for Black, Hispanic/Latinx, and Native American students.
Apply to MLT →INROADS
The largest paid-internship program in the U.S. for underrepresented students, with year-round training and mentoring. Priority deadlines: Nov 1 and Mar 1.
Explore INROADS →COOP Careers
Free fellowships in Chicago and beyond helping first-gen college grads launch careers in data analytics, digital marketing, and financial services.
Explore COOP →ColorStack
A national community boosting the number of Black and Latinx computer science students who thrive and get hired in tech.
Join ColorStack →/dev/color
A community that helps Black technologists grow into leaders through goal-setting, mentorship, and a supportive professional network.
Explore /dev/color →Jopwell
A career platform connecting Black, Latinx, and Native American students and professionals with employers who are hiring.
Join Jopwell →First in Your Family? Start Here
If you’re the first in your family to go from college to career, you’re not doing it alone. FirstGen Forward (from NASPA) is the national hub for first-generation student success, and Illinois Tech’s own Braven course pairs you with a coach and a career-readiness playbook.
Fund Your Path
Scholarships & Funding
National scholarship organizations supporting students of color — free to apply, and worth your time:
UNCF (United Negro College Fund) · Thurgood Marshall College Fund · Hispanic Scholarship Fund · American Indian College Fund · NACME (engineering)
Right Here on Campus
Your community at Illinois Tech starts with the people down the hall. Find your student chapter, join Braven, and meet a coach who’s in your corner.
Student Organizations · Braven Partnership · Book a Career Coach
You Don’t Have to Build It Alone
Bring your questions — about networking, internships, or which of these communities fits you. A career coach will help you make a plan.
Book a Career Coach →Illinois Tech Career Services · Open to every student · careerservices@illinoistech.edu
