Illinois Institute of Technology · Career Community

Software Engineering & Computing

Build the Future Today.

Do These Three Things This Week

2. Ship one project to GitHub — recruiters read repositories

3. Start technical-interview prep:

Book a Career Coach

$133,080

Median Salary (BLS 2024)

15%

Job Growth 2024–34

129K+

Annual U.S. Openings

Google · Microsoft · 1871

Chicago Tech Hub

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook (May 2024 wages; 2024–34 projections)

Leverage Chicago as your launchpad into a thriving tech ecosystem — home to major offices for Google and Microsoft and the world-renowned 1871 incubator. Apply core engineering principles to design and innovate software, mastering programming languages, algorithms, and cloud platforms. This rigorous technical preparation, combined with hands-on experience, prepares you for a dynamic range of careers — from full-stack and mobile development to pioneering roles in AI, machine learning, and cybersecurity.

The resume gets you the phone screen. The repository gets you the offer.

1Three Moves to Launch Your Tech Career
Experiences, technical-interview coaching, and alumni mentors — Elevate, Your Future

I. Find & Secure Experiences

Explore internships, co-ops, and roles with employers hiring in software engineering and IT.

Explore Experiences →

II. Prep for Technical Interviews

Work with a Career Coach on your resume, portfolio, and coding-interview strategy.

Book a Career Coach →

III. Meet Alumni Mentors

Connect with Illinois Tech alumni working in tech through the Illinois Tech Alumni Mentorship Program.

Find a Mentor →
2Essential Skills for Success
The technical stack and the professional strengths — what it takes to excel

Technical Prowess

Command programming languages (Java, Python, JavaScript, C++), data structures, algorithms, software design patterns, version control (Git), database management, web frameworks, cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud), and testing and debugging.

Transferable Strengths

Hone problem-solving, analytical thinking, collaboration, clear communication, project management, and a commitment to continuous learning.

Illinois Tech’s computer science and software engineering curricula, combined with hands-on Elevate experiences, develop both the technical expertise and professional skills needed to excel in this rapidly evolving field.

3Practice & Technical Interview Prep
The drills serious candidates run — free
  • LeetCode — the coding-interview standard; consistency beats volume
  • NeetCode — structured problem roadmaps so you drill in the right order
  • HackerRank — skills challenges, and the platform many employers screen on
  • Elevate Interview Prep — behavioral and mock-interview resources, free

Work the problems on your own, then practice talking through them with a coach. Interviews grade your reasoning out loud, not just your answer.

4Build Your Portfolio
Pinned repositories, real READMEs, one deployed project
  • GitHub — host and showcase projects; pin your best three and give each a README that names the problem, your role, and the result
  • roadmap.sh — community-built developer learning paths for every specialty
  • freeCodeCamp — free project-based courses that end with portfolio pieces
  • Resume & Portfolio Help — Career Services guidance, plus the portfolio guide in Career Resources

Three finished, documented projects beat ten fragments — and one of them should be deployed where a recruiter can click it.

5Cloud & Certifications
Free training from the three major cloud providers

A foundational cloud certification is the fastest credential a computing student can add this semester — ask a coach which one fits your target roles.

6Jobs, Hackathons & the Chicago Tech Ecosystem
Where to apply, where to build, and where this city’s tech scene gathers

Apply & Experience

Build & Belong

Ready to build the future? Bring your repository and your target companies — we will prepare for the technical interviews together.

Connect With Career Services

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

Labor Market InsightsIn partnership withLightcast logo

Find a career that aligns with your career interests, see current salary projects, and identify skills you need to apply for that next job or internship.

There are two ways to use this tool below:

  1. By Keyword: Search for the name of the occupation you’re interested in.
  2. By Industry: Not sure what job you’d like? Search by desired industry and see available occupations.

Type in a keyword to select a relevant occupation. (If you'd like to see data for a specific location only, filter by state.)

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
  • Top Employers
  • Starting Salary
  • Employment Locations
  • Top Universities
  • Degree Types
  • 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
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