Get Advised: At the start of your degree program at LUC, consider talking to a career advisor in the Career Development Center about what career position(s) you are interested in, and what activities you should pursue before gaining your degree and applying for jobs. Students often consult a career advisor while going on the job market, but doing so ahead of time allows you to fill in gaps in your CV and guarantees that you are the best candidate for the position you want. 

Join Academic Societies and Conferences: Check out the Alliance of Literary Societies to see if the author(s) whose works you are researching have a conference devoted to their study. 

Follow Your Interests: Graduate school can be challenging; it really helps when students are intensely focused on a project they enjoy, as this gives them the stamina to complete the work and see it through multiple formats and revisions. See the resources page for your area to kickstart your own research and professionalism opportunities:

Medieval and Renaissance Literature Resources

Nineteenth Century Studies Resources

Present and Publish: Having at least four conference presentations and two publications under your belt by the time you graduate increases your chances at finding a good position.

Learn Skills: If your ideal position involves computer skills such as familiarity with Microsoft Excel or basic coding, try to acquire this knowledge by taking seminars in the area or attending workshops hosted by the Graduate School, the Center for Textual Studies and Digital Humanities, and the Department of English.

Make Friends in your Field: Get to know your fellow graduate students both at LUC and those you encounter at conferences and other scholastic events. Eventually you might encounter these people at a later stage of your career, while for now they are invaluable sources of encouragement, peer review, and advice about graduate school. 

Consult Your Professors: Not only do your professors know you and your professional capabilities very well, but they also have years of experience in the humanities. If a career in teaching, editing, publishing, or any other area of language and literature appeals to you, your professors might have some good advice for you regarding where to start your search. 

Find Job Postings: Start your academic job search by consulting the MLA's JIL index and going to the Academic Job Search page.