FAQs for Undergrad Fisher Students

The Qualified Undergraduate Interview Candidate (QUIC) program is Fisher’s premier interview preparation program for undergraduates. The QUIC program includes on-line learning through Carmen modules about the Office of Career Management, Handshake, and interviewing through Carmen modules. It also includes a graded mock interview, in which students receive individual coaching about their own interviewing skills. QUIC has been the recipient of two national award recognitions. 

There are many benefits to becoming QUIC: 

• Individualized coaching and interview practice – for both in-person and virtual interviews 

• Students who complete the QUIC process are more likely to report a job by graduation and are earning higher salaries than those who do not 

• Gain access to campus interviews (both internships and full-time positions) 

• Every year recruiters conduct more than 4,000 interviews for undergraduate full-time career positions and internships 

• Gain access to schedule a professional profile picture appointment through the Office of Career Management 

1. Complete your profile in Handshake and upload a professional resume 

2. Read through the 6 OCM modules on Carmen and pass the quiz after each 

3. Schedule your QUIC mock interview through Handshake (must wait 1 full business day after completing the Carmen modules) 

4. Prepare for and pass your QUIC interview 

When you login to Carmen, under “My Courses” you should see “Office of Career Management QUIC modules.”  If you don’t see this, click the check box next to “Other” on the right side of the screen under “Filter.”  

(We have also heard that students can find it in the "Dashboard" section of their Carmen page.) 

If it still doesn’t appear, contact Darese Douglas at douglas.68@osu.edu 

An "internship" is defined as any work experience occurring at any point during college that accumulates a minimum of 120 hours of work within a six (6) consecutive month period, in which the student receives supervision and/or mentorship and in which the student applies their knowledge and skills learned during their time in college. An Internship may be paid or unpaid and may be for credit or not for credit. A student's work on their own start-up business qualifies as an internship if it meets the other stated criteria. 

The term “co-op” is often used interchangeably with the term “Internship.” A co-op is usually a longer-term commitment with a company, where the student takes a full semester off from school to work for the company, then the student returns to school for one semester, and eventually returns to the same company to continue the co-op.  Some schools have partnerships with employers where the co-op is an agreed-upon arrangement between the employer and the university.  These are usually more common in engineering roles. 

The Office of Career Management is a great place to start.  Our Career Consultants can work with you one-on-one to help you identify the steps you need to take to be successful in finding an internship.  We can help you utilize Handshake, our online job search platform, to find and apply to internships.  We can also help you with preparing for career fairs, on-campus interviews, networking events, and other opportunities to find an internship.  To schedule an internship search appointment, go to http://handshake.osu.edu and click on “Career Center” and then “Appointments.”  You can also use our online Job and Internship Search Guide to help you get started. 

While internships are not a requirement at Fisher, completing at least one internship or major-related experience is highly encouraged and recommended.  Most students (around 96%) at Fisher complete at least one internship prior to graduation, and students who intern are more successful at securing full-time employment prior to graduation. 

Most Fisher students complete a full-time internship in the summer between junior and senior year.  Companies typically prefer to recruit juniors for internships because they have more experience and have completed more upper-level business coursework than first years and sophomores.  Companies also prefer juniors because they use the internship program as a pipeline for recruiting full-time talent.  However, many sophomores can secure internships through personal networking, such as through a relative or family friend.  There are also several employers located in Columbus near campus who need part-time interns throughout the school year. Check out our handout on Getting an Internship: Tips for Sophomores, which contains suggestions for how to leverage your network for finding an internship. 

Fisher does not offer credit for internships for most students.  However, some employers require that students earn academic credit for the internship.  This usually occurs when the internship is unpaid*.  For these circumstances, we do offer a course called BUSADM 2191.02, which is a 100% distance learning course and is worth 0.5 credit hours.  You can visit our website for information on BA 2191.02 and to see if you are eligible to enroll.  BA 2191.02 is also a required course for International Students in Fisher doing CPT (Curricular Practical Training) for an internship. 
*The majority of internships completed by Fisher students are paid and the Office of Career Management encourages all employers to pay their interns. 

This depends on the company.  Most large multinational companies begin their internship recruitment activities approximately 8-9 months prior to the start date of the internship program.  These companies recruit dozens of interns and rely on early recruiting to attract the top candidates.  For example, many companies begin recruiting their summer interns in early fall semester, usually the beginning of September.  This begins with events such as career fairs, followed by on-campus and/or onsite interviews, and usually extension of offers around mid to late Fall semester.  Many juniors accept an internship offer before winter break.  There is another season of internship recruiting that begins in spring semester for many other companies.  Small to midsize firms will post internships to Handshake closer to the start date since they recruit fewer interns.  Our advice is to start early!  Be ready to start applying and interviewing for internships by the beginning of your third year. 

Accounting firms hire interns during the extremely busy tax and audit season every spring to work January through April. Interns completing Spring Semester Accounting Internships get a true sense of the work during busy season and can learn a great deal of information very quickly and practice their accounting skills in a fast-paced setting.  Students considering a spring accounting internship should begin applying and interviewing one year prior to the start date, or mid-way through their sophomore year.  For more information on completing a spring accounting internship, visit the Spring Accounting Internships web page. 

Yes—review our document on “Making the Most of your Internship.” This document contains several tips and advice on how to make your internship a memorable and successful experience. 

Deciding your specialization takes time and exploration.  It is important to reflect on your interests, skills, and strengths, by considering what you enjoy spending your time doing versus what you do not like to do.  Think about courses, extracurricular experiences, and hobbies.  Could any of these interests lead toward a career?  Once you have an idea about yourself, start to do some research.  Review the Explore Careers webpage to learn more about each business specialization.  Refer to the Ohio State Minors webpage for ideas on potential minors.  You may also want to talk to people in fields of interest by conducting informational interviews.  Our Networking and Informational Interview Guide can help you get started.  To discuss your specific career exploration situation, schedule a “Deciding on Major/Career” appointment through Handshake.  If you are curious about options outside of business, make an appointment with the Career Counseling and Support Services Office.  

Yes!  The Explore Careers webpage on the Office of Career Management website is a great place to start.  Here you will find an overview of the different business specializations and information about niche business areas, such as consulting and investment banking.  You will also find information about career exploration programs offered through Fisher, including the Fisher Undergraduate Job Shadow Program and the BUSADM2600: Undergraduate Speaker Series Course.  The page also links to several external career exploration resources.    

Deciding your specialization takes time and exploration.  It is important to reflect on your interests, skills, and strengths, as well as conduct research, talk to people in fields of interest, and gain experience.  In addition to these steps, there are assessments available in which you may take to learn more about yourself.  The Office of Career Management offers the Career Leader assessment to help you identify possible business career paths to best fit your skills, interests, and motivators.  For additional personality assessments, such as Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, CliftonStrengths, and Strong Interest Inventory, contact the Career Counseling and Support Services Office at The Ohio State University.       

Handshake is the system the Office of Career Management utilizes for posting jobs, creating on-campus interview schedules, providing details on employer information sessions, and organizing career fairs. Handshake is used by all colleges across Ohio State. 

Go to http://handshake.osu.edu and you will see a Student Login for Handshake button. You will use your OSU login information – your name.#@osu.edu email (NOT Buckeye mail) and your password. 

Be sure you are using your osu.edu email address and not your Buckeyemail. If you are still having trouble, contact Darese Douglas at douglas.68@osu.edu 

When you log into Handshake, you will see your initials in the top right-hand corner. Click on your initials and a drop-down menu appears – click on My Profile to review, edit and add to your profile. This drop-down also includes a link to Documents, where you can upload your resume, cover letters and other documents.  

When logging into your Handshake account, click on “My Profile” and you will see a box where you can select to make your profile public – it will tell you if your profile is hidden from employers, and provide a button to change it to public through Settings. 

Employers have the ability to search for and contact students directly for positions to which you may qualify! In order for this to happen, you must make sure that your resume is set for public viewing. Making your resume public is easy and can be done by these simple steps: 

1. Navigate to the drop down menu under your name – click on “Documents” 
2. Under “Resumes” make sure you select “Visible.”  Note: it should appear in green if you have successfully made your resume visible to employers. 

When you log into Handshake, you will see your initials in the top right-hand corner. Click on your initials and a drop-down menu appears. You will see links to “Notifications” and “Settings & Privacy.” 

The Office of Career Management QUIC Modules on your Carmen page contains detailed information about how to use Handshake for campus interviews and the related policies. Even if you already read the modules and passed the quizzes, you still have access to them on your Carmen site. Handshake is covered in Modules 2 and 3. 

When you log into Handshake, you will see “Jobs” at the top of the page. Click there and you will see a tab at the top for “On-Campus Interviews.” This allows you to search through the companies recruiting on campus. 

When you log into Handshake, you will see "Events” at the top of the page. Click there and you will see several tabs across the top, one of which is “Career Fairs.” This opens up a list of multiple job fairs – and search filters that allow you to target the Fisher fairs. 

Job and internship search training is offered through many different resources including one-on-one appointments, print and web-based resources, on-demand content, job search courses, and drop-ins with our Peer Career Coaches.  This is just a small sample of how we help students prepare for the job search.  We can personalize your job search training once we know about your interests and situation—making an appointment through Handshake is the best way to get started. 

Check out our resume and cover letter guides at go.osu.edu/OCM.  You will find templates and preferred content according to recruiters, as well as more resources on each topic. 

Students have access to Handshake, the system the Office of Career Management utilizes for posting jobs, creating on-campus interview schedules, providing details on employer information sessions, and organizing career fairs. Handshake is used by all colleges across Ohio State. Additionally, we suggest students look at postings on LinkedIn or other industry-based job boards. 

Check out our interview preparation materials at go.osu.edu/OCM.  You will find resources on video interviews, behavioral interviews, a guide full of typical interview questions, and videos of answers to typical questions.  Additionally, you can prepare for interviews through the QUIC program and Vmock.  

Check out our video interview preparation materials at go.osu.edu/OCM. You will find a video interviewing guide including how to prepare and set-up your environment for success in the virtual environment. If you want to get started on interview preparation from home, check out Vmock. Vmock is a web-based tool that allows students to gain experience with recording answers to typical interview questions.  Vmock uses Artificial Intelligence to guide students on their responses.   

Many Fisher students obtain positions outside of Ohio post-graduation.  You will want to start your location-based search by learning more about your desired location and companies that are present in the area. Additionally, we suggest widening your job search tools to include LinkedIn, networking with OSU alumni in the area, and leveraging Handshake to network with students at other schools in that location.  These are just a few suggestions to get started—make an appointment to talk more about your personalized location-based search.  

This is one of top questions our office receives from students.  Some ways to stand out include: showcasing your experiences on your resume and online platforms, getting involved in something that is meaningful to you so you can talk passionately about it in an interview, and following-up after every networking opportunity.  Recruiters comment frequently on students standing out when they follow-up. 

Yes! Our office offers BUSADM 2601: Job Search Preparation both in-person and online to help students prepare for the job search.  Course content includes important topics in the job search such as resumes, interviewing, networking, offer negotiation, and job search strategies.  Over the course of the semester students have access to recruiters (through guest lectures).  The course is offered in-person fall/spring and online fall/spring/summer.

If you are interested in a specific industry such as consulting or investment banking, you will want to apply for our premier job search preparation programs, Fisher Emerging Consultants and Fisher Futures, to prepare for the additional components of these competitive industries.   

Searching for a career while studying in the United States can be a challenge, particularly for students who seek to secure an internship or post-graduate employment in the United States. As an international student on an F-1 student visa, it is important to remember that you are in the United States for the primary purpose of being a student. The recruiting/hiring process is highly competitive for both domestic and international students, with international students having the additional challenge of needing sponsorship (H1-B sponsorship) at the time of securing full-time career employment. To learn more about how to get started, visit our International Student Resources webpage. 

Temporary employment such as an internship, practicum, alternative work-study, or cooperative education may be authorized under certain circumstances as Curricular Practical Training (CPT). Such training must not only be related to your major field of study but must also be an integral part of your established curriculum still in progress. 

Please review the CPT information on the OIA website and attend a Curricular Practical Training (CPT) workshop offered by OIA. 

Optional Practical Training (OPT) is a type of work authorization for F-1 students, defined in the federal regulations as "temporary employment for practical training directly related to the student's major area of study." It is intended to provide students with practical experience in their field of study during or, more commonly, upon completion of a degree program. 

An F-1 student may be authorized to receive up to a total of 12 months of OPT either before (pre-) and/or after (post-) completion of studies. However, students who have accumulated 12 months or more of full-time curricular practical training (CPT) are ineligible to apply for OPT. 

An F-1 student is eligible for 12 months of OPT for each degree level. However, a student cannot apply for OPT at a degree level lower than one for which he/she has already been approved for OPT in the past. 

Please review the OPT information on the OIA website for more information. 

As part of the QUIC program, International Students are also required to complete an International Student Online Workshop. This workshop covers many topics including the CPT process, employer expectations, and job search strategies for international students. The workshop requirement can be completed on Carmen. To access the online workshop on CARMEN, under “My Courses” you should see the “Office of Career Management – Undergraduate International Student Workshop”. 

For more information about QUIC, visit our Become QUIC web page. 

GoinGlobal career and employment resources include world-wide job openings, internship listings, industry profiles and country-specific career information. More than 30,000 pages of constantly-updated content is included on topics such as: work permit/visa regulations, resume writing guidelines and examples, employment trends, salary ranges, networking groups, cultural/interviewing advice, corporate profiles and worldwide job listings... plus much more!   To access GoinGlobal, go to Handshake, click on Career Center > Resources. 

 LockinChina is the first Chinese online recruitment platform committed to providing career development support and employment opportunities for Chinese returnees. Students interested in exploring job opportunities may visit the following exclusive job portal link https://chinaportal.guccu.org/osu to register and begin applying for positions of interest. Once registered, employers will send specific job opportunities intended for OSU students as well as upcoming career related events and workshops hosted by GUCCU. 

An event that gives employers and business students looking for full-time careers and internships a chance to meet, network, and discuss opportunities. 

The Office of Career Management hosts two large scale career fairs each year, the Fisher Fall Career Fair (early September) and the Fisher Spring Internship & Job Fair (late January/early February). Other offices at OSU also host career fairs that are open to Fisher students and a comprehensive list can be found here: https://careers.osu.edu/employers/career-fairs Career Fairs hosted by Fisher student organizations will be advertised by the Office of Career Management and by the student organization. 

Fisher career fairs target undergraduate and graduate students in the Fisher College of Business, but any Ohio State student interested in a business career is welcome to attend.  

From your Handshake homepage, click on “Events.” Next, click on “Find Career Fairs.” A list of OSU Career Fairs will appear. If you click on a specific fair, once you are in the Event page, you will see a section that says “Employer Attendees” and you can click “See more employers.” By clicking on “View Details” for an employer, you can see details about what they are recruiting for. 

In-person career fairs do not require student registration, but virtual fairs do. Students will have an opportunity to sign up for group and one-on-one sessions with employers. Details for students will be provided in the event details in Handshake. 

In-person career fairs typically consist of larger ballroom type spaces with many companies and representatives in attendance to talk with students about their opportunities. Virtual career fairs provide an opportunity for students to sign up for times to meet with employers in a group or one-on-one session and the meetings will be conducted via either video or telephone. 

Students are welcome to schedule an appointment to talk about preparing for a career fair. They can select “Job/Internship Search” as the appointment type in Handshake. 

Since many employers travel to campus for in-person career fairs, they like to interview students while they are in town. Some employers offer students next day interviews when they meet at the career fair or contact them after the career fair to schedule an interview for the next day. The Office of Career Management hosts next day interviews in their office and at a few other locations on the Fisher campus. Next day interviews are not coordinated by the Office of Career Management following virtual career fairs, but employers are encouraged to set up interviews with students.  

Appointments offer students and opportunity to meet one-on-one with a Career Management professional to talk about any topics related to their career, such as career exploration, resume development, and internship and job search training. 

From your Handshake homepage, click on “Career center.” Next, click on “Appointments.” Then click on “Schedule A New Appointment.” Under “Choose a Category,” select “Fisher College of Business Office of Career Management – UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS.” You will then have an opportunity to select from a variety of appointment types. Once you select the appointment type, you can select the date and time that works best for you from the options listed and request the appointment.  

There is no limit to the amount of appointments that a student can have with the Office of Career Management, but students should only schedule one appointment at a time through Handshake.  

Yes, when you schedule an appointment in Handshake, you will have the option to choose the appointment type. If you don’t know exactly what you would like to discuss, that is okay. Please select one of the appointment types and feel free to include some notes in the appointment request details.  

Appointments range from 30 minutes to one hour and the times are assigned to the appointment types in Handshake. Topics such as career exploration and interview preparation typically take longer. 

When scheduling an appointment in Handshake, students can choose to schedule an in-person or virtual (via Zoom) appointment.  In-person appointments take place in 150 Gerlach Hall in the Office of Career Management on the first floor.  Virtual appointments take place via Zoom and a Zoom link will be included in the appointment confirmation details when scheduled.

A QUIC interview is technically an appointment in Handshake, but students must meet the pre-requisite of completing the QUIC modules in Handshake prior to scheduling a QUIC interview.