SAIC Career and Professional Experience - CAPX

Follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn for information about events, internship stipends and opportunities, resources, and more!

We’re feeling extra grateful this season 🧡 To show our appreciation for The School of the Art Institute of Chicago Alumni who graduated between August 2023 and May 2024, CAPX is giving a $500 creative stipend to another lucky winner who fills out their First Destination Survey before February 2025!

How to access your First Destination Survey ↓
> Log into your Handshake profile
> Click “Career Center” on the left side of your screen
> Click “First Destination Survey”

Your responses to this brief, confidential survey will inform and educate incoming and current students on the possibilities of life after SAIC.

Don’t forget… as an alum, you have lifetime access to the invaluable resources of CAPX. Please email [email protected] to keep your Handshake access. Include your graduation year, your name while at SAIC, and your ID number (if available) in your email request.

If you're a School of the Art Institute of Chicago undergraduate student with an idea for a project that addresses root causes of conflict and promotes peace, you could be awarded a $10,000 grant to implement your initiative! 💰

Join CAPX tomorrow (Wednesday, November 20, 3:30–4:45 p.m.) for a virtual info session featuring last year's recipient, Jude Kharchou, and SAIC's Projects for Peace Liaison, Christalena Hughmanick, to learn more about the program and application process.

Register on Handshake: https://saic.joinhandshake.com/edu/events/1633500

Every year, an SAIC student is awarded a grant in the amount of $10,000 to implement a “Project for Peace” anywhere in the world, typically over the summer. 🌎 Proposals may be submitted by any U.S. or international undergraduate student at SAIC. The project can be done alone or with others.

ABOUT PROJECTS FOR PEACE ↓
Projects for Peace is a global program that encourages young adults to develop innovative, community-centered, and scalable responses to the world’s most pressing issues. It was created in 2007 through the generosity of Kathryn W. Davis, a lifelong internationalist and philanthropist who died in 2013 at 106 years old.

A recording of this info session will be posted to SAIC's video platform, Panopto, the day after the event. 🎥

Photo provided by Jude Kharchou.

Join School of the Art Institute of Chicago Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion, CAPX, and Graduate Studies for a session focused on developing a DEI statement for graduate students and recent alums applying for teaching positions! This event will take place virtually on Wednesday, November 20, 12:00–1:00 p.m.

Register on Handshake: https://app.joinhandshake.com/edu/events/1635574

Presented by Sekile M. Nzinga, PhD, SAIC Vice President of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion.

This event is open to SAIC students, alums, faculty, and staff. For access requests, including ASL interpretation or audio description, visit saic.edu/access.

Are you considering a teaching career, wondering how to prepare, or actively applying for faculty positions? Join CAPX and Graduate Studies this Saturday, 8:30 a.m.–4 p.m., in room 314 of MacLean, for a day of workshop sessions for School of the Art Institute of Chicago graduate students and recent alums!

Topics covered will include the academic teaching landscape, anatomy of a faculty job posting, curriculum vitae, and cover letters for teaching positions. 📝

Visit https://saic.joinhandshake.com/stu/events/1582893 to register and view the full schedule! Seats are limited.

Building your CV, understanding your financial future, and growing your experience is important during your time as a student at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and as an alum! Here are this week's CAPX staff picks for open exhibition applications, free virtual events, and more.

SITE Galleries Spring 2025 Exhibition Proposal: https://saicscholarships.slideroom.com/ #/login/program/81606

INCUBATOR Spring 2025 Exhibition Application: https://saicscholarships.slideroom.com/ #/login/program/81791

CreativeStudy Live Q&A | Building Your Financial Future: https://creativestudy.com/course/building-your-financial-future-with-tamara-bates (get your free access to CreativeStudy here: https://saic.joinhandshake.com/stu/articles/22420)

2025–2027 FAO Schwarz Fellowship: www.faoschwarzfellowship.org

Creative Capital November and December Opportunities List: https://creative-capital.org/2024/10/07/artist-opportunities-november-and-december-2024/

🌀

Join CAPX and Graduate Studies virtually on Wednesday, November 13, 4–5:30 p.m., for a panel focused on academic teaching careers! School of the Art Institute of Chicago faculty will share experiences, insights, and strategies to guide MFA students and alums with researching, applying for opportunities, and developing successful careers as faculty and artists.

Register on Handshake: https://saic.joinhandshake.com/stu/events/1582877

MODERATOR👇

Shaurya Kumar, Professor
Teaches in SAIC Printmedia and MFA Graduate Projects
(BFA College of Art, New Delhi, India; MFA University of Tennessee)

PANELISTS👇

Delano Dunn, Assistant Professor, Adjunct
Teaches in SAIC Contemporary Practices and Early College Program
(BFA Communication Design, Pratt Institute; MFA Fine Arts, School of Visual Arts)

Annie Kielman, Associate Professor, Adjunct
Teaches in SAIC Printmedia, Contemporary Practices, and CAPX
(BA University of Maryland College Park; MFA Printmedia, School of the Art Institute of Chicago)

Vanessa Damilola Macaulay, Assistant Professor
Teaches in SAIC Performance and MFA Graduate Projects
(BA (hons) University of Lincoln, UK; MA Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, London, UK; PhD Queen Mary University of London, UK)

Charles Pipal, Professor, Adjunct
Teaches in SAIC Architecture and Historic Preservation
(Bachelor of Landscape Architecture and MA Architecture, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)

Douglas Rosman, Assistant Professor
Teaches in Art and Technology / Sound Practices and MFA Graduate Projects
(BA University of California, San Diego; MFA School of the Art Institute of Chicago)

Chris Salas, AICAD Fellow
Teaches in SAIC Ceramics and Architecture, Interior Architecture and Designed Objects
(BA Chemistry, Michigan State University; MFA Ceramics, Cranbrook Academy of Art)

Aliza Shvarts, Director of Low-Residency MFA, Assistant Professor, Performance
Teaches in SAIC Low Residency MFA Program
(BA Yale University; Whitney Independent Study Program; PhD Performance Studies, NYU)

Are you an international student at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago interested in working in the U.S. after your F-1 student status ends? Do you have questions about the O (artist) Visa?

Join SAIC International Affairs and Career and Professional Experience (CAPX) for a virtual presentation and discussion with Immigration Lawyer Lisa Scott (Scott Global Migration Law Group) on Monday, November 11, 3:45–5:00 p.m.

Register on Handshake: https://app.joinhandshake.com/edu/events/1641145/

If you're exploring an internship for the winter or spring, you still have time to register it for credit with CAPX! The internship courses are designed to help you gain experience as an intern in a professional arts and design environment and prepare for professional life after the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

If you've already secured an internship, please visit https://www.saic.edu/capx/internships to fill out the internship approval request form. 📝

There are still lots of exciting opportunities to apply for in 2025! Schedule an appointment on Handshake to meet with a CAPX advisor for assistance with researching, applying, and interviewing for internships.

We selected the first of four recent School of the Art Institute of Chicago graduates to receive a $500 stipend for completing the First Destination Survey. 🎓 If you graduated between August 2023 and May 2024, fill out your survey before February 2025 to be entered to win a stipend! To access the First Destination Survey, log into your Handshake account and navigate to the Career Center page.

Alex Bortell (BFA 2024) put the $500 towards his creative practice 👇
"I allocated the CAPX creative stipend to reflect my interdisciplinary writing practice, support my continued scholarly research, and advance my professional and educational futures as I pursue an MLIS in Archives and MFA in Poetry. I purchased texts on the craft of poetry that have influenced my work, as well as books from my undergraduate thesis annotated bibliography. I also ordered critical texts that I frequently cite. Having physical copies of these books as lifelong personal reference material is invaluable and places my work in a continued lineage of literature and thought."

As recent grads, your responses to this brief, confidential survey will inform and educate incoming and current students on the possibilities of life after SAIC!

Thank you to everyone who came to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago's Internship & Career Fair last week, including all of the students, alums, employers, and staff 🤝 It was a wonderful group of more than 500 attendees and 30 employers!

SAVE THE DATE for next semester’s event: Wednesday, March 5, 2025 (student registration will open on Handshake in early 2025)

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s post with helpful tips and resources for following up with employers, preparing for interviews, and more!

TODAY IS THE DAY 🎉

Join us for the School of the Art Institute of Chicago's Internship & Career Fair in the MacLean Ballroom, 3–6 p.m., to explore different industries, make valuable connections, and get a head start on your career. Even if you're just curious, we encourage you to come and see what’s out there!

Visit https://app.joinhandshake.com/career_fairs/51414 to view the complete list of attending companies and organizations, the 2025 internships and entry-level jobs that will be presented, and register for the event.

👉 Connect with local creative employers and meet a variety of companies and organizations that match SAIC programs, including opportunities for fine artists.

👉 Explore internships, jobs, and creative roles for spring/summer 2025 and speak directly with recruiters offering internship and job positions.

👉 This event is open to all students and alums! All in-person, 10-minute sessions with employers will be first come, first served.

There will be 35+ companies and organizations at TOMORROW’s Internship & Career Fair! We strongly encourage School of the Art Institute of Chicago students and alums who plan to attend to visit Handshake before the event to review the list of employers and paid opportunities that will be presented.

🗓️ Wednesday, October 23, 3–6 p.m.
📍MacLean Ballroom
🔗 https://app.joinhandshake.com/edu/career_fairs/51414

This week's roundup focuses on tips and specifics for the Internship & Career Fair to make sure you show up as your most confident self! Click the pics for our guidance on:
🤝 Researching the employers
👔 How to dress
💼 What to bring
❓Questions to prepare

Head to https://app.joinhandshake.com/career_fairs/51414 to register for the fair, which is going to take place on Wednesday, October 23, 3–6 p.m., in the MacLean Ballroom!

POV your confidence just grew to 100% 📈 We hosted a workshop led by University of Chicago's Senior Associate Director of Employer Relations, Meenakshi Dash (BFA 1997), for School of the Art Institute of Chicago students to learn communication tactics for self-introductions, interviews, and networking on their academic and professional journeys in anticipation of next week's Internship & Career Fair.

If you weren't able to attend, we encourage you to head to SAIC's video platform, Panopto, to view the recording: https://saic.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=e2165b2a-a27c-4e41-9c45-b20c0156c768

Visit https://app.joinhandshake.com/career_fairs/51414 to register for the Internship & Career Fair on Wednesday, October 23, 3–6 p.m., in the MacLean Ballroom, and view the list of attending employers and opportunities for spring and summer 2025 they'll be presenting!

Are you interested in media production, graphic design, animation, or game development? Join us on Zoom for our final CAPX Talk of the semester on Friday, October 18, 2–3 p.m., featuring Barrier Four! 🎮

CEO Nate Spell and CMO Jonathan Millar will speak about creative career opportunities at their full-service production studio built for Robloxians by Robloxians. Learn about available internships, job openings, and get expert advice on portfolio preparation for early career positions.

This CAPX Talk is ideal for School of the Art Institute of Chicago students looking to break into a dynamic and innovative media production company!

Head to https://saic.joinhandshake.com/edu/events/1569992 to learn more about the speakers and register. 🤝

CAPX Talks are virtual company presentations where representatives highlight basic company details, inner workings and departments, industry trends, portfolio-building tips, and available internship and job opportunities.

Don't miss out on this week's picks of jobs, fellowships, funding opportunities, events, and more for School of the Art Institute of Chicago students and alums! 🌀

Instagram Essentials for Artists Live Q&A 👉 Visit Handshake to get your free access to CreativeStudy: https://saic.joinhandshake.com/edu/articles/22420

Poetry Foundation is hiring Visiting Teaching Artists 👉 The deadline to apply is 10/21: https://poetryfoundation.submittable.com/submit

Fellowship for on-site archival projects 👉 The deadline to apply is 11/4: https://www.hrc.utexas.edu/fellowships/

$10,000 Creative Accelerator Fund 👉 The deadline to apply is 11/21: https://arts.illinois.gov/granting-opportunities/grants-programs/creative-accelerator-fund.html

Thank you to everyone who attended our resume development workshop yesterday in preparation for the upcoming Internship & Career Fair! 📝 In case you missed it, we posted the recording to SAIC’s video platform, Panopto. Visit https://saic.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=dd9a6c65-c2a8-4a6a-8d62-b20500e299ca to watch it, and make sure your resume is in tip-top shape for the fair!

If you’d like a CAPX advisor to review your resume or have questions about crafting yours, head to https://saic.joinhandshake.com/edu/appointments to make an appointment. 🤝