Table of Contents:


Why Did We Make This?

We created this guide to address the growing interest in Research Park and the companies within. Recently, there has been an increased interest in all aspects of Research Park, from working there to internships, and even attending various sponsored events. However, getting involved may seem daunting at some times for students. This guide is to help anyone navigate the internship process, as well as offer advice to hopefully landing an opportunity at Research Park!

Authors

Feel free to reach out to us at any time if you have any questions:

**Monica Para 🦝** - I recently graduated with a degree in CS + Advertising at the University of Illinois and am currently a software engineer on a trading team. My past experiences lie in event marketing and teaching students computing fundamentals through Kode With Klossy and UIUC’s CS 124 course.

**David An ✍🏻** - I recently graduated with a degree in Mathematics at the University of Illinois and also currently work as a software engineer as well! I have past experience in creating material directed towards undergraduate recruiting and early stage careers. I am passionate about online branding, creating communities around different ideas and digital storytelling.

We’re currently working on a new project CareersPrep.io, with a goal of providing high quality career resources targeted towards undergraduates and early career people. Feel free to reach out if you want to contribute or wanna check it out :))

Acknowledgments

We would want to thank everyone who has helped us navigate our own journeys to Research Park from the organizers of the Research Park Career Fair and representatives from various companies that helped us through our recruiting journey in different forms such as offering invaluable career and personal advice.

Disclaimer

Please note that all opinions expressed in this guide are from our personal experience, not necessarily those of Research Park or our current employers

What is Research Park?

Research Park is a technology hub for corporate research and development operations and startup companies. In Research Park, there are over 120 companies employing everyone from students to full-time professionals

Opportunities in Research Park aren’t just limited to the big-name tech companies that are there as well. Research Park also offers many in-house opportunities for your creative endeavors as well. From COZAD, the iVenture accelerator, as well as EnterpriseWorks, there are countless resources for your creative spirit.

Internship Timeline

Since Research Park is different from traditional companies, its hiring process is different from traditional companies as well. Most of the time, Research Park hires year-round but has different “hiring sessions” where a majority of the hiring is done.