IF OPPORTUNITY DOESN’T KNOCK, BUILD A DOOR.
—MILTON BERLE
As we move into the fourth week of school, and homework lingers over our heads, the question on everyone’s mind is: “What am I going to do with my life?” and especially for seniors, the main question is: “What will I do after graduation?”
Even though this is a pressing question, don’t worry! The Career Development Center has a number of steps and resources that will help you get ready for life after graduation.
Steps to Preparing for the Job Search
- The first step to making sure you are ready for after graduation is to make sure that your resume is polished and professional. There are a number of staff members that can help you with your resume, curriculum vitae or cover letter, so schedule an appointment today! If you need some quick tips, drop ins at the CDC are from 3:00-4:30 p.m. You can also visit the Career Development website to get the gist of where you want to start.
- After you have your resume completed, it’s time to schedule a mock interview with Dale. Mock interviews are valuable in the sense that they give you important practice with certain interview questions and how to answer them. In addition to mock interviews for jobs, there are also mock interviews for grad schools and internships. Click here for an overview of how to prepare for mock interviews, otherwise, schedule an appointment with Dale!
- In addition to resumes and mock interviews, another important step is networking. Megan Fisher is definitely the person to schedule an appointment with to learn about the ins and outs of this valuable skill. When networking, you can connect with Hope alumni and others that have majored in your field or are doing a career you are interested in. This can help open multiple doors that you might not have known were a possibility. You also have the opportunity to learn about the importance of social media and the positive or negative impact it can have in your job search process.
We talked to Megan about Networking and her experience with it and she had some valuable comments. When asked how Networking could help students in their job search, she stated,
“Networking can help students during their job search in multiple ways. Information interviewing is a piece of the networking process. An information interview allows you to explore your field of interest through a structured, longer conversation with someone already working in that field. It also helps students learn from the wins (and mistakes) of others. This process is FREE career advice!
There is also formal networking, for example connecting with people at a company you want to work for, [which] helps students get their foot in the door as well as create an awesome first impression.”
She also noted that,
“Employers want to do business primarily with people they know. Resumes alone are often too impersonal especially when there are many applicants. Networking helps your resume come to the top of the pile during intense competition.”
Megan has personal experience with this, as she recalls,
“When I was first looking for a Graduate Assistant position (coaching lacrosse and getting my masters degree) I attended the US Lacrosse Convention. I created business cards and printed out copies of my resume. During my time at the convention I gave out the materials I brought and networked with other coaches. I ended up connecting with a new lacrosse program that was looking for a G.A. After following up after the convention I found myself interviewing for the position and got the job. I was later told that my “go-getter” attitude and my unique business cards/resume made be stand out in the networking process.”
As you can see, networking is a valuable skill when it comes to the job seeking process. Networking, combined with the other job seeking skills mentioned above, will help you be prepared to get a job that you love. Schedule an appointment today to see how the Career Development Center can help you!