It’s the first semester of your senior year of college and there is one thing on your mind: JOBS. As friends start to receive return offers and interviews, it’s hard not to feel overwhelmed. So what should you be doing as a first semester senior who wants to start the job hunt now?
1. Edit Your Resume and Cover Letter
At this point in your educational and professional career you most likely have some experience writing cover letters and resumes. Before you really start looking for openings, we recommend that you fine tune your resume and cover letter to create stellar starting documents that can then be easily personalized for specific companies and positions. Make all the necessary updates and additions then have the documents reviewed. You can come into the CEC anytime M-TH 10-4pm or Friday 10-2pm for a walk in critique. Having these documents ready to be personalized for companies will make applying to positions you find later much easier.
2. Engage in On Campus Recruiting/Networking
While it may seem daunting, going to company information sessions and career fairs are excellent ways to start finding a job. The benefit of these sessions is that they allow you to not only learn about companies and discover potential career interests – they also allow you to network! Fostering relationships with company recruiters will help you throughout your professional career – even if you don’t necessarily apply for the job they are advertising. If you need tips on how to network come into the CEC for advice
3. Scour the Web and Work your Network
In the digital age there are a plethora of online job listings and recruiting websites that can help you find and apply for a job. Sites like LinkedIn, Handshake, Indeed, Glassdoor, etc. are great starting points to find openings in various industries and locations. Another great way to find jobs is to reach out to your network. Ask former employers, teachers, friends, and family if they have any recommendations or know of any openings. You can also consider cold emailing or calling the HR department of companies you’d love to work for to ask about positions and pass along your professional materials. Crafting these network/cold outreach messages may be difficult or feel awkward – just remember that there’s no harm in trying and the CEC can help you prepare the perfect note.
4. Consider Interning
If all else fails and you’re still scrambling to find full-time employment in the field of your dreams, consider interning instead. While it may seem like a less glamorous start to your post-graduate life, it can be a worthwhile move. Sometimes limited experience may be the determining factor preventing you from getting an experience so taking time to intern over the summer can help you get the experience you need to land the dream job. In addition interning for a company that you love will help you network within the organization and potentially help you land a job after the internship is over!
5 . Stay Positive!
It might take a while, it might be incredibly daunting and overwhelming, but do not give up! Applying for and getting accepted to a position is a marathon, not a sprint. If you need help and advice come into the CEC for assistance – we’re happy to do whatever we can to help you secure the job of your dreams.
An additional note:Different fields have different application timelines so do some research about your field before you panic over a lack of jobs or acceptances. You might just have to wait until second semester to apply – it all depends on your specific ambitions.