Senior year at Bucknell is supposed to be the best year of all, right? Well, for those of us still looking for a job it can be incredibly stressful. Although we still have all school year, it is important to start early! So in order to help you prepare here is a semester long month-to-month guide to help you along your job search process.
September
Okay, now that you have finally settled into your classes it is time to focus on post graduation. Make an appointment with the Career Development Center (CDC). They are open Monday through Friday from 8 – 4:30pm. When you meet with a career counselor they can help you decide what path is the right one for you. They can talk to you about your options as well as recommend alumni that you should connect with. The CDC also helps with resume and cover letter critiques. Having a fresh set of eyes look over these documents can help you pick out simple mistakes. Hopefully you all attended the Career Expo on Tuesday September 24th! If you didn’t, check out this link: http://careerinsider.blogs.buc…
If you have some extra time this month, make a list of all the companies you would want to work for. Research deadlines by going online to their website to see when your resume and cover letter should be sent in, and mark these dates in your planner.
October
Start networking! Once you have your resume and cover letter done it is time to start reaching out. Many jobs, as many as 80% (Got this statistic from Missy Gutkowski) are obtained through networking so this is how you should be spending your time. Creating a resume and applying to jobs is important, but creating a strong network can help you add a personal connection to your job application.
One of the best ways to network and stay in touch with your connections is through LinkedIn. If you haven’t already set up a LinkedIn account, do it right now…no seriously, right now, I’ll wait. LinkedIn is often referred to as the Facebook for careers, because it is a very similar set up and easy to use. Creating an account is simple; just fill out your job history, education, and any other relevant experience. After you set up your profile start connecting with people that you know! You can also use LinkedIn to research different people who have careers you are interested in. For extra LinkedIn help, the CDC has walk in LinkedIn hours on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 1:30-3:30!
Also coming up in October is a Global Marketplace Panel Discussion and Tommy Hilfiger Field Trip which you can sign up for on the Bridge or use https://bucknell.experience.co….
Make sure to check back on The Bridge soon for more information regarding a Media & Entertainment event in NYC planned for October 18th.
November
Once you have your LinkedIn page set up it is time to get connected to the Alumni Directory. Access to the Alumni Directory is now open to ALL STUDENTS! Access includes Class Years, Regional Clubs, Academic Connections, Industry/Profession Networks, Extracurricular Interest Groups (with the ability to create your own groups) as well as the Alumni Directory and the Career Advice Volunteer search (the new BisonConnect). In order to gain entry into the Alumni Directory on B-LINK you have to do 3 things.
- Read Alumni Directory Use to learn about the Bucknell Community and suggestions for best ways to approach and build relationships with alumni.
- Take the online quiz (8 out of 10 is passing)
- Send a sample email and leave a sample voicemail as directed once you complete the quiz. (Hint – There are scripts, which some students have found it easier to use these to get them started.)
- In about 1 week, the CDC staff will notify you of your results. Pending your successful completion of the quiz and required steps you will be granted access to the Alumni Directory in B-Link.
After you are granted access to the Alumni Directory you can reach out to Alums in professions that you are interested in. Besides connecting with other Bucknellians, be sure to reach out to your friends and family. You never know what connections they may have that could be helpful to your own career goals!
December
Getting back from Thanksgiving break will likely leave you stressed with upcoming finals. While still in Lewisburg be sure to focus on the end of the semester and heading home for winter break. However, once you are home, continue to send out your resume to different job opportunities. When you are home reaching out to different local alums or additional connections to set up informational interviews. You should also be keeping in eye on your online image. Take the time to go through your different social networking accounts to clean them up as well as make them private. Potential employers will Google you and I highly doubt you want them seeing any risqué or embarrassing pictures. If you are at all stuck while determining whether or not to untag that picture of you, do the grandma test. Ask yourself “Would I really want my grandma to see this?” This should help you with any pictures or posts that you are unsure about.
This semester just to set aside some time once a week that you will focus on post graduation. If you put it into your schedule you are much more likely to hold yourself accountable. Try not to stress out, although it can be unnerving to not know what the future hold it is also exciting. It may sound cliché but we really do have the world at our fingertips. Find where your interests lie, chances are there is a job somewhere within that field that would be the perfect fit for you. And remember, its senior year…live it up! Although it is important to find a job and move forward, try not to get too caught up in the future or you might miss out on the here and now.