As we grow closer to graduation and the beginning of life in the real world (yikes), the “what are you doing after college?” question is going to become actually suffocating. That’s whether it’s your mom’s friend asking or just yourself. What the heck am I doing after college? Or to prepare myself for after college? These are the questions on pretty much every senior’s and recent grad’s mind.
We ready ourselves for our dream jobs/internships by coming up with a killer resume and sending it off to our top choice company. All set. Good to go. I’ll rip the band-aid off: that’s probably not enough. In fact, that’s rarely enough. Not in today’s competitive, digital world. To really transition from college student to young professional, here are a few websites you need to check out.
- Wix
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It has become so important to create a professional website to showcase your portfolio, skills and who you are. It’s a place that employers can come to and find everything they need to know about you. Wix is really great to set up a super personalized website. There are a ton of different tools and layouts to choose from and you can get the basic version completely free.
- Squarespace
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Squarespace is another option for a personal website. Wix can be a little intimidating, so if you just need something simple to put your basic information, Squarespace might work a little better for you.
- InternQueen
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InternQueen is a hub for all sorts of internship postings. From paid to unpaid, there are opportunities you can search for by keywords, industry, semester and year. It’s important not to bank on just your first choice for a job or internship. Check back on InternQueen and similar websites every day, that’s right, every day for new opportunities.
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Remember when we all got those random emails asking you to connect with someone you don’t know on LinkedIn? And we all just ignored them? Well it’s time to pay attention to them. The times have changed. LinkedIn is where professionals connect and build a network. When people say it’s about who you know, they are not kidding! Network, network, network. You never know who might end up being able to give you an important reference. That’s where LinkedIn comes in. You can also follow your favorite companies and see when they post job openings.
- Indeed
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With Indeed you can have emails sent to you with job or internship alerts every time something becomes available in your area of interest. This is very helpful because you can hop on opportunities as soon as the arise and it will ensure you don’t miss out on any.
If I’ve learned anything from my search for internships and jobs, it’s to check for new job listings constantly and apply to multiple places. Be sure to regularly update your professional website, resume and LinkedIn, so you are always representing your latest accomplishments.