For seniors, its starting to be the final countdown until graduation. That means that everyone you encounter from now until May 20 is going to ask you what you’re doing after graduation and if you don’t know (because THAT’S NORMAL) then this question is only going to freak you out x100. So that’s why your trusty HC Skidmore Aulting Coach is here to help you have an answer to that god forsaken question. As someone who loves to get ahead of the game due to my own anxiety, I’m going to share the tips that’ve helped me get internships and post-grad work offers.
The Beginning
Let’s start at the very beginning! Where to start looking. Skidmore has it’s very own Career Development Center that can help you create your resume and a solid outline for a cover letter. They can also help you try and figure out the kind of direction you want to go, career-wise, and what kinds of jobs would suit your interests.
Now, how to look for jobs! LinkedIn is a good place to start. You can either search companies you’d like to look for and check the job postings they currently have listed or search for actual jobs and narrow down the results by location. LinkedIn does this really cool thing where your profile and qualifications will be taken into account when looking at company’s job postings and it will tell you which of the postings fit your experience.
If LinkedIn isn’t your thing, try sites like Indeed.com. There you can search for positions in specific locations and tailor down your search by experience or pay.
Now these resources are all good and fun but in my experience, the best way to gain the attention of the company is to apply to the position directly on the site rather than these third parties. The site is probably updated more regularly and checked more frequently than these other sites.
Now that you’ve applied YOUR JOB IS NOT DONE. I REPEAT, YOUR JOB IS NOT DONE. You cannot leave your application in a pile with everyone else’s just to get lost and barely looked at. You need to make sure the employer sees your application. Therefore, follow up with the company! If there isn’t a contact email, now is the time to be a spy. Search LinkedIn or the website for recruiter information. Most companies have an in-house recruiter, so keep an eye out for them. Follow up with them within 5 business days of submitting your application and continue following up with them in 5 business day increments.
Hopefully, in time, the company of your dreams will contact you for an interview. Check part 2 of Adulting 101 to find out tips and tricks to the interview process!