Yes, seniors! This is it. Not long until graduation and your parents ask the inevitable question “What are you doing toward getting a job?” Even though you don’t want to think about it right now, time marches on and the job search needs to begin now. Fortunately for you, your career center is here to help you with the process. So here is the calendar you need to be following to land that job in your career field by May.
September: Research the market
- Turn off Fear Factor and try CNN in order to find out what’s going on the business/career world.
- Hit your computer and library to investigate companies and organizations that intrigue you. www.Hoovers.com
- Where do you want to live? How does the cost of living in Nashville compare with Seattle? Find out where you want to live and what you have to make to live there. http://salaryexpert.com/
October: Perfect your resumé and cover letter
- Come by the career center for personal help or attend one of the Resumé Workshops during October. See the events calendar for dates.
November: Chart your ideal career
- The current economy isn’t handing out six-figure jobs to new college grads, so you need to be realistic about your prospects. Where would you like to be in ten years? What will it take to get there? What skills do you need? How can you get them? An internship maybe? If you want to work in Nashville, you need to be interning spring semester in the place you want a job in May. That internship needs to be set up now, so call for an appointment with Ronie McPeak to get started (ext.1237).
December: Network, network, network
- A network is your best job search tool. Make a list of everyone you know and make a monthly goal to contact 8-10 people to tell them about what you’re looking for. Be enthusiastic and don’t talk exclusively about yourself. When you ask your neighbor about his company and what he does there, you will get more valuable information than if you ask “Does your company have any openings in my field?”
- Make your career counselor part of your network. Get the counselor a copy of your resumé.
January: Buy an interview suit
- Everything is on sale after Christmas, so use that holiday cash, or better yet, get your family to invest in a good suit as a late Christmas present. Even if you think you’ll be in business casual dress for your job, you’ll still need a quality interview suit.
February: Practice interviewing skills
- The person who gets the job is often not the best qualified but is the best prepared for the interview. For a list of typical interview questions, come by the career center. Then have a mock interview with family, friends, or career placement counselor (Jan Harvey). It may feel awkward, but it’s great practice. Would you hire you?
- Don’t miss the big College to Career Fair and Teacher Fair in February at the TN State Fairgrounds (150+ companies and organizations there to hire you).
- Attend the How to Work a Career Fair workshop prior to the fair.
March: Set up informational interviews
- Informational interviews expose you to the people in your career field who can help make you aware of potential jobs. The primary goal of an informational interview is to establish relationships with your (soon- to-be) professional peers. The secondary goal is to really find out about your chosen field and how to get into it. And, yes, the Career and Counseling Center does have a workshop for that as well. Informational Interviews that Work is scheduled in March in JSC 307. This technique is very effective. Don’t miss this workshop.
- Also, don’t miss the now famous dining etiquette experience, Putting Your Best Fork Forward. It will be at 6:00 P.M. on March 23, 2004, in the President’s Dining Room. You’ll get a great meal and valuable information you’ll need for a lifetime--especially for that second level of interviewing.
April: Keep those applications flowing
- Apply for anything that looks marginally interesting. Remember the interviewing will help you, and even if you get offered a job, you don’t have to accept it. Get your resumé online with several of the resumé posting services---Monstertrak, NACELink.com, Collegegrad.com, etc. Keep up with the jobs in JOBLINKS on Nashville’s Chamber of Commerce job site: www.nashvillechamber.com
May: Proudly accept your diploma and enter the world of work
- The members of the Career and Counseling Center staff hope that your planning and persistence has paid off and that you are entering your career or are well on your way. Congratulations!
