So Long, Fair Well… But WAIT- I don’t have a job!

So this is it. The end has begun. As a senior graduating in a month, it’s hard to believe that 4 years have come… and now gone. Every opportunity to hangout with friends is precious and not taken for granted. It’s a semi-sweet time.

On the other hand, for more of us than you know, the question of, “what are you doing after graduation?” still looms with a big question mark for the answer. I’ve started getting creative with my response and saying it’s like a good movie, the climax can’t come too soon- the viewer must be kept in suspense.

Nevertheless, it is a little unsettling and frustrating when friends are landing jobs and looking for apartments near their graduate schools and you’re still writing cover letters.

Words to my fellow job-seekers-
1. Blueberry Hill tonight, 9:00pm- be there! (jk,jk,jk…)

2. The sun will come out tomorrow.
May is actually an artificial deadline. We have May 16th as the deadline because that’s when we graduate- companies don’t have this deadline and will be hiring on May 17th (hard to believe, I know!)

3. Meet face-to-face! If you’re doing informational interviews- FORGET the phone!! I know, I know- it’s far away, etc. Do all in your power to meet with people in person.

4.Keep knocking. So have you really followed up with everyone you’ve contacted? Check in with the ones you haven’t contacted in a couple of weeks or a month.

5. Keep your chin up! Set your eyes on your goal and go for it.

Gone But Not Forgotten

Seniors, graduation is now upon us, but don't think that since you are leaving campus you have to leave behind all the services of the Career Center. It's true, there will be no more late nights at Bears Den, our wustl email addresses will expire, and the ID cards won't let us into anything anymore, but a positive thing is that the Career Center will always be available to you even after you graduate. Imagine, 10 years down the line, you realize that you truely hate your job and want to switch careers. You can come back to the Career Center and retake (or take for the 1st time) a career assesment test to help guide you in your career switch. Maybe you love your job, but for some reason after 2 years you are laid off. You can still make an advising appointment to talk about how to get another job in that sector or take a look at what E-recruiting has to offer. Perhaps it's 2030 and you need help with your interviewing skills because it's been awhile since the last one you did. Make a trip back to St. Louis in order to participate in a mock interview or read books about interviewing in the library. Yes, class of 2008, we will be gone after graduation on May 16th but the Career Center will never forget us.

Looking Back

The other day, one of my fellow career peers asked me "where did the last four years go?" So I started thining about where all of my time went and just how enjoyable it all has been. I also thought about how I'll be working in Chicago next year and thinking back through all of the tiny experiences that brought me to that point.

Each step I took with the Career Center ultimately, and unknowingly, brought me one step closer to my goal of a good job upon graduation. Simple information sessions about resumes and cover letters helped me prepare for the next steps, which in turn led me to prepare far better than I ever imagined. Ultimately, the preparation and experience (both good and bad) helped me figure out what I want and search it out.

Those of you reading this blog should realize by now that all of us career peers utilized the Career Center to the fullest in order to help find what we desire for post graduation plans. In the same way, each of you should be finding the opportunities offered by the career center which will help you the most. For some of you, only a few things may help, but those few things may be the difference between getting what you want and watching it dissapear in front of you.

Thoughts of a Senior

I'll admit that I don't have a whole lot to say about work (academic or professional) right now. The advice that I will give is to assume a similar mentality every once in a a while. Somebody just asked me if my work was winding down or if I was going to be busy through the end of the year. I told her that I wasn't sure if my work was getting easier or if I had just reevaluated my priorities, but that I was hoping to have as relaxing and enjoyable a month as I imagined possible.

The weather is starting to get nice, Thurtene Carnival is right around the corner, and graduation is shortly after that. I have by no means ignored my studies or my commitments to learning, but I have reminded myself that the opportunities to go outside and play softball, bike through Forest Park, or build an enormous facade with my close friends are numbered. In just over one month I will be starting my summer internship, surrounded by complete strangers. I am excited for the opportunity but I'm also commited to enjoying my limited time here.

For those of you who are seeking summer positions, do not worry! There are still opportunities available and it is always within your power to create opportunities (see older posts about using the Book of Lists or about networking, for example). A number of engineering firms, including bioMerieux, Johnson & Johnson, Procter & Gamble, and Caterpillar are all looking for students. Other industry's are still recruiting as well! Check eRecruiting for complete listings.

Whether you are looking for a position or not, don't forget to take some time to enjoy yourself!

Thank You!

A lot of people maybe finishing up interviews for jobs, internships, and grad schools around this time. But don't forget one of the most important things about the interview, the thank you card! I do say card because it is more personal and may make you stand out from those who sent thank you emails. Plus, think of all the emails you receive during the course of a day. Most professionals get even more than you. There are certain circumstances were email thank you notes maybe the better option, like if they are making a decision about you in the next couple of hours or if the company is really big on communicating by email. The point is to express your gratitude. They took time to interview you from their schedule and will have to make a decision about you alone or present you to other people and a group decision will be made. The least thing you can do it let them know you appreciate the time that they spent on you.

What goes into a thank you note? It is a very nice thing to reiterate some of the conversation that occurred during the interview, why you are interested in the company/school, and what qualities you think will be beneficial to that company/school.

Who does a thank you note go to? Everyone that interviewed you or anyone that you engaged in a substantial conversation . If you meet a lot of people on a tour, you don't have to send individual thank you cards to everyone you meet. Sending a card or email to a department address to everyone and asking it to be circulated around the office is a good idea too.

Have you applied to a lot of jobs/internships/schools and haven't been getting any good news yet or no news at all? Try sending a thank you note today Even though it is best to send the thank you note out within 24hrs of the interview, it is better late than never. Just try it, you maybe surprised how a little expression of gratitude maybe the one thing to turn your opportunity search around and find a successful position.

Still looking for your summer internship? AT&T is looking for summer interns in Tucson, AZ to help with research programs similar to the direction the company is taking as a whole. If you're looking for a summer with a different climate than the currently rainy St. Louis, and are interested in working on and researching technology, you should definitely check out this opportunity. Previous examples of work can be found here: http://www.research.att.com/index.cfm?portal=23


For those of you who have interviews coming up, remember to brush up on your interviewing skills. This is especially important if you haven’t interviewed in a while, or if this is your first ever interview. Think about questions the company may want to know (who are you? why do you want to work here?) as well as questions about yourself (what makes you tick? what other activities do you enjoy?). Scheduling a mock interview can also be extremely helpful as you also get feedback on how to improve your interview. One technique for interviewing is the STAR method. STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action, Results. Following this method, you can be sure your answer is a strong and confident one that covers all of the important material for the recruiter. Finally, remember that interviewers can ask many types of questions, not necessarily only those related to the internship you're applying for.

Finding that job or internship that is a little Atypical

Interested in fields that are not so common, a little atypical?
Or maybe you are looking for a job or internship in your hometown,
which isn’t LA or NYC. The search process can be a little, well, tough and frustrating.

I am experiencing a little bit of this as a senior looking for work in the environmental non-profit field in Florida. It’s quite ironic. There are many environmental campaign canvassing positions available, but really, that’s not what I am looking for.

So what can you do?
To find positions in locations that are a little more obscure, here are some ideas-
1. Search E-Recruiting by location, searching for your town and the nearest big city
2. Non-profit? Search Idealist.org and sign up for the email alerts. They send jobs that are specific to your interests.
3. Looked on Monster or Craig’s List recently?
4. Talk about what you want… to any and everyone. Talk to your parents, friends, and anyone who asks you what you are doing/want to be doing. You never know who or what they know.

Upcoming Deadlines for the less common JOB locations
From eRecruiting

AT&T- Entry Level IT Position
Locations- San Ramon, CA; Hoffman Estates, IL; Middletown, NJ; Alpharetta, GA; Richardson, TX

Altec- Associate Engineer
Locations- Asheville, Charlotte, & Raleigh, NC; Louisville, KY; Roanoke, VA

Upcoming Deadlines for the less common INTERNSHIP locations
From eRecruiting

Arlington Park- Marketing Internship
Location- Arlington Heights, IL

Hedrick Smith Productions- Documentary Intern
Location- Chevy Chase, MD

Abiomed- Software Engineer Remote Monitoring Co-Op and more
Location- Danvers, MA

Senioritis

As we seniors come back from spring break--the lucky ones with tans, the unlucky ones (me) with sunburns--we find ourselves with only about 8 weeks until graduation. This point in our lives is pretty friggin' important as we set the stage for the rest of our lives. With May 16th bearing down, the stress can easily build up.

For some of us, the Career Center can be a great resource to help out. Counselors here know tons about what to do after graduation; be it a full time job, a year working internationally, or a longer stint with the Peace Corps. The counselors won't do all the work for you, but they will guide you to great ideas and resources.

One of the resources I recommend is wustl.erecruiting.com with its large number of job and internship spots, some specifically tailored for WashU students. Just a glance, and you can find some interesting jobs (among the standard ones) like being a camp counselor at Camp Eureka in Puerto Rico.

Spring Break!

Whether you believe it or not with all of the snow on the ground, spring break is right around the corner. Depending on your plans for the week, it can be a tremendously productive time in any job search.

If you are going home, use this week to make a target list of some companies. Get in touch with them and explore the possibility of meeting for an informational interview at some point during the break.

If you are not going to be in a position to visit with professionals or potential employers, take advantage of some free time and make sure that your materials are in order. Compose a resume that you are happy with. Start practicing cover letter writing.

Many positions, including Procurement positions with Boeing, have deadlines within the next two weeks. Capitalize on some free time over the break as well as the lull in coursework that many students experience after the midterm rush and make sure that you are presenting yourself as the best candidate possible.

Come in for QQ or an appointment with a Career Advisor for help!