Focusing on the Job Search

It’s hard to believe that for so many of us, senior year is here. It’s a time to be excited as we close our academic ventures and focus our attention on maximizing the memories and important relationships of our college experience. However, it is also a time of transition as we each decide on the next step after college. For many of us, jobs are in the near future and pursuing a job search may be a full year project.

For many of us applying for jobs, our industries have not started recruiting. Our finance and consulting peers are hitting the job search now and getting offers, but what should the rest of us be doing while we wait for jobs to open in our fields? On top of that, how do we deal with feeling inadequate or unprepared when pursuing the work force. Work may still feel like that distant entity that we only correlate with our parents and “real” adults. But how can we feel confident in pursuing a great job when there seems to be a lot of competition? How do we get excited about applying to jobs when the economy doesn’t seem promising? How can we be so sure that we want to work when we still can’t answer that enduring question: What do I want to be when I grow up? If you find yourself questioning and unsure like me, here are some suggestions that can help us get focused and make us feel more prepared for pursuing the job search.

1. Learn about yourself. In understanding what jobs fit us best, we need to first understand ourselves: our skills, our weaknesses, our passions, etc. You can achieve this through personal reflection. Keep a journal. Ask those close to you what your strengths and weaknesses are. Also take advantage of self assessments offered by the Career Center. Just walk in and ask the front desk. These assessments are particularly helpful with identifying your personality as a best fit within the job force.

2. Make yourself feel more comfortable with the industry that you think interests you. Read up on the industry first. Most importantly, get out there and meet people. Informational interviews are a great way to do this. Find out what kinds of skills are necessary, what your daily tasks may be. The great thing about this is that informational interviews are another great way to network. You’ll get your name out there and show others within the industry how interested and dedicated you are.

3. Finally, share your interests and ideas with those around you. Searching for a job can be very stressful. There’s no reason to hold it as a personal burden that you deal with by yourself. Talk to those around you. Express your concerns, fears, questions, excitement or whatever you’re feeling at the time. I’ve always been pleasantly surprised with where great advice, encouragement, or answers to prolonging questions came from.

These are just a few tips that can help us get started with the job search. It is a process. Hang in there and I’ll continue to keep you updated as I undergo the same challenge. Best of luck!

-Kimberly

Mock interviews!!! Get them while they're hot!!!

It was 8am on a sunny Thursday morning as I took the Metrolink down to the medical school to meet my mentor. I had just pressed out the wrinkles in my new suit and my professional attire helped me to exude confidence. Despite the fact that my mentor told me he would ask difficult questions I felt prepared. We met in his office, shook hands and began, establishing an easy exchange. Things were going quite well until he started asking me questions I had never heard before. I was broadsided and started to lose my composure stumbling over my vision of the next ten years of my life and the goals I had formed about my career path. To say the least, it was a complete disaster. Or was it? It was a mock interview after all and though my mentor was proud to have caught me off guard, he did get his point across about what it takes to truly be prepared for an interview. Most importantly, I learned from this experience and when I interviewed recently I knew exactly what to expect, answering questions fluidly and coherently.

Whether you are planning on entering the workforce, applying to graduate programs, or preparing for an internship, learning how to present yourself to others is an important skill to have. The Career Center offers mock interviews which can give you a chance to practice and find your common slip-ups before you ever shake the hands of a recruiter. In addition, we have resources such as packets of commonly asked questions, how do dress, and skills to help you promote yourself. This process is especially important if you are a senior who is beginning their job search. If you have not heard about it yet, I strongly encourage you to sign up for the Senior Prep Series or SPS. It is required in order to apply for jobs listed on CareerLink and it includes a mock interview for the job of your choice which will help you to come ready and confident for your first interviews.

-Stephanie

Job Search: Start Now

Senior year is here and it’s hard to believe that in eight short months my title as “student” will be taken away and replaced with “alumnus”. I have to admit, this change of title scares me because I know what it means. It means that a chapter in my life that I have really enjoyed will come to an end. It also means that a new chapter will begin, and with it will come the time to get my first real job. AAAAAAAAAAAAH!

So to make the transition into real world a bit easier, I have set a goal for myself. I want to graduate Wash U. with a job already lined up. Although I still don’t know what I want to do with my majors, I do know that hiding from the future won’t get me anywhere. I have eight months to find a job, and I am starting now.

I have set aside time each week to work on my job search (here is a link to help you get started with your job search http://careers.wustl.edu/documents/job%20search.pdf). It’s much easier for me to do something in many small chunks, over a long period of time, than all at once. I usually try to get an hour or two in each week. What I have found is that the actual job search is not as daunting and scary as it seems. It’s really not that hard—the hard part is finding time to do it and actually doing it. It’s kind of like writing a term paper. You don’t want to do it—you’re tired and have a million other things to do—but once you start it’s not so bad. So, yes, I have chapters to read, tests to study for, and projects to work on, but I remind myself that I do all that because I hope that it will help me get a good job. And no matter how great my grades are, I know that the job won’t find me, I have to find it. So that’s why every week, even though there are other things I would rather be doing, I sit down and work on my job search.

So to my fellow job seekers, my message to you is be proactive and start your job searches now. You will thank yourself when it comes time to start that new chapter in your lives.

-Julia

Take the Internship Success and Stipend Class!

If you're thinking of getting an unpaid internship this summer, you should strongly consider enrolling in the Internship Success and Stipend Class that starts next Friday, October 3, and meets weekly for the remainder of the semester. Summer stipends are not guaranteed if you take the class, but the Career Center will consider your completion of the class when making its decisions. Last spring, I took this class, and it probably contributed to the Gephardt Institute's decision to offer me a stipend that enabled me to intern at a non-profit in New York City.


The class only meets for an hour a week, so as long as you don't have a direct conflict, it really won't take up much of your time. There is some homework, but most of it is relevant to your internship search and will help you get the most out of your internship.


This is a great way to learn about maximizing your internship experience. Also, if you are planning to go abroad in the spring and are considering an unpaid internship when you return for the summer, this is your best chance to get financial help! RSVP on CareerLink soon!


-Daniel

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.