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Thinking of partying it up during your last semester? Before you put on the toga, consider spending some time preparing for what happens after you take off your cap and gown.
Your last semester of school is an ideal time to devote to preparing for getting a job. These tips can help you make the most of your last semester, toga included!!
Here are some tips for using your last semester of college to prepare for professional life.
Start a resume. Even if you don’t have much to put on your resume, now’s the time to get cracking on it. If you are strapped for ideas on how to construct a resume, take advantage of the career services office that’s on your campus. They have plenty of resources and likely offer individualized counseling to help you put your resume together. Compiling a resume can be intimidating for college students because they worry they don’t have enough experience to include. But once you learn about what can go on a resume—and realize that top-notch writing can create a powerful document—it’s not as daunting.
Get an internship. If you haven’t had an internship yet, make sure to get one during your last semester. Don’t wait until after college to explore internship opportunities. This is a major deciding factor for employers hiring new grads with no real-world experience: The ones who took initiative to garner some professional experience during college will stand out. Many students aren’t too keen on taking internships because they don’t think they’ll pay, but some do. And there are plenty of opportunities out there, even virtually. Most companies take on free or low-cost help, too, so don’t be afraid to approach organizations you’re interested in that aren’t recruiting interns.
Network galore. While the thought of attending a frat party instead of a professional meeting may seem more appealing to most students, that won’t get you a job in the long run—networking can. Attend an industry-related meeting in your area, or stop by the career services offices to see if they can offer any connections in your field. Another fantastic way to forge associations in your industry is to talk to the professors who teach classes in your major. They may have an in” with companies hiring in your arena. Using social networking can help, too.
Ditch your college persona. Whether it comes to your resume or your LinkedIn profile, a professional email address is vital for effective self-promotion. It isn’t easy to get a job nowadays, nor is it a given for having a college degree. College grads have to demonstrate to employers why they should be hired. To do so, you need to play the professional game. In addition to getting a more professional email address, try a makeover.
Hitting up an interview in jeans and a sweatshirt never works, so invest in a good pair of slacks and a dress top to make a winning impression. You can change back into your PJs after hours—just don’t show up to work in them!
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Comments
02.04.09
The latest you should start all this is spring semester of your junior year... Don't wait until the last minute!
02.04.09
I had a couple internships in college and the only one that's ever mattered to anyone was the one I got paid for. It wasn't a lot (I think it was $7/hour or something), but it was where I got a title of Assistant Editor and was working at a high profile magazine. I learned a lot at the other internships I held, but no one's ever commented on those on my resume, nor did they turn directly into any long term work.
All that to say two things: 1) Consider aiming for more than one internship, if you can squeeze it in--you'll learn a ton more and make some great contacts and it's hard to say upfront which internship will have more long term value; and 2) Definitely go for the paid ones--again, not exclusively perhaps, but there's no good reason not to make it a goal to get paid, even if it's just a little.
02.04.09
Or some may not want a job and consider starting a business.
02.04.09
An internship is extremely beneficial for college students. Check out the blog of staffing agency, Hollister, Inc. to learn more about the value of an internship and various resources.
02.04.09
All great advice. Though, anyone who doesn't have a resume by second semester of their senior year is probably a little behind...
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02.04.09
Starting a career in a recession is like starting a marathon uphill. It can be done but it's not easy. And no one would run a marathon without planning and training. So I agree with this post-- it's critical to plan your career, have some fall back plans and move forward.
02.04.09
"Ditch your college persona"
I am a borderline Gen X/Y and now that the economy is terrible and jobs are mostly non-existent, I wonder if gen Y applicants should even bother trying to fit in the corporate world. There is plenty of more experience Xers and Boomers now who need to get paid, have more experience and will take more crap and less pay. That likely won't leave much left for gen Yers (Ivy leaguers and 1st tier grads excluded of course). I settled to get my first job and acclimated to the corporate structure because I thought that being persistent in applying for jobs I wanted and continuing to educate myself in night school would give me an edge. Well, hello new economy and goodbye to any chances for me to do what I studied and wanted to do in the first place. I suppose I am glad to have a job because many folks don’t', but I graduated with no debt and could have gotten by in just about any job.
My point is that fresh graduates should try to be revolutionary and buck the standards because right now there isn't anywhere for the majority of them to work anyway (because experienced employees are CHEAP to hire now). Eventually companies will have to hire gen Yers en mass, so they should force employers to change their expectations now rather than later.
I say just be inflexible because it won't really hurt now anyway.
02.04.09
You are right. Eventually companies will have to hire Gen Y. Right now, they have their pick. With that said, it won;t always be this way. My advice to you and other Gen Yers is to build a resume of skills that will take you in the direction of where you want to go so that when the market turns around (and it WILL), YOU will be their choice.
02.04.09
Buck the standards? I don't know if I agree. Stand out but you still have to be professional. Having the hotstuff4uxxx as an email address doesn't cut it in the corporate world, regardless of the economy or how hip a company is, in most cases.
02.04.09
Wow, I certainly hope most of this advice isn't actually news to anyone. I'm a college senior myself, all of my friends and I have been working on job apps since fall quarter if not earlier.
Unfortunately, the economy is making it really tough to get a job despite internships and resumes chock full of action verbs. The networking and professionalism is definitely something a lot of students need to hear though.
02.04.09
Being a recent graduate myself I cannot stress this more.
I have prepared my resume a semester before my graduation and started looking for a job then with no success.
Four weeks after my final exams, I was ready to apply to flip burgers in Mcdonald because I was that desperate I'll never get an entry level job after searching for months.
One afternoon, I suddenly found myself with a job working in a mid level position that pays really well with a global company which I won't name but they're doing great even in recession. My degree has absolutely nothing to do with it.
I think I got the job because of several factors but the most important one is "to be well experienced". No it's not IMPOSSIBLE to do when you're in college.
While studying full time, I tried assortments of paid work experience from generalist office assistant to office manager, i've tried everything and anything from debt collecting to photocopying documents. I have no clue about science or the environment, but I always have a strong background in Mathematics and that helps me with my job right now.
After that, you gotta sell yourself as a professional and not as an entry level graduate. This was the hardest as I admit I have low self esteem. But I see it either this or flipping burgers!!!
Anyway, I really love my job right now even if I keep thinking it has nothing to do with my degrees.
I definitely won't look back twice at October last year.
02.05.09
This is great advice, but I would actually say you should start this in your FRESHMAN year. Getting an internship after your freshman year isn't easy -- but there are companies and organizations out there that provide some cool opportunities for rising sophomores. And once one gets one internship, getting the next one, and finally a job is all that much easier. Plus work experience helps expand leadership, teamwork, communications skills as well as help you figure out what you want to do with your life. I've learned a lot by working that I simply wouldn't have in class. It's changed my perspective immensely, and I learned what I enjoyed doing, and what sort of environment I enjoyed working in.
Freshmen should start by getting engaged in some clubs they enjoy, getting on campus work-study or research positions, and then creating a resume and start applying for internships! It doesn't hurt and getting an early start is incredibly impressive to employers in the future. Don't wait until your senior year to start all this...
02.05.09
"Buck the standards? I don't know if I agree."
My point is that Gen Yers are going to be in a much tougher position in 5 years that Gen Xers were in the 1990's. Back then there actually were entry level positions (even if they were crappy). Today “entry level” requires 5 years of experience, which usually cannot be met through internship experience alone. More now than ever before the pedigree of your alma mater combined with good solid work experience will be the only way for fresh grads to get a job. I know all they blogs say: "stand out, be the best ever, never give up!" Well the reality is that most people are already doing these things and the overall effect is that the bar is raised even higher that it was before (which is really too high for most to cope, they don’t call the majority average for no reason). Let’s be real, not everyone can be a superstar otherwise these folks wouldn’t be called SUPERSTARS. Also in the distant past, older worker actually died or retired to make room for new workers, now they just keep working! Those positions won’t open up for a least another decade and who knows if companies will even fill them with new hires (for example look at the plight of library science graduates).
The economy in the short term cannot support the number of degreed workers that are currently being produced. There will be more qualified applicants than there are positions for a VERY LONG TIME. So those who went to top schools and got that extra experience through internships will be the first choice of employers who can take their pick of the litter. Finding a job today will be more like trying to be a professional athlete. EXAMPLE: You are pretty good in high school, you then might get to play on division-2 team as a benchwarmer, then when you graduate the only place to keep playing is in the pros (but you weren’t really that good to begin with, however 15 years have gone by since you first started playing through your last college game). SO WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO NOW?
Don't misunderstand what I am saying. College is just about the only way to get a white collar job today; no doubt it is a license to work. However people should know that for graduates of lower tier schools with shoddy work experience, they don't have much chance in the short term to get jobs that equals there education level. THEY WILL BE UNDER EMPLOYED for a large portion of their careers. Luck and persistence will be the only way for these types of grads to get relevant positions.
They just shouldn't be surprised that 5-10 years later after graduating and "Ditching thier college persona" that all the effort hasn't really paid off in any way. I say better to be yourself and be happy. Because changing yourself dramatically for a pipe dream job is a big price to pay for an entry level position that you essentially should have gotten right out of college anyway. Right now it’s more about the current economy than individual drive, talent or experience. The longer people work in fields unrelated to their majors, the more younger graduates finish school and then compete on the market for the same job.
Be persistent, but count on more luck and being in the right place at the right time to help get that dream job.
02.05.09
"Buck the standards? I don't know if I agree."
My point is that Gen Yers are going to be in a much tougher position in 5 years that Gen Xers were in the 1990's. Back then there actually were entry level positions (even if they were crappy). Today “entry level” requires 5 years of experience, which usually cannot be met through internship experience alone. More now than ever before the pedigree of your alma mater combined with good solid work experience will be the only way for fresh grads to get a job. I know all they blogs say: "stand out, be the best ever, never give up!" Well the reality is that most people are already doing these things and the overall effect is that the bar is raised even higher that it was before (which is really too high for most to cope, they don’t call the majority average for no reason). Let’s be real, not everyone can be a superstar otherwise these folks wouldn’t be called SUPERSTARS. Also in the distant past, older worker actually died or retired to make room for new workers, now they just keep working! Those positions won’t open up for a least another decade and who knows if companies will even fill them with new hires (for example look at the plight of library science graduates).
The economy in the short term cannot support the number of degreed workers that are currently being produced. There will be more qualified applicants than there are positions for a VERY LONG TIME. So those who went to top schools and got that extra experience through internships will be the first choice of employers who can take their pick of the litter. Finding a job today will be more like trying to be a professional athlete. EXAMPLE: You are pretty good in high school, you then might get to play on division-2 team as a benchwarmer, then when you graduate the only place to keep playing is in the pros (but you weren’t really that good to begin with, however 15 years have gone by since you first started playing through your last college game). SO WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO NOW?
Don't misunderstand what I am saying. College is just about the only way to get a white collar job today; no doubt it is a license to work. However people should know that for graduates of lower tier schools with shoddy work experience, they don't have much chance in the short term to get jobs that equals there education level. THEY WILL BE UNDER EMPLOYED for a large portion of their careers. Luck and persistence will be the only way for these types of grads to get relevant positions.
They just shouldn't be surprised that 5-10 years later after graduating and "Ditching thier college persona" that all the effort hasn't really paid off in any way. I say better to be yourself and be happy. Because changing yourself dramatically for a pipe dream job is a big price to pay for an entry level position that you essentially should have gotten right out of college anyway. Right now it’s more about the current economy than individual drive, talent or experience. The longer people work in fields unrelated to their majors, the more younger graduates finish school and then compete on the market for the same job.
Be persistent, but count on more luck and being in the right place at the right time to help get that dream job.
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