Do you relate to any of these?
”I don’t even know what I am looking for”
“I can’t find anything that I am qualified for”
“Do I only look at Handshake?”
There are a few things that we recommend doing before you start your job or internship search
- Know Your Story
- Searching for a job or an internship can be overwhelming if you are unsure what you are looking for. Not to mention if you are not sure what you are qualified for. A big part of figuring out your story is taking time to reflect on the experiences you have had thus far and how they make you a standout candidate.
- For most, these steps are not easy to realize or readily apparent
- When reflecting take note of your skills, interests, background, and values
- Connect with your Community
- Sometimes job and internship postings use language that can be confusing or don’t give you much information to go off of. This is where reaching out to all of your communities: family & friends, former coworker, Alumni fire (Link), and your super friendly CFAES Career Development Office Advisors (Link to meet the team), can assist you. By reaching out you are opening opportunities to get help answering the questions you have.
- How You Present Yourself
- You might be thinking resume (Link to resource page or apt. page) when you hear “How you present yourself”, but that is only part of the equation. When it come to your career advising appointment we could be talking about your resume, cover letter, or the way you describe yourself in an interview. No matter which one is being talked about it is helpful to focus in on the things that your audience most wants to hear. It is much better to careful consider what you are (and are not) presenting to the employer, in addition to how you present it.
- This may seem simple, but it really only scratches the surface of what it might look like getting prepared for a job search. Our Career Advisors are available (link to apt page) to guide you in as you progress through your career road mapping, where to start, and how to best spend your time search for opportunities. Schedule an appointment today! (Link to apt. page)