If you’re going to be graduating soon, this is the time to be ramping up your job search.
Create Your Resume
The first step is to draft a resume. You’ll need to start with your name, email and phone number.
Then create a section called “Career Skills” where you can bullet point 4 to 6 skills that would be relevant to the job you want. Specific skills such as “Microsoft Office” or “Analytic Skills” are great. You can also include some softer skills such as “Interpersonal Skills” and “Listening Skills.”
The next section will likely be called Education. List your degrees, the subject and any other brief relevant information, including awards and achievements.
Next comes a section called Experience, in which you’ll list your work experience and your internships in reverse chronological order and the years you worked there. Describe your responsibilities in a sentence with some bullets about your accomplishments and the results you achieved. Quantify them as much as possible.
Network, Network and Network Some More!
Once you have your resume drafted, make a list of people you know in your desired field. You can include your professors and previous employers as well as other people you may know in the field. Ask for a brief meeting with them to get their suggestions about beginning your job search. List your questions in advance, get as much information as you can and then ask whom else they know that you can talk to. Do not ask them for a job!
Continue networking and learning more about the kinds of positions which might be a good fit for you. Explore the resources of the Career Resource Department at your college or university. They may list job openings or offer job search or interviewing practice. Sometimes they can offer names of alumni who might be willing to offer some job search advice.
Is Spending Time on Online Job Search Worthwhile?
You may be tempted to spend a lot of time searching for job openings on line. The statistics are that less than 4% of people get their jobs on line and 65-75% find employment through informal contacts. That should give you an idea about how to divide your time. Of course, if you find a position on line that interests you, it makes sense to apply, but in general, the best practice is to focus on building relationships in your field.
Want Some Professional Advice? We’re Here for You
If you would like advice on resume writing, networking skills and interviewing, let us know by contacting us at jlansky@lanskycareerconsultants.com or call Judi at (312) 285-2000.
