How Your College Timeline Should Look to Land That Job After Graduation

Wondering how to make your future career a reality after college? So are the rest of us. Here is what your time in college should consist of to help you secure a job after graduation.

As a freshman and sophomore, you should primarily be focused on completing general education courses.

As a freshman and sophomore, you should primarily be focused on completing general education courses. These provide a well rounded education, and though they may not necessarily fall into your specific areas of interest, they provide a necessary foundation.

Trying a wide variety of classes and exploring individual interests narrows the focus of your time in college. For many, taking a class that sounds mildly interesting can be a turning point in committing to a major.

Another useful step towards obtaining a job after graduation is goal visualization. Mapping out short-term and long-term goals provides clear, specific steps for you to take, even early on. Short-term goals could include scheduling the weeks in a semester for studying and hunting for internships. Long-term goals could include determining what you hope to achieve from working at your first job after graduation, and the steps necessary in achieving that position.

You should frequently update your resume and tailor it to specific job positions.

Resume building is a key step in preparing for jobs after graduation. You should frequently update your resume and tailor it to specific job positions. Resumes should include paid work experience and volunteer experience, achievements, and honors you have received.

When it comes to listing work experience and skills, it’s good to know what employers are looking for. Forbes magazine stated that 78 percent of employers want staff that can work well with others, 77.3 percent want capable problem solvers, 75 percent want strong communicators, and 72 percent want staff members with a solid work ethic. Working jobs that emphasize and improve these skills can make a mediocre resume look more impressive.

If you feel overwhelmed formulating your resume, the Career Development Office on campus is a useful resource that can help you organize important information. Forbes recommends visiting a Career Development Center at least five times before graduating.

The Career Development Office is a vital and often overlooked tool that you can use to do career research, build your resume, practice interviews, find internship opportunities, complete skills tests, and locate open positions.

The Career Development Office is a vital and often overlooked tool that you can use to do career research, build your resume, practice interviews, find internship opportunities, complete skills tests and locate open positions. Southern Virginia’s Career Coaches, Lauren Gowdy, Joseph Walker and Kelli Woodard, are anxious to assist students in forming a career plan.

Each of the Career Coaches, as well as Cameron Crowther, executive director of career development and advancement officer, offer a Career Exploration and Social Intelligence class in which any student may enroll.

A mentor is another resource you can use in the process of finding a job. A mentor can be a trusted friend, parent, professor, or alumni member. If you have already decided on a field to work in after graduation, finding a mentor within the industry is ideal. Mentors can help you practice interviews, review cover letters and resumes, help negotiate job offers, and weigh options for part-time jobs.

Due to the small population of Southern Virginia, you have a unique opportunity to form lasting relationships with professors and staff members. Take advantage of this opportunity. Professors welcome the chance to help students navigate the stressors of career decisions, and can offer experienced advice.

Networking with alumni can also help you make connections outside of the university that can lead to job offers.

Alumni members can give insightful advice as mentors because they have experienced what students are presently working towards. Networking with alumni can also help you make connections outside of the university that can lead to job offers. If you meet an interesting person, ask inquisitive questions, and ask for advice and an email address for future inquiries.

Don’t be afraid to go beyond emails and phone calls. The strongest connections are established face-to-face, and such interactions show initiative on your part. In 2014 an experiment was conducted by researchers at the University of Chicago and Harvard that found that negotiators who shook hands were more open and honest, and reached better outcomes. Shaking hands causes the centers of the brain associated with rewards to activate.

Meeting over lunch, physically shaking hands, and looking someone in the eye establishes trust that cannot be made over technology. The connection formed through face-to-face contact leaves an impression that can lead to future job recommendations.

By Junior year, start seeking out and interning for a company.

Internships are a doorway to careers. According to a 2017 Forbes article, 52 percent of internships lead to job offers. By Junior year, start seeking out and interning for a company. In doing this, by your Senior year, you will have made connections that will hopefully enable you to obtain a job in your desired field.

If you are interested in attending graduate school you should aim for taking practice GRE tests in preparation for the official test, which should be taken during your Senior year. During this time, also focus on taking classes that fulfill requirements for your major and future field of work.

You should be applying to a variety of job positions during Senior year.

Apply, apply, apply! You should be applying to a variety of job positions during Senior year. Applying to more than one position provides multiple fallback options for employment. Forbes revealed that 5.8 percent more college graduates were hired in 2017 compared to 2016. The ability to obtain a job after college is increasing, and with a 93 percent graduate school and job placement outcome within one month of graduation at Southern Virginia, the odds are favorable.