A solid planning calendar benefits all students

Black Collegian, Oct 1999 by Hall, Samuel M Jr

In the past, the career services or career planning offices were thought of as being offices utilized almost exclusively for graduating seniors. This notion was never totally true and is certainly ever less true today. Today's employment markets are so competitive that employers are actually recruiting students to work on a summer or interim basis, even before they set foot on campus, Career planning for the first year or freshman student is the rule rather than the exception. The following calender will help students, freshman through senior year, focus on those key things they should do to effectively prepare themselves for future careers.

May, June and July Before Your Senior Year

If "internship" is unfamiliar, then you probably are already at a disadvantage. In both the private and public sector, "demonstrated" work experience is not only desirable but, in most cases, necessary for serious consideration as a full-time employee after graduation. Remember that internships and/or summer employment often are terms that are used interchangeably. These job experiences give you a chance to perform "real" work, and they give prospective employers opportunities to see you in action. In addition, they give you an opportunity to determine whether you want to work in a particular environment. Over the years, I have encountered many students who decided that they were not cut out to do work in their selected major. Do all of your soul searching and self evaluations during May, June and July preceding your last year.

August and September

When you return to campus in August or September, prepare to start quickly. In order to do this you should map out a strategy with specific time lines that will carry you through your entire last year. A systematic approach to your job search is always more desirable than one which is not. You will find that time is of the essence and that your final year will move increasingly fast. Your resume, remember, can be the most important "8 1/2 x 11 " sheet of paper you may ever develop. Use it to whet the appetite of the reader so that it generates that important face-to-face interview you are trying to secure. Whether you feel that your interviewing skills are adequate or not, you will be well advised to seek some formal training in interviewing techniques. Your career development office will likely have such training sessions. Some of these sessions will be staffed by personnel or human resources persons who return to campuses to assist students in preparing for the job search. That is why it is necessary to have your resume in "A number one" condition. Laser printed resumes on a good quality bond paper are an absolute must. Another must is a good cover letter that should accompany each resume you send by mail or fax. The cover letter should be used to highlight or further explain that portion of your resume that is pertinent to the position you are applying for.

The job search is the "plan" which you develop to find that first key job. Good job search techniques will assist you not only in your initial search but will help you for years to come. Securing a job is seldom an easy task but if you do your homework in advance the results will most often be positive. Writing out your job search plan is necessary and desirable and gives you a "map" of where you are going and govern where you may end up. Keeping accurate records of contacts, the results of contacts, copies of correspondence, the disposition of correspondence and notes on follow-up will make your job search less stressful.

October

October normally signals the beginning of fall recruiting and it also signals the rigors of your last year's classroom work. Interview-ing effectively and maintaining an excellent level of academic performance can sometimes be a hard task. Studying the schedule of employers and making good choices as to which company you will and will not pursue is the key. You will find that there are pressures in your senior year that simply did not exist before. You have to make many decisions concerning employment, further education and other on-campus commitments. Add to the mix the part-time or work-study job you may have on campus and you do not have any time to waste.

One of the newer employment trends is for companies to have an "information" session normally the evening before they actually interview. Unfortunately, many employers insist that students scheduled to be interviewed attend these sessions. You will have to weigh the use of your time along with how strongly you feel about interviewing with a particular employer. The information session generally gives you a lot of additional information about the employer that can help you decide whether you wish to further pursue employment with them. In this regard, you may find it worthwhile. One irony, however, is that the majority of employers promoting information sessions are not always the most successful recruiters on campus.

During October, you should have ten or more interviews especially since on-campus recruiting activity this year is one of the highest it has been in recent years. If you have done a good job perhaps three or more of those employers interviewed have offered you second, or on-site interviews. To increase your possibility of success, always end the interview by asking what the next step is in the personnel-selection process.