Black Collegian Career Center

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 even 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 calendar will help all students, freshman through senior year, focus on those key things they should do to effectively prepare themselves for future careers.

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.

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 normally signals the beginning of fall recruiting and it also signals the rigors of your last year’s classroom work. Interviewing 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.

November and December will be jammed, full of the usual classroom activities, preparation for final examinations, final exams, scheduling second interviews, travel and, of course, the holidays. Obviously, these months are not going to be very restful. Planning on-site visits can be especially challenging because of holidays and travel arrangements. It may be advisable to plan trips in November and December but not make actual visits until January. Of course, your scheduling will depend on the academic calendar of your institution and how you wish to spend your holiday.

January seriously signals the home stretch of your years in college. You have approximately 120 days before actual graduation. Any time wasted during this period could prove very costly. Your first order of business should be to quickly evaluate your activity during the past recruiting cycle. Bring closure to any outstanding plans made during that period. Focus only on those real possibilities and potential employers who had a strong interest in you and whom you have heard from. Realize that your strong interest in a particular employer does not necessarily translate into a strong interest on their part.

Evaluating employment options of course remains only one piece of the puzzle, the other being your decision as to whether you will forego employment altogether and pursue graduate school. If you are considering graduate school, by now you should have narrowed your choices and applied for admission. Because most require national test score results, in addition to above average grades, the earlier you apply, the earlier you will be considered. Whether you choose graduate or professional schools, you must weigh the cost of this additional education against full-time employment possibilities. Many employers will have attractive aid to education programs, which means that they could save you thousands of dollars each year, if you pursue graduate school while employed.

It is important that you not slack off of your academic endeavors because it is easy to end up with a lower GPA as opposed to working to maintain or even raise your GPA during your last year.

During last December and early January, you arranged four employer on-site visits and you now have to sit down and evaluate which of those you are definitely interested in. Be very careful in choosing the "job" that is right for you and not the company. What are the promotion opportunities? How long does it take to become a manager? Does the company encourage further education? These are but three questions that you, personally, must answer. Geographical considerations are yet another factor, but it should, perhaps, carry less weight. Make your decision based on your personal career goals and not those of your family or a "significant other." Decisions made to

suit others very often do not work out and may leave you bitter and confused when they do not.

February

If you are administering your job-search plan as you should have, then February looms as an extremely important, if not the most important month, of your last semester. Clearly, you should have taken at least ten or more interviews during the fall recruiting cycle. You are more focused on three or four potential employers, having visited them during the Christmas holidays. There might, however, be an interesting position or additional companies that you wish to consider in February. You owe it to yourself to check out all of your job options very carefully.

By now, the results of your second interviews are coming in. You receive the first one, then another and finally three of the four actually make you an offer. Again, it is decision time. Do not make your choice on the basis of money alone. Your job offers will probably range no more than two or three thousand dollars apart. Salaries, of course, are important but you must be careful in negotiating salary. On the one hand, you do not want to be underpaid but, on the other hand, you do not want to give the impression that the salary is the most important thing. Do not get caught up in insisting on making the same salary as your friends or classmates without considering the type of industry, the training program, the geographical cost of living variances that can occur, or the fact that they may have better grades, and may have had more or varied work experiences. Most employees start with a base salary and add dollars on the basis of many criteria like those above.

Over the years, it has been my experience that the vast majority of people choose their employer on the basis of the type of job to be performed. You will find that if you do not like the job, then you will probably hate the company and that will create an unpleasant relationship and short circuit your career before you get started. If you are just confused as to which job to take, seek an independent ear from a trusted friend, a family member or your career development officer. Sometimes just talking to someone will make your options clearer. In the final analysis, however, the decision is yours and yours alone.

Much has been written of late about how little time some employers are giving students to make a decision as to whether or not they will accept a job offer. Some stories have employers insisting that acceptances occur in as little as 48 hours. Hopefully, your potential employer will be more sensitive and give you more time to make a decision. As the time for your decision draws near, make a list of any questions you may have so that your decision is based on as much information as possible. Carefully eliminate those employers you no longer wish to consider and let them know quickly that you have made your choice. Be prepared for an aggressive employer to question you as to why their offer was unacceptable. Try not to give an employer the impression that you are playing one against another, because that could leave a very bad taste in their mouths. It is very important that you decline an offer as diplomatically as possible. You never know when you may have to change jobs and wish to be reconsidered for employment from your second or third choice.

Insist on your actual job offer in writing along with a statement of employee benefits available to you. Your start date may not be negotiable. For example, if you are entering a training program your starting date may be firm. If this is not the case, your start date can usually be adjusted to meet the needs of both you and your employer.

After you choose an employer, you will need to get some assistance as to housing and transportation. Most employers will assist you in these efforts. Try very hard to get settled in your geographical location as quickly as possible so that when you report for work you will hit the ground running. The fewer distractions you have as you start your new job, the more successful you are likely to be.

Finally, all the pieces are in place: your education, your job and your immediate future. The process is complete and all there is left to do is to actually graduate. Good luck and best wishes as you start your career.

Samuel M. Hall, Jr. is the director of the Career Services Office at Howard University.