Black Collegian Career Center

Congratulations! You are finally a graduating senior who has successfully navigated the hallowed halls of your soon to be alma mater. You have worked hard to conquer the academic and personal demands of college life, and during your journey have become a budding scholar, professional, and leader ready to make your mark on today's exciting job market and world!

But it's not time to start the celebration just yet… It's time to "close the deal!" If you are like many college students today, you probably entered college with the lofty goals to become educated in the arts and sciences, grow as a responsible, productive, and informed citizen of the world, or to prepare for graduate or professional school. Finally you probably have entered college, whether clearly planned or simply just assumed, with the goal of developing critical professional skills and networks to transition into a successful and satisfying career. The problem is that sometimes after the years of academic toil and hard work, some students lose focus and neglect to invest the necessary time and planning to successfully close the deal.

The following 10 steps are designed to equip you with key strategies and principles that will assist you in designing and executing your effective job search campaign during your senior year.

Step #1: Manage Your Time to Maximize Opportunities!

This may sound rudimentary to some of you, but for some, its time to stop trying to keep up with every friend and activity on campus and to take charge over your personal time and schedule. Effective time management is critical if you are going to have the necessary time to plan and execute a successful job-search campaign. Even those of you who are accomplished student leaders and are great at balancing many duties and responsibilities must not forget to invest the time necessary to prepare yourself to successfully enter into the job market after graduation. You owe it to yourself.

The following are tips to assist you in managing your time:

Discover the power of saying no! You can't be all things to all people. Take back the control of your time and life by cutting out all commitments (and unfortunately in some cases people) that represent "fluff" or unnecessary and weighty demands on your time, especially if these demands are not in your best interest in pursuing your personal and professional goals. As the clock continues to tick towards your graduation day, consider carefully the long-term impact on your academic or career goals if you allow certain disruptions of your time to continue. The disruptions may not even be intended, but it is your responsibility to look beyond the immediate circumstances, to protect your dreams, and take the necessary final steps to make them a reality.

Get yourself organized by investing in a quality time-planner, palm pilot, or scheduling software, any one of which will assist you in planning and scheduling and maximizing your time.

Map out a realistic time line for completing specific career and professional development tasks such as writing your résumé, attending interviewing workshops, registering for on-campus interviewing, etc. See a career-services professional for some assistance and guidance if needed.

Commit to personal time weekly or monthly to research career opportunities, attend career development workshops or related networking activities.

Establish an "accountability partner" or "success team." This could be a current study-partner, advisor, faculty member, career-services professional or group of your peers who are willing to provide support and frequent "pulse checks" to encourage you in keeping your commitment to your career development goals.

A Few Points for Procrastinators!

If you start your job search after graduation, remember it will more than likely still take you 3-6 months or more to find a quality job opportunity. Entering the market in the spring will also involve the additional challenge of competing with millions of other recent graduates in what will be a much more competitive Spring/Summer "recent graduate market."

Step #2: Examine Yourself

One of the toughest, and yet most liberating, steps in developing your job search campaign is to take the time to thoroughly and honestly examine who your are and what you want to accomplish in today's job market. This step can be extremely empowering as you explore and begin to define your own brand of personal and professional success.

While examining yourself ask the following questions:

How do I define success?

How will my career fit into my life purpose?

What kinds of people, places, and things will I need in my life to honestly be satisfied?

What is my leadership or personal style, and what kinds of professional environments and groups are the best match for me?

What issues, values, and experiences drive me to achieve?

What are my goals for the immediate future?

For assistance in this self-examination or assessment process contact your career-services office and schedule an appointment with a career services professional to assist you in reflecting on the above questions and to offer additional insight assessment-instruments such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and other potential instruments in the office or on-line. Remember that self-examination is a life long process, as you grow and develop as a person and professional, it is always a healthy practice to reflect on you developing values and aspirations.

Step # 3: Identify and schedule key campus-wide career development activities.

During your first month of the semester, invest your time in a detailed fact finding mission that will identify key "must attend" career and professional development activities that will take place on, and even off campus this year. These events and activities can be found listed on the campus career-services website, on bulletin boards in your academic department, in residence halls, the student center, in your student activities offices, through campus-wide e-mail messages, the campus newspaper, department newsletters, and sometimes even at campus sporting events.

Campus career-development events to attend include:

Campus-wide career fairs, networking receptions, campus interviews, graduate and professional school fairs, career development workshops, and employer-information sessions.

Individual department career fairs, networking events, guest lecturer programs.

Student organization hosted career events.

Local or national association and professional conferences.

Alumni receptions, homecoming events, and special forums.

Employer recognition or individual career days.

Step # 4: Explore the Job Market

Following an honest self-examination, you will be ready to move forward to explore the current job market. The goal in this important step is to identify diverse organizations and employers you may want to consider working for.

Consider these questions when researching the job market: 

Where do people with my academic background, professional, and personal preferences tend to work?

What is the hiring outlook in the industry of my interest?

Who are the industry leaders in my areas of interest?

Is the job market stable in this industry, and in what specific organizations?

What are the working conditions like?

What are employer's performance expectations of me in this industry?

What geographic areas are industry opportunities available in?

What are the salaries in my areas of interest?

Are positions in this industry in large or small organizations? Is there a difference?

Consider these questions when researching individual organizations:

What is the organization's vision? Values?

How does industry literature rate this organization?

Who are the leaders of this organization, what is their reported style?

Are employees satisfied workings for this organization?

What are development and advancement opportunities?

Is there diversity in the organization?

Is the organization culturally competent?

Step #5. Designing Your Resume

After exploring industries, fields of interest, and specific organizations, move forward and design your résumé. Your résumé will be one of your most critical job search tools and will send the strongest message to employers about who you are, and what potential value you could be to their organization. Your résumé reflects your level of savvy in understanding corporate standards, expectations, attention to detail, and ability to design and deliver professional level correspondence and documents.

Some key components and strategies to consider in designing your resume:

Contact your career-services office and plan to attend a workshop on résumé writing using successful formats and strategies recommended by your college or university. Remember that a particular style or set of standards may be required in order for you to participate in your college's or university's on campus recruitment program. Check with your career services office to make sure your résumé is in compliance.

Your résumé should have "ZERO" mistakes in spelling, grammar, sentence structure, information or lack thereof, format inconsistencies, or other common and correctable mistakes. If an employer finds a mistake on your résumé he or she will probably eliminate you from consideration for the position you have applied for.

Length of résumé. This is an often discussed or debated topic, but typically a less experienced candidate or undergraduate should have a one-page résumé. More experienced candidates may have two-page résumés. See a career services professional to determine whether the length of your résumé is appropriate for your level of experience.

Contact information should always include a current mailing address (campus), a permanent mailing address (parents), a current telephone number, mobile phone number, e-mail address that you check regularly.

Your career objective, if listed, should be brief and clearly defined. You may want to change you objective for each individual position you are applying to more effectively target your résumé for the opportunity you are applying to.

Education information should list your college or university followed by your degree, major and graduation date. Also under education you may want to list relevant coursework, professional training, certifications, thesis or dissertation subjects.

Experience section should list the names and locations of employers and organizations you have worked for, your title, dates of employment. List both full-time and part-time employment, campus organizations and related community service experiences.

State your overall responsibilities and functions, all of the positive accomplishments of each position, quantitative information (numbers, statistics, or dollar amounts that you worked with).

Use industry related terminology and action verbs where appropriate.

Honors and accomplishments should be listed such as scholarships awarded, leadership awards or recognition, committees that you participated in, responsibilities and results of specific and relevant projects and activities that you have been involved with. This section may also include memberships, speeches, publications you have written for that are related to your profession.

"References available upon request," which is often listed at the bottom of résumé, is unnecessary. However, it is recommended that you discuss this optional listing with a career counselor at your institution to be in compliance with your college or university's particular philosophy.

Other résumé styles include functional résumés, which are normally reserved for more experienced professionals, and Federal or Government style résumé. See your campus career counselor to determine whether a functional résumé would be appropriate for you and your particular job search strategy. Government résumés are more detailed and often expand upon contact, identification, and functional duty and responsibility information. Excellent information on Government résumés can be found on the federal government website USAJobs.com and other related government hiring websites.

Remember to work closely with a career services professional to design and develop your résumé presentation to maximize the responses to your résumé by employers that you are targeting. See your career services website for samples of successful and recommended résumé.

Step #6. Developing Other Key Job Search Tools

Cover & Follow-up Letters:

In your job search campaign you will also use cover letters and follow-up letters to accompany your résumé and to follow-up on interviews with the employer. All written correspondence has the potential to set the tone of your candidacy with an employer. Use your cover and follow-up letters as strategic and high impact documents that will provide you with the opportunity to frame your candidacy and create decisive and lasting impressions with potential employers.

Introduce yourself to the employer. If you recently graduated, mention your major and how it would apply to the career opportunity you are applying for. Discuss the organizations /extracurricular activities you were involved in, highlight key academic awards or achievements, internships and part-time jobs you have held.

Briefly highlight your education and the key skills that will add value to the potential employer. Don't overdo it here. Only list key skills that you want to highlight. Leave the details for your résumé and the interview.

Remember the follow-up letter. Restate your appreciation for the time with the interviewer(s) and rehash your key qualifications for the position and why you are a competitive candidate for the position. Your follow-up letter will also give you an opportunity to ask for the next steps in the process and give you the opportunity to offer the employer additional information they may need about you in making their decision. You may also want to use the follow-up letter as an opportunity to underscore key qualifications that the employer may have stressed during the interview. This letter should be mailed out either electronically, faxed, or in a hard copy within 24 hours of the interview. For sample cover letters and seminars on letter writing see a representative in your career-services office.

Step #7. Identifying Job Opportunities

While searching for job opportunities you will find that most campuses have excellent resources that are used by employers to list job and internship opportunities.

Campus Job Listings

Your campus career-services office is usually targeted and faxed hundreds job-listings from national and local employers weekly. Most colleges and universities will offer binders of job listings in career-services office. Many campuses have a process where job listings are posted on-line and made available to you on a 24 hour basis. To take advantage of on-line listings most colleges and universities will require that you register with the office for access passwords to these exclusive areas on their websites.

Career Fairs

The campus career fair will provide you with a "one-stop" opportunity to connect with many of your college's top employers in a relatively short period of time. In addition to giving out some great "give-a-ways," most the employers that attend your campus career fair have targeted your campus as a place to hire students who meet their specific recruitment goals. The campus career fair is an excellent opportunity for you to explore a variety of different employers, career fields, various opportunities within organizations.

Networking Receptions

Some colleges have a variety of networking receptions throughout the year. These receptions include alumni receptions, diversity receptions, individual employer receptions, industry receptions, and more. These receptions will provide you with an excellent opportunity to connect with professionals and employers who can guide you or assist you with important career information that can assist you in your job- search campaign.

On Campus Interviewing

Most colleges have on campus recruitment programs that coordinate employer interviews from a variety of employer organizations on campus. The advantage of participating in on- campus recruitment programs include your direct access to many employers who are committed to identifying talent from your particular college. At many colleges and universities you can also register on-line for interviews, providing a platform that you can easily manage to apply for interviews and to review the listings and requirements of participating employers. Another advantage of participating in this program is that on some campuses you are also e-mailed visiting employer information and schedules, keeping you informed of the many excellent job opportunities being made available to students.

Personal Networking

The fact still remains that in spite of all of the modern on-line programs and services, career development websites, and the thousands of job listings that can circulate through your college's career-services office, the number one way that most people still find their job opportunities is through personal networking. Networking is a way to uncover the "hidden job market" that you wouldn't normally have access to. Networking is developing personal and professional relationships with people, that, when nurtured, can be leveraged to provide professional and personal support, information, and ultimately professional opportunities. Your personal network can include relationships you have developed with fellow graduates, alumni, friends of your family, professional association contacts, community organizations, employer representatives, faculty, staff, career services professionals, private search professionals, and more.

Some suggestions in networking:

Remember that people like to talk about themselves. Ask people what they do in their organization and how long they have been doing it as an easy starting point in a conversation.

Share some things about yourself, where you are from, what you are studying, and a little bit about your experiences at your college or university.

Ask the person about their professional development, some of the things they may have done differently than most in moving up in their organization, and what they see as a formula for success in their field.

Offer to assist the person in anyway possible.

Be prepared to discuss current events in the industry or job market of your interest. Headlines of the day and recent events are great topics of discussion.

Offer a personal business card, and ask for theirs before you part.

Follow-up within 48 hours if you see potential value in developing the relationship.

Other Excellent Sources to Identify Top Job-Opportunities

Newspapers. Local and national publications are excellent indicators of the job-market opportunities in your field, and of the qualifications required by many employers).

On-line Job Search Sites: These sites are great in identifying job opportunities in your field and in targeted regions of the country that interest you. But remember there are thousands of other people reviewing and applying for the same positions that are listed, response rates on these applications and submitted résumés are very low.

Professional Associations: These are excellent resources to identify thousands of job opportunities in your targeted field of interest. Opportunities and listings are usually national in scope; jobs posted are often of high quality and include a broad range of quality entry-level and senior-level positions.

Step #8. Preparing for the Interview Process

After doing all of the planning and research necessary to identify and connect with employers, the "moment of truth" finally comes as you sit across the desk from the professional or team of professionals who will interview you and give you the opportunity to convince them that you are the recruit they are looking for.

Prepare for every interview thoroughly by using career-services resources available in both the office and on-line . Take advantage of excellent on-line career resource sites such as Monster Trak, Vault, and Wetfeet, and Salary.com that provide excellent up-to-date employer and industry guides. Use available Alumni and other available professional networks that you have developed to access unique insights regarding employers, specific positions, and employer expectations. 

Participate in mock interviews with career-services professionals, faculty, or by attending an interviewing workshop. This practice will assist you in anticipating questions, practicing giving professional and polished responses, and increase your confidence.

Prepare for the interview by researching anticipated questions and practicing your responses. Be prepared to share examples of specific work situations you performed well in.

Dress appropriately for your interview. The key to dressing appropriately for an interview is to be reflective of the organization's dress standards that you will usually be able to identify through initial contact with employers from the organization at job fairs, networking events, through on-line information, or by asking a career professional familiar with the employer's corporate culture. Flashy clothing and fashion statements will win you no points at this stage and could automatically eliminate you as a credible candidate.

Keep a record of all of the places you have applied to and keep copies of tailored résumés and cover letters for future follow-up.

Step # 9: Effective Follow – Up

Often in the job selection process employers can find themselves torn between a few top candidates. Often the final hiring decision can come down to personal attitude, recommendations, and the extra professional efforts or follow-up of candidates.

These are some follow-up tips:

Send a follow-up letter within 24 hours. (Fax, e-mail, or hardcopies are acceptable).

In your follow-up letter rehash your strengths and the added value you would bring to the organization.

Take the time to highlight your ability to perform specific needs of the employer, particularly some that they may have mentioned in your interview.

Make sure that the employer has updated contact information. 

Invite the employer to contact you if they have any questions.

Rehash the next steps of the hiring process as you understood from the interview.

Let the employer know that you are interested in the position.

Call the employer every two weeks in the event that you have not heard anything, unless you are told not to do so.

Contact references and inform them of your sharing their names with specific organizations. This will also provide them with the opportunity to prepare to share transferable skills that address particular needs of employers calling.

Step #10. Closing the Deal 

The final offer:

Know the projected salary of the position by researching industry websites such as Salary.com. Remember to compare cost of living or projected salaries by geographical location, which assist you in determining the real value of the offered compared to the cost of living expenses you will have. If the offer is below the salary standards reported and you are not comfortable with the offer, share your concerns with the employer, citing your research. If the complete compensation package is acceptable to you, which includes the salary, and complete benefits package, accept the offer and ask for the offer to be sent to you in writing. If you are uncertain about the offer for any reason, do not accept it and discuss your reservations with a career- services professional.

Lastly…

Find out your reporting dates, training, and other information necessary to begin the position!

Let your career center and academic department know of your offer and acceptance for their records so that they can congratulate you on your crowning accomplishment.

Remember during this process to maintain a positive and professional attitude, and remember to always keep all of your promises and appointments as your reputation, and good name, is often as critical in the job-search process as your skills and abilities.

Don't forget to celebrate your success! You deserve it.

By the way it's time to begin thinking about your advancement strategy in the organization…Well that's another article.

Kim R. Wells is the director of the Career Services Office at Howard University. Mr. Wells has over 15 years of experience leading career management, management consulting, and human resource development initiatives in both corporate and higher education environments.