The fall semester is already half in the books. Time flies. Leaves will be on the ground soon and plans for Thanksgiving and the holiday season will become reality.
For seniors that hope to graduate with a job already in hand, the time is now to start making preparations. The same is true for freshman, sophomores and juniors that want to land a great summer internship.
But why is it important to make advanced preparations? Below are three reasons to start the planning now and how to begin the process.
Is it the company, the role, or the place?
If a graduating senior has her heart set on living in New York or San Francisco, that student might be willing to do pretty much any kind of work, at all types of organizations in order to live there. Conversely, many students have a set of companies or causes they’d like to work for which ranks higher than where those organizations are located. This second group of students might be willing to have any role, so long as they get to work for their favorite company. Others still only want a role that will provide specific experiences like social media management or accounting.
The time is now, mid-October, for students to decide on what matters most to them because that decision informs how University Career Services can help develop a strategy. Students that are job hunting on their own will be advantaged by developing a set of priorities.
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Landing that dream job or internship requires talking to people well in advance
If a student wants a job at Facebook, Amazon, Google or another highly competitive company when it comes to hiring, her first interaction with that company should not be a job or internship application. Starting with Longwood alumni, students must introduce themselves to people in advance of a job opening-up that live where they want to live, work where they want to work, or have the same or similar job. This introduction is the most important component of the job or internship search, called an “informational interview.”
From now through the end of March, students should ask for and conduct at least five informational interviews per month with alumni or other professionals. Doing so will dramatically increase the chances of securing a job or internship before graduation.
Each student must become known for what she wants
If a student wants to work in an advertising agency and live in NYC, she needs to tell everyone that will listen about that desire, particularly alumni that live in New York. The best way to express this desire is to ask Longwood alumni working in advertising for their advice and hope they’ll act as a future referral. It’s important to ask for this advice many months before the job search begins so a relationship can develop. Alumni want to trust that the student they’re recommending will be a good hire.
Alumni that are willing to help in this capacity can be found on the Longwood Network.
Longwood students interested in learning more about how to secure a job or internship next summer should book an appointment with University Career Services and get started.
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