You’re back from living your best life on spring break, taking a vacation from your studies, and the reality of the end of another school year has probably hit.
In the next six weeks, you’re not only grinding to complete your course work but also trying to figure out what to do this summer. Perhaps you’re graduating and need to find a job? Or an internship to get some experience on your résumé?
Here are a few tips to help you plan your job search attack.
Utilize Handshake and other job boards to search for opportunities
There are more than 6,000 jobs and 2,500 internships currently available on Handshake for CU Boulder students. If you’ve completed your profile, you will see all of the postings you qualify for, and, with the click of a button, you can apply.
Career Services has also compiled lists of other great jobs boards filtered by industry for you utilize on the Career Bulletin.
Develop a running list of your job applications
One of the easiest things you can do to streamline your job search is create a spreadsheet that lists all of your applications, due dates and points of contact. Organizing this information in one place can keep you from missing a deadline or becoming lost in a sea of applications.
After developing the list, you should set a realistic goal for how many applications you plan to complete per week to hold yourself accountable.
5 tips for successful career fair prep
Join the final career fair of the year April 4 to learn from recruiters about current job openings, skills most in demand and more, while making a personal connection. Click for tips and other resources.
How to prepare your elevator pitch
Your "elevator pitch" or "30-second intro" is one of the most important things you'll need to prepare before attending a career fair. Get pointers on your perfect pitch and where to go from there.
Choose the jobs you apply for wisely
There are tons of job boards that will allow you to apply for dozens of jobs all at once with one click. The downside to this is that if you end up getting an interview with one of those companies, then you haven’t conducted the research to ensure this is a job you’d be interested in. You could end up wasting yours and the employer’s time.
Read through job descriptions and company profiles to make sure you can see yourself in that position. Once you find a company and position that you think would be a strong fit, research competitor companies and apply to similar positions there, to increase your chances of getting hired for that kind of job.
Leverage your contacts
A personal connection greatly increases your chance at advancing in an application process. Reach out to a friend in the industry, connect with CU Boulder alumni on LinkedIn or follow up with someone you met at a career fair.
You never know who might help you connect with a recruiter at a company that interests you. Make it a goal to reach out to at least three people every week who might be able to help you with your career.
Be prepared for interviews
You never know when you’ll get that fateful email stating you’ve been selected for an interview. So, preparing and practicing your answers in advance can help you feel more confident and increase your chances of getting hired.
Gather a list of interview questions and practice answering them with a family member or friend. Have them throw in random questions you’re not prepared for to help you think on your feet. You also can utilize InterviewStream to record yourself answering questions to see how well you do.
