Tips for the job search

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By Kelley Cox

It’s that time of year: graduation is fast approaching. Some graduating seniors may not have found that dream job – or any job – just yet. Here are some tips from LSU Career Services Communications Manager Sara Crow for those students graduating this month and for those students hoping to graduate, period.

“Typically, this time of year, seniors come in [to Career Services] frantic because they are graduating in three weeks but don’t have a job yet,” Crow said, but added that Career Services hasn’t been too busy with graduating seniors yet this year.

The reasons for students tending to get serious about their career searches during the time immediately before graduation are obvious, but Crow said, “The key is for students to be thinking about post-graduate life all throughout college,” not only in the few weeks before graduation.

It’s hard to determine the “right” time to begin your full-time job search. Crow explained that students with certain majors, like accounting or engineering, may be able to get hired up to a year before graduation. However, securing a full-time job that far before graduation is atypical for most majors.

“If you’re in the humanities and planning on graduating in May, you should really start getting serious about [your search for a full-time job] in January, in terms of applying,” Crow said. “But you should really be thinking about it even as freshman, in terms of trying to keep your GPA up,” and choosing the right major.

If students need some direction or advising while starting out on their career paths, they are encouraged to consult Career Services at LSU for some free advice.

“Career Services offers every service related to career planning,” Crow said.

Crow explained that Career Services can help students in everything from choosing a major to composing resumes to finding full-time jobs after graduation.

“We try to make it easy for a student to call in or drop by and say ‘here’s what I need’ and our receptionist can direct them to the right service area,” Crow said.

Depending on your major, you may or may not be able to find work as easily as your peers. Crow said that “there’s a point of realization” for those with a few very specialized majors, when they realize that they may have to leave the state to secure a full-time job.

Although some students with very specialized majors may learn that finding a job in their field is difficult in Louisiana, Crow said that the estimated number of LSU graduates leaving the state is exaggerated.

Crow called it “a myth that LSU students are leaving Louisiana to get good jobs. The overwhelming majority of our graduates are staying in Louisiana to work. Recent graduates, for the most part, are staying in the state and finding jobs.”

Of the December 2007 graduates who responded to a survey conducted by LSU, 60.6 percent of graduates said they were currently employed full-time in Louisiana.

The most important thing to remember when searching for a job is that it IS a search; degrees don’t come with full-time job offers. Many graduates think they are doing enough in their job searches by posting their resumes on Monster.com or other similar Web sites. While some students may obtain job interviews or positions by simply posting their resumes on the Internet, it is a rarity.

Most graduates will remain unemployed if they take a back seat in their job search. It is very important to be proactive while looking for a full-time job.

Jobs are available, but people often have to seek them out. Crow said that it’s important to network as often as possible with professionals in your field. Collecting business cards and sending follow-up e-mails can help make your contacts remember you.

But, if a contact you met doesn’t remember you, “don’t be embarrassed to remind people how they know you,” Crow advised.

Networking can prove to be extremely important even if the company that a contact works for isn’t hiring when you meet your contact. Crow explained that if you keep in touch with people you meet who work for companies that may not have a position open when you meet the individual, “when there is a position open, you already have a contact there” to help you get hired.

It is also important to remember to update your resume frequently.

“Your resume should really be a work in progress that is tailored toward each job you apply for,” Crow advised.

A lot of people make the mistake of submitting the same resume when applying for very different positions. Crow suggests composing and saving one very detailed resume that you can work from and edit to be geared toward each different position you apply for.

When you do get called in for an interview, it is important to remember that an interview is not a guarantee – even if you think you are more than qualified for the position. To make the best impression, it’s imperative that you wear appropriate clothes – business attire in most cases, rehearse answers to possible interview questions, research the company that you are interviewing for, and think of some impressive questions that you can ask your interviewer.

Another important but often forgotten part of interviewing is the follow-up.

“It really does make a difference,” Crow said of the follow-up. “You can write a note or shoot an e-mail to thank them for the interview and mention something that you learned or that you talked about on the interview,” Crow said.

The follow-up can show persistence and a higher level of interest in the position.

“It does make an impact,” she said.

If you have any more questions about the career search or just want to learn more about your options, visit LSU Career Services Web site at www.lsu.edu/career.

Originally Published: Issue 607 - May 6, 2008

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