Career counselors at many Tennessee colleges and universities say interest from corporate recruiters is higher than they’ve seen it in years.
There are more job postings, internship opportunities, pre-employment trainee classes and technology training programs for all skill levels, but if a recent graduate needs help in pursuing a career, schools want the new alums to come back to them.
The on-campus professionals, and other experts in the private sector, are trained to help launch careers, not simply find jobs.
The process takes patience, self-reflection, time and planning, and some of it needs to be done in person and not online.
Counselors want career seekers to make (and keep) appointments, bring in resumes and cover letters for review, work through a proper pitch, practice interview skills, evaluate personal strengths and weakness, do homework on the career field and industry, take inventory of possible companies of interest and much more.
It may sound like going into personal therapy – it is hard work and may have serious, lifelong repercussions. Finding the right career may need to be a fulltime job, the experts say.
Of course, it’s best to start the process before senior year.
Kit
Our biggest struggle is to get the student aware of what we do and oriented to it,” says Stephanie Kit, interim director of the Office of Career Services at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. “The earlier a student work with us, the better the outcome can be for them.”
But, not everyone starts thinking about the job market early on. Kit and her colleagues know there are new graduates out there in need of guidance.
Here is some of their advice:
Resumes: Showcase business skills
College counselors are sticklers for a resume that highlights practical applications of learned skills.
Woods
“It’s OK to put your McDonald’s work experience on your resume, but you have to really capture the experience,” says Tashaye Byrdsong Woods, director of career development and leadership, at Fisk University in Nashville.
“Don’t just put they you worked the cash register, tell how you increased productivity or showed leadership as a shift worker. You need to make sure your resume is in the best shape it can possibly be in, and that often means revising it’’.
Kit agrees, and even an English or art history major should take note.
“Liberal arts majors with ‘softer skills’ can really benefit from a resume that shows just how they have used their skills in a business situation,” Kit explains.
“Oral and written communication skills are still at the top of the list for what employers are looking for in job candidates. The trick is to describe in detail how you have applied your skills.”
A counselor can get the graduate to take an honest accounting of strengths and weaknesses and find ways to use both to advantage, including how to correct a weakness, for example, by saying which particular training can fix the problem.
Many students also struggle with cover letters, Kit adds.
“They make the mistake of writing a generic cover letter,” she says. “A cover letter needs to be specifically tailored to each individual position.”
To create a proper cover letter or resume for a particular company, it is vital to research the company and the broader industry or related industries. The right job may not be the one you think you want and may be hidden under a title that is meaningless (to you) at face value.
Network in person, tap alums
Many of today’s students who are looking for job opportunities don’t grasp the power of networking, says Patricia Jacobs, director of the Office of Career & Professional Development at Belmont University in Nashville.
“We encourage them to get out there and talk to people with similar likes and intent,” says Jacobs. “And networking doesn’t just mean finding business contacts.
“We tell students to talk to the individuals who care about them – family and friends, friends of the family, church connections, employers and managers. Many of them probably see what the student’s God given talents are, and there may be ways they can help with the career next steps.
“We have an unlimited population of alumni [and those] who are a part of our wider Belmont network,” Jacobs adds. “We have many people willing to do just about anything we can to help find opportunities for our students.”
Fellow alums and friends of a college or university may also become mentors, a relationship that may lead to a job opportunity.
Fletcher
“Understanding networking is an ongoing process,” says Bill Fletcher, director of the Office of Career Services at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro.
“I can tell you what it’s not. It’s not going to a social media site. Networking means person-to-person contact, and it’s most effective when it’s done as a continual practice.”
What to do online
Recent graduates have grown up online but may not be aware of the key ingredients of being online as a career-seeking adult. Your online footprint needs to be as professional as you can make it, given the forever-ness of the Internet.
Linkedin gives you this chance, in some ways, to be “born again’’ as a serious, thoughtful and creative young adult.
Create or update a Linkedin page, research companies on Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter and by reading articles about the industry and companies. Set up a Google search that sends out an alert each time the company or industry, or even an individual you might like to know is mentioned. (Don’t send a resume to someone who is no longer with the company).
Part of the homework in researching a company is figuring out the organizational chart, learning the names of the job titles (an associate at one place may be an assistant at another). A professional counselor can point out the nuances and guide a graduate to similar jobs (marketing may be public relations under a different name).
Ask for an informational interview
“Even if you haven’t arranged an internship, you can volunteer or reach out and request to job shadow,’’ says Woods. “One very effective thing you can do is to contact a professional that interests you and request an informational interview.”
During an informational interview, a student gathers information about a profession and may makes a key contact at the same time.
“I think the informational interview is really effective, and relatively easy, way for a student to explore their career questions and interests,’’ she adds.
This experience can also lead to finding a mentor.
A practical gap year can work
“Every year, 10-15 percent of our students graduate without an exact plan,” Woods says.
“It’s not a bad thing. In fact, it can be a really good thing. This kind of student might just need more room for exploration or a little more time so that can get that big revelation about what they want to do.”
“A gap year can really open the world up for a student, but it usually doesn’t work if they become complacent,” she says.
“You have to treat it seriously. A student may want to travel or look for new internships or learning opportunities. There are many organizations, such as Catholic Charities or Americorps, who have formal programs they can explore. There are an amazing amount of opportunities.”
Fletcher of MTSU also approves of the gap year and recognizes that it’s a good time to take advantage of the many technology programs, software schools and other programs associated with the state, with universities or with the Nashville Technology Council that provide short-term training for long-term careers.
“A gap year isn’t for everyone, but there are students who can really benefit from it,” Fletcher says.
“They may need more technical or computing skills to be competitive or more time to make a transition to the work world. Some kids just need a break.
“It’s probably not a good idea to take a year off and do nothing,” Fletcher adds. “Get actively involved in the process and create some new experiences for yourself. Don’t sit around like a lump on a stump.
“Embrace lifelong learning because you are never going to get away from the need for it.”
MTSU research shows that internships – whether in a gap year, after graduation or in the summer – are valuable, with 77.6 percent of internship programs resulting in entry-level hires, according to a 2014 report.
In addition, the same report says: 91 percent of employers are looking for graduates who have had one or two internships, graduates are 70 percent more likely to be hired as a full-time employ instead of a candidate with no internships, and graduates with internships are more likely to find a professional mentor and have a better work experience by gaining new skills and real world experience.