Career Corner: Tips to make job hunting easier
Thousands of NDSU students use the Career Center every year.
Our employment survey shows that 94 percent of the graduates seeking work get jobs.
Whether it’s your first year or you’re graduating in December or May, now is the time to start working toward the goal of a great job after graduation.
You can focus on a few things to make sure graduation is a beginning and not an ending.
1) Your resume
NDSU professors understand the importance of a good resume so you probably won’t get through your four years without needing to write one.
You shouldn’t wait until then, though. To get you started, we have excellent resources on our Web site and in handouts.
Even as a first- or second-year student, writing your resume will give you a good idea of areas you may need to work on.
When you graduate, your resume can include your grade point average, especially if it’s above a 3.0, and work experience, including some experience related to what you want to do.
Many times that related experience will be in the form of an internship or cooperative education.
You also want to list organizations you are involved in, but don’t just be a member.
Be an active member or a leader of the organization.
You can also do volunteer work especially if it will help you get related experience.
Keep in mind: It doesn’t really matter how you gained the experience as long as you have it.
Your resume should tell an employer why you are more qualified than the other candidates applying for the position.
2) Career fairs
At the Career Center, we sponsor fairs throughout the year, including Meet the Firms (for accounting and business majors), Ag Career Fair, Engineering & Tech Expo, the Tri-College Career & Internship Fair (open to all majors), Design Expo (for architecture and landscape architecture majors) and Spring Career Fair (open to all majors).
No matter what year in school you are, this is a great way to network and position yourself for a good job when you graduate.
If you’re undecided, it’s a good way to talk to recruiters to get information about companies you hadn’t thought about or just to find out what qualifications you’ll need when you do decide.
3) Networking and informational interviews
If you aren’t sure exactly what you want to do, then get out and start talking to people.
Talk to everyone. Start asking people general questions, and keep in mind you’re not asking them for a job.
An informational interview is a great way to get information on a position or a company you may be interested in.
Most people are glad to help out and may let you shadow them at work or will have lunch with you to talk about what they do and why they like it.
It’s a good idea to have some questions prepared ahead of time.
4) Last but certainly not least, visit the Career Center. We have many resources and can help you through the job-search process.
Gulland-Nelson is a paid employee of the NDSU Career Center. Her job is to encourage students to use the center’s services in helping them find their ideal career.