<p>I was wondering how people are starting to prepare for their imminent graduation and transition into the real world? Have you guys started looking at what jobs you will apply for come spring semester? </p>
<p>How many of you guys are starting to worry about this? I know I am.</p>
<p>Also, how many of you think that your dream job might become a reality. I know that times are hard, but we can still keep some hopes up, right?</p>
<p>What you should have been doing prior to senior year:
-Getting internships.
-Keeping your GPA strong.
-Working on your resume.
-Doing mock interviews so you know what they’re like.
-Talking to friends or family members who have been there and network. Learn as much about the process as you can.</p>
<p>What you should be doing during the 1st half of senior year:
-Going to career fairs and handing your resume to recruiters or applying to positions on their website.
-Going to On Campus Recruiting events by specific companies.
-Leveraging everything you learned from your previous years, including your internships, GPA, and courses, to essentially SELL yourself to your potential employee.
-Use LinkedIn and reach out to recruiters.</p>
<p>What you should be doing in the 2nd half of your senior year:
-Continue going to career fairs and handing out resumes and applying to company positions on their websites.
-Continue going to On Campus Recruiting events, whichever ones are left as some begin in spring.
-Begin sending out resumes on general sites like Indeed or CareerBuilder.
-Utilizing your alumni network for any job postings.
-Asking your network, including friends, family, etc. for leads if any.
-Taking advantage of any last minute resource you can before you leave the university.</p>
<p>What you should do after you graduate:
-You’re on your own. Hopefully the things you learned in school will serve you well. You will no longer have as much access to recruiting events.
-Apply to jobs online, take advantage of alumni services, and if your friends can help you out, ask them.</p>
<p>This was pretty much what I did during my college years. I was offered 2 jobs 1 week before graduation - 1 mediocre one and 1 great, awesome, amazing one. I took the latter. I started working almost immediately after graduation.</p>
<p>Depending on the industry you are going into, you may have already missed recruiting. Consulting and I-banking are September/early October recruiting. There are always companies that hire off-season, but it’ll slow between now and January. There is another big hiring push in January. If you have not sent out any resumes by Valentine’s Day, you are going to have a rough time getting a job lined up before you graduate.</p>
<p>Get organized NOW, and talk to your school’s career services. You won’t regret it</p>