Senior year of college is arguably the most stressful year. Not only are you trying to finish your academic career, but you are also deciding what you want to do after graduation. If you want to begin your career after graduation, here are a few things to consider and help prepare you for life after college.

Make Connections EVERY Year in College

While everyone’s journey is different, having a leg up in the job market can help you start out on the right foot from the beginning. One way to do so, is to network with professionals in the industry you are wanting to enter. Many colleges offer networking opportunities through job fairs, marketing events, class projects and more. Building your network can be as simple as connecting with professionals on LinkedIn or starting a conversation at a career fair. A portfolio is a great way to display your work, what you can do and the skills you possess. It is important for employers to have access to your portfolio to be able to share with colleagues and their own network. Websites such as WordPress, Weebly and Wix are great tools to utilize when creating your website. We highly recommend WordPress! We use WordPress for our 200+ websites, and we love it because it gives us freedom to completely customize websites to our clients’ liking. It is important to have a resume, project pieces, an ‘About Me’ section and your contact information listed and easily found within your portfolio. Be sure to link to your website to your LinkedIn profile so people within your network can easily access your work.

When looking for a job, don’t be afraid to reach out to your connections. That is what they are there for. Worst case scenario, they either don’t respond or they don’t have any open positions. Best case scenario, you land an awesome job right out of college!

Are Internships Important?

Yes, internships are important! Internships are a way to apply the knowledge you learned in class to real-world scenarios. They are also a great way to gain experience in your field. If you’ve looked at available job listings you’ve probably seen, “X Years of Experience Required,” in many job descriptions. For the most part, employers are looking for individuals that have skills and training within the career field they are applying for. The more experience, the better! Plus, the skills and hands-on training you have gained will help you feel more confident when you do start applying for full-time jobs.

If you are feeling overwhelmed or don’t know where to start, reach out to your academic advisor. They are a great resource and will have information about available internships and job opportunities. They may even be able to connect you with professionals in the field.

When to Begin Your Job Search

The application and interview process can be daunting and take months to go through. It is important to start applying for jobs around two months before graduating. Start looking for jobs at the beginning of your senior year to get an idea of open positions available. Third party job sites such as Indeed are a great resource when job hunting. If you find a position you are interested in on a third party site, go to the business’s website and apply directly through their website. Be sure to add your personal email on your resume, not your school email address and keep an eye on your inbox. Many employers reach out by email or by calling.

If you’re graduating college soon, take a deep breath and celebrate this milestone. We understand that this is a stressful time full of uncertainties, but you have the rest of your life is in front of you and that’s exciting! If you have prepared yourself throughout college, finding a job will be a breeze. Good luck!

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