Between papers, projects, and exams piling up, it can be easy to lose sight of the ultimate goal of college: to get a job.
While you may feel like you’re drowning in your schoolwork, it’s just as important to begin considering potential jobs for when you graduate.
One convenient way to begin your job search is to schedule an appointment with the Career Development office, located on the second floor of Blackmore Library.
Even if you don’t have time for an appointment just yet, stopping by the Career Development office is still a great idea because of the many free resources and informational packets that you can pick up and read over later.
There are packets on everything from how to interview well and how to write a cover letter to tips for finding an internship or a job, as well as a whole table of other resources.
When you find that your schedule has cleared up a bit, you can make an appointment with Career Development through Handshake, Capital’s new online job board.
In addition to scheduling an appointment, you can use Handshake to search for internships and jobs.
“What’s great about Handshake is you’re able to connect with all these different employers from across the country,” Jennifer Vrobel, associate director of Career Development, said. “It’s a more encompassing job board.”
You may be wondering what the difference is between Handshake and other career-related social media sites, such as LinkedIn and Wisr.
According to Vrobel, LinkedIn and Wisr are both primarily networking sites, allowing you to connect with professionals in your field through a web of people you already know. Wisr is more Capital-focused, allowing students to reach out to alumni in their field of study.
Handshake, on the other hand, is primarily an online job board that provides a platform for students to upload their resume and create a profile showcasing their skills and experience.
While all three of these services are undeniably beneficial to students, Vrobel said she thinks the most beneficial thing a student, especially a senior, can do is get their resume in order.
“Even before Handshake and LinkedIn, I think the number one thing that students should think about is getting their resume reviewed,” Vrobel said.
When adding your email under the contact section of your resume, it’s important to keep in mind that your Capital email — the one with your first initial, last name, and in some cases a number followed by “.edu” — will become inactive exactly 120 days after your graduation date.
This means that if you graduate in December, your email will no longer work around late March of the same year; if you graduate in May, you’ll lose access to your email around mid September of the same year.
If you find yourself in panic mode because you haven’t spent much time contemplating your future job, Career Development is always happy to help. Schedule an appointment through Handshake or on Capital’s website under “Career Development.”
A great thing to remember, too, is that Career Development will always be accessible to you as a resource, even after you graduate.
For more information about what Career Development has to offer, visit Capital’s website.
