From the CDO
Time to SPRING FORWARD into planning your summer career experience!
Whether you are seeking an internship, summer job, or you’re a graduating senior looking for a full-time experience, it’s time to get started—opportunities await! And, the CDO is here to help every step of the way. Check-out tips and resources below for a couple of ways you could use Spring Break to your advantage!
5 Internship & Job Search Tips to Maximize Your Spring Break!
1. Articulate Your Interests & Skills
- Take time to identify (and write down) what you know so far about the skills and experiences you bring to your next career step.
- Jot down what you know so far about the types of opportunities that might be of interest—duties, job titles, industries, organizations, locations.
- If unsure about a career direction, complete the quick Traitify assessment for personality insights and recommended job titles to help get you started (available on the CDO homepage, when on the Goucher network).
2. Update Your Resume & Cover Letter
- Update your resume to include community service, academic projects, on and off-campus jobs and internships, and other relevant experiences such as study abroad. Upload a draft of your resume to Goucher Recruit to have it reviewed by a CDO professional.
- Review CDO sample resumes at http://www.goucher.edu/career-development-office/for-students/job-search/job-and-internship-search-documents.
- Check-out a sample cover letter and tips for cover letter writing on the CDO website (http://www.goucher.edu/career-development-office/documents/Tips-for-standout-cover-letter.pdf) and write a draft that is targeted to a specific job or internship.
3. Develop a Plan
- Develop a system to track where you have searched, who you’ve connected with, your applications, and follow-up/next steps to stay organized.
- Develop a prospect list of organizations in which you are interested or want to learn more about, and review their websites for opportunities.
- Check for internship and job openings on Goucher Recruit and through other websites (e.g. LinkedIn, Baltimore Collegetown Network, Google Jobs, Indeed, Idealist), professional associations, and personal contacts.
- If interested in registering for academic credit for your internship experience, review the Internship Learning Agreement (ILA) on the CDO website. Remember that the Goucher Intern Fellowship funds are available to support summer internships! Find out more at http://www.goucher.edu/career-development-office/for-students/internships/. *If you’re still trying to get credit for a spring internship, note the deadline is March 30, 2018.
4. Network, network, network!
- Start with who you know! Over break, ask your friends, family, and mentors questions about jobs, careers, experiences, and for suggestions of other contacts with whom they could connect you.
- Conduct informational interviews to explore career fields and jobs by connecting with professionals in your field(s) of interest.
- Use the Alumni Career Coaches tab in Goucher Recruit to search and message alumni who have volunteered to help YOU learn more about careers through their experiences and insights.
- Create (or update) a LinkedIn profile to build your connections (alumni, faculty, staff, friends, family, colleagues, neighbors, teammates). Don’t forget to check-out the Jobs tab to search for opportunities!
5. Prepare for Interviews
- Practice crafting and telling stories that showcase your skills and experiences.
- Review commonly asked interview questions and prepare your answers.
- For specific interviews, research the organization to which you are applying and spend time comparing your skills and qualifications to the job requirements.
- Review CDO interview prep resources at http://www.goucher.edu/career-development-office/for-students/job-search/.
Don’t forget, the CDO is here to help and we look forward to connecting with you!
We meet with students year round, even over breaks, through scheduled appointments (on the CDO homepage @ www.goucher.edu/cdo) and drop-ins from 2pm-4pm Monday-Friday (just stop by!).
Follow us on social media- Facebook @GoucherCollegeCDO, and Twitter @CDOGoucher to keep up with all that’s happening at the CDO.
Feature Image Credit: Goucher College
