The End of the Semester Job and Internship Search

Want to know the real definition of March Madness? It’s the feeling that you get when finals are two months away and you still don’t have a job or summer internship. You’ve been sending out resumes but getting no bites. You’ve been making phone calls and writing e-mails with no responses. You visit Monster more than MySpace. And your mom keeps calling for updates.

Before you do something really crazy and declare another major so you won’t have to think about the real world, take a quick moment to review, renew, and refresh your job or internship search strategies.

Review….

Sit down with three pieces of paper. On one, write “Contacts” on the top. One another, write “School Assets.” And on the third, “Web and other resources.”

Now be honest with the work you’ve done so far. On your “Contacts” sheet, write down all the people with whom you have networked. List how you know them (through an internship, met at a conference, a friend of your dad’s, etc.), how you contacted them, and what kind of response you got. On “School Assets,” list the resources your university or college provides that you have used. On “Web and other resources,” list the sites, publications and other resources you have been using on a regular basis, and how you are using them.

Done? Good. Now…

Renew…

Flip each sheet over.

On “Contacts,” write a list of people you could contact, but haven’t. Think broadly, and include family friends, previous employers, people you have volunteered with, and more. Don’t limit yourself solely to people in your chosen field. Include the well-connected. A family friend who sells advertising for a radio station may not be in your chosen field of interior design, but he might have a friendly client who is a designer.

On “School Assets,” list everything your school has to offer. Your tuition dollars fund that career center – use it! Ask about alumni contacts, resume or cover letter reviews, visiting employers or networking events. If you attend a larger school, check to see if there are other career centers on campus and if you can use their services as well. Talk to your professors – many employers will go to an old prof in search of a new hire or intern.

On “Web and other resources,” note next to each entry if it is broad (serving many fields, like Monster.com), or narrow (serving a specific area, like JournalismJobs.com). If you have more broad resources than narrow ones, research some new outlets for job and internship opportunities that are more specific to what you want to do, and even up those lists.

Done? Grab a beverage. You’ve done some great work! Now we just need to…

Refresh…

Get your calendar. It’s time to make a plan.

You have in front of you three sheets of information. But remember that job and internship hunting is work, and you still have classes to attend, papers to write and a life to lead. Start scheduling out a little bit each day, with some give and take for busy times like midterms and final projects. Don’t forget the front side of those sheets when you make your plan – you don’t want to lose the momentum of the work you’ve already done.

And most importantly, BREATHE. It may seem like everyone has a job or internship lined up. They don’t. For a lot of people, it happens shortly before classes end – or after. The important thing is to keep at it, not to panic, and stay confident.

Good luck everyone!

*****************

Erica’s 10-second tip for the month: Manners count. If you are rude to a front desk staff person or receptionist, your interviewer will likely find out about it. As soon as you pick up a telephone or step foot inside a door, treat every person you encounter as if they hold the decision to hire you (because in part, they probably do!).