College seniors — how to approach your final year
School Daze. It’s easy for college seniors to get caught up in the extracurricular activities of their final year. So many parties, so little time to enjoy what’s thought to be the best time of their lives. Too many will only think about jobs when the company recruiters hit town in early 2019. The problem: Those recruiters only represent a small number of the career opportunities out there.
So what’s the alternative? Start your job search NOW. How? By building a network. College is fertile ground for networking. First, start with your professors. All of them can help you make off-campus contacts. Business school professors often are involved in consulting ventures; many professors in science, engineering and technology fields have research grants. Adjunct instructors usually are employed in the corporate world. What’s great about their contacts? Most deal with executives and other upper-level hiring managers.
Jim Pawlak Professional organizations are a great networking source, too. Almost all college teachers belong to professional associations. All you have to do is ask them: “I’m interested in contacting people in (name your discipline or industry). What associations and trade groups do you suggest I contact?”
There’s a professional association for almost every occupation and industry. You can locate one in your field of interest through the Encyclopedia of Associations in the reference section of most libraries. Check out the association’s website to locate a chapter in the area in which you want to live. Call the local chapter head; ask to be added to its mailing list. Use the information about upcoming events to contact the people involved.
Campus organizations are another networking source. Their members have friends and family who may be able to help you. Don’t forget alumni.
Also, think of your research papers and projects as networking opportunities. You can connect with people who can help you, not only with your project, but also your career. Most students gather information for these projects from the Internet and the library. They rarely talk with those who walk the walk.
To build your contact list, you need to get in touch with the authors of books and articles and the people about whom they write. How? Call/ email PR departments of book publishers and editors of magazines in your field of interest. Tell them about your project and ask if they’ll put you in touch with experts in that field. Most will provide the information. Look up the experts online and browse their material. Professional associations can provide a wealth of experts, too.
Contact the school’s career development office to obtain a list of companies/recruiters scheduled for on-campus interviews, too. Do some research on their companies and check their social media profiles (especially those on LinkedIn because you’ll find groups to which they belong). Adding these groups to your LinkedIn profile and participating in the discussions will broaden your list of contacts, too.
Before making contact, make sure your social media profiles and posts are professional. Those you contact will check them out.
Develop an outline of your project and an email (use the name of your project and your school in the subject line)/telephone script (rehearsal required if calling). The script goes something like this: “My name is… I’m a senior at… I’m involved in a research project covering…. I read your book/article about…, or I spoke with… who suggested I contact you for input. When would it be possible to schedule some time to discuss…?”
Most recipients will be flattered and will provide information and additional contacts for you. Send a hand-written thank you note. When the project is done, send contributors a copy with a cover letter thanking them for their help. A completed project shows the contributors what you do work-wise. Follow-up with a phone call to discuss the project; be sure to mention that you are looking for a job.
College is fertile ground for networking. First, start with your professors. All of them can help you make off-campus contacts. Business school professors often are involved in consulting ventures; many professors in science, engineering and technology fields have research grants.