Career planning tips to share

Looking for ways to help your student get ready for interviews and take advantage of career prep opportunities on campus? Your student may appreciate:

SUPPLIES

At least one complete interview outfit
A professional notebook or leather portfolio with pens, paper and several copies of their references
Printed business cards (to hand out at networking events) — these can be ordered online with their name, college/university, major, expected graduation date and contact info

NETWORKING KNOW-HOW

Your professors may have connections in their field that could lead to a job — get to know them!
Attend as many career events as you can fit into your schedule (job fairs, information sessions, employer round-tables, meet-and-greets, etc.).
Don’t be shy! Recruiters and company reps at campus events want to get to know you, so walk right up and introduce yourself.
Collect business cards and jot notes on the back (i.e., what’s the position and what are they looking for?).
Follow up your conversation with an email (thank them for their time and say you look forward to meeting with them when they’re back on campus).
LinkedIn has a student portal — you should create an account.

Your quiet/introverted student may avoid campus networking events like the plague. Ultimately the NETWORK (noun) is more important than NETWORKING (verb) and the quality of conversations and relationships with professors, peers and co-workers is more important than the quantity of business cards collected. – Thank you to The Quiet Leadership Institute for this insight!

INTERVIEW ADVICE

Show the recruiter you’re truly interested in the job by taking time to fully research the company and its services/products beforehand.
Turn off your phone (and only look at it if you need to access your schedule for a second interview).
Ask questions to demonstrate interest in the position, clarify what you don’t understand, and determine if the job/company/culture is a good fit.
Within 24 hours, write a customized thank you email to each person who interviewed you (don’t just “cut and paste”).

Find more of Tami Campbell's career advice articles on her CollegiateParent author page!

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