Tips for the Holidays...

The holidays can be a busy and stressful time with semester exams, shopping, travel, or holiday parties. But it’s also a good time to kick a job or internship search into high gear for college students. Believe it or not, the holiday season can be a promising time to secure a new position, make new contacts or put the finishing touches on that resume or LinkedIn profile.

“Many believe that the average job search process takes about 6-8 months prior to graduation, so starting these things over the holidays is a perfect time,” said Ashley McArdle, assistant director of Career Services at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne. “This can give you a jump on the competition that may be waiting until after the holidays to initiate a search.”

Most college career centers recommend the following tips for students to start working on over the holidays:

• Finalize your resume, cover letter and reference page
• Join a professional association in your career field and the sign up for their listserv to receive valuable career information
• Develop a prospect list of employers that you would ideally like to target in your job search
• Research potential employers in your area or field of interest
• Network! Use a holiday party as a great time to make new contacts or attend a professional networking event and get business cards (Networking is one of the best ways to get a job!)
• Schedule some informational interviews
• Identify and be able to communicate effectively the skills and abilities you have developed throughout college.
• Ask people to be your references and provide them with a copy of your resume
• Schedule a mock interview with a career counselor at your university
• Learn more about campus interviews and make sure that you are aware of when employers or job fairs will be on campus
• Obtain firsthand occupational and industry-related information from personal and professional contacts
• Update your Linked In account or create one if you don’t have one!
• See if your university offers an externship program. Externship programs often take place over the week of spring break and give students a chance to intern with top employers in their field. Often times these externships lead to summer jobs, invaluable contacts, and future career opportunities.