When Should I Start Looking for a Job

The most common mistake made during your college career is starting preparation too late for your actual career. Career exploration should start almost as soon as you start college. Think that’s too early? Ask some random seniors on campus and see how many of them know what they will be doing after graduation and when they started looking. The correlation is scary. Here are few tips on what you can be doing throughout your career.

Sophomore Year

Find out what you really want to do. Partake in job shadowing and informational interviewing. This is the time to start evaluation your own strengths, weaknesses, and interests to decide what you want to do. Remember not to limit yourself to one field!

Junior Year

Use this time to get as much field experience as you can. Volunteer or get a part-time job that lets you gain experience in your field of choice. Begin narrowing your choices down and start developing a network of people as well as experiences. 

Summer after Junior Year

Internships before senior year are crucial in landing your first job. Try to land an internship that will help advance your career. Make sure that it is relevant to your post-college choices and not just an internship for the sake of having one. Make sure to be an overachiever at during your internship experience. Some students may get a job offer at the company where they served their summer internship. 

Senior Year

Continue to network and build connections during your last year. Keeping up with potential employers means you will be the first to know about opportunities and will have a “leg up” on the competition. 

After Graduation

Tap into the network that you’ve been building through not only previous internships, but professors and even classmates. It is important to follow up on job leads as soon as possible.