It's that time of year again! College students are home for the summer, and in a lot of cases, that means two words: job hunting. Some people are lucky enough to have jobs waiting for them from summer to summer, but for those that aren't, the beginning of summer is a mixture of trying to relax as much as possible before the work grind starts and actually trying to get the work grind going. Unfortunately, searching for a job is usually anything but fun. Here are the seven stages of job hunting!
1. Re-polishing The Resume
A resume should be updated every year to include new work experience, extracurricular activities, and leadership positions held. It's important that the resume be streamlined and accurate. The struggle for a lot of people is that self-evaluation can be kind of tough. Resumes are supposed to include skills and strengths in a professional setting. If you are struggling with building a resume, send an email with your existing resume attached to your school's internship office to see if they can give you some pointers. If your school's internship office isn't open for the summer, a google search should give you enough tips so that you can avoid sitting in front of your desk like this:
2. Actually Hunting For the Job/Filling Out Applications
In today's technologically advanced world, more and more businesses are moving their hiring processes to the internet. That's probably where you should start with your search. Check the Help Wanted ads in your paper, and then research the business you want to apply at. Most businesses have a website with a "Careers" section that will tell you what locations are hiring. Usually, filling out applications starts like this:
... and ends like this:
3. Waiting For The Call
Now you've done your part! You've finally filled out all of those pesky applications, which means that now you're doing a lot of sitting around, staring at your phone, trying to make it ring with the sheer power of will.
4. Pre-Interview Jitters
Hopefully at some point, that phone has rang, and you've been asked to come in for an interview! The waiting is the worst part. There are so many horror stories about interviews and the kinds of "out there" questions that the interviewers could ask, such as "If you were an instrument, what kind of instrument would you be?"
5. The Actual Interview
Alright, here it is, the culmination of your efforts to NOT be unemployed. During an interview, it's important to relax, but be professional, polite, and friendly. Try to answer the interviewer's questions with honesty and enthusiasm. But at the end of the day, the employer chooses who will be hired, not you, so cross your fingers and hope that you're the best candidate for the job!
6. THE CALL
Now, here's where the experience differs for everyone. If the hiring pool is slim or you're one of the last people to be hired, employers might give you strong hints that you are the person for the job. Other employers opt to call after the interview. There are really only two outcomes that come after a job interview. You're either hired...
Or you're not hired, and it's back to the drawing board.
If you didn't get hired this time, don't worry! You won't be unemployed forever. You have a lot to offer the world. You just have to repeat the process. You'll get hired!
Good luck!
