Runners To Their Mark..

There is no such thing as starting to look for a job too early. I began in January, almost five months before graduation. Three warnings before you start the job hunt: 1. By starting to look so soon, you will run across many job openings looking for immediate hire. This doesn't help. 2. If you're just blindly clicking and applying for jobs without keeping track, do not expect much by the way of results. 3. If you don't have a proper resume and use the correct key words in your email greeting or cover letter, you won't be noticed.

Like any ambitious, hard working daughter I began my job hunt months in advance. I always plan ahead and that is how I have run my life for over 22 years. I believe I received my coveted internship at The Big Talker 1210 in Philadelphia because I applied for it in October. I didn't actually complete the internship til the following summer. Planning ahead is key. But for a job you would like to have waiting for you the day after graduation? You can only hope. Some are lucky. Some are me. Don't be discouraged. Patience and Persistance.

There's nothing wrong with applying for as many job postings as you can. The more hooks you cast, the greater chance you'll have of catching a fish, right? I believe by doing this you exhaust yourself and begin to see every job posting as just another blur in the "jobisphere". You begin to apply half-hearted, in turn not presenting yourself properly. I recommend choosing 5-8 jobs a week that you really feel a connection with. Email them your resume along with your best greeting. Within the week, follow up with your application. Call the company you applied to and ask to speak with their HR department or, even better, directly call the person that posted the job opening online if that information is available. You need to prove how hungry you are. Don't just tell them you are driven and results oriented. SHOW them. When you call, explain that you have applied for *insert job title* and were curious of the status of your application and ask if there were any questions you could answer.

Resume. There is no cut and dry proper way to write a resume. I have asked the advice of many professionals and have received different and contradictory response. I do recommend asking many different well seasoned professionals for their advice. I spoke with the Recruiting Officer at Raytheon and the owner of Dynagraf, to name a few. They proved to be of great help and really got my resume to where it needed to be. I learned that keywords are the most important. When a person in HR is looking over your resume they will briefly skim it, they don't have time to read your life story. It's all about using the right words that will stand out and catch their eye, "results oriented, multi-tasker, great oral and written communication, fluent in Microsoft programs, etc." Make your resume pop.