A scene from the movie “Finding Nemo” is a perfect metaphor for the state of many worried college seniors.
In this scene, some clever sea creatures trapped in a fish tank break the tank’s cleaning filter so their owner will be forced to set them on a counter - enclosed in individual plastic bags - to clean it. Once the owner is distracted, the creatures roll out a window and fall into the harbor below. Too late, they realize they’re still confined.
“Now what?” one of the fish asks.
Many recent college graduates feel that way. Having spent four years earning a degree, they now face the real world, not knowing what to do next.
If you’re in that boat (or bag), Career Services can help.
Your first step is to go to the Career Services website, listed underneath the “Services” section of the UP homepage, for helpful advice, including much of the information below.
The E-4 Plan: Explore, Engage, Experience, Enhance
This plan is the hallmark of UP career planning. If you’ve never heard of it, don’t panic.
“We designed it for a student at any point in their journey,” Max Kalchthaler, career and program adviser for Career Services said. “If a senior has never been to our office, it’s not too late.”
Let’s take a look at each of these steps.
Explore: Think you can’t do anything with your B.A. in English? Think again.
The Career Services website offers a resource for students looking for career opportunities related to their interests. Click on the “What can I do with my major?” link under the “students” section of their homepage. The link will direct you to a chart listing many different majors and their related careers.
For a B.A. in English, you’ll find approximately 50 (yes, 50) different career opportunities, as well as strategies to help you hone the skills necessary to snare your dream career.
Engage: So you still don’t know what you want to do. Again, don’t panic.
“You don’t have to know what you want to do after you graduate,” Kalchthaler said. “What’s going to help you decide what you want to do is talking to people that do it.”
Through a process called informational interviewing, job seekers can get to know a career path better by talking to people currently holding that job. Kalchthaler recommends seeking out people you already know, and asking them for input on their jobs.
Fall and winter break are the perfect times to do this, when you’re facing the dreaded, “What are you going to do next year?” question. Expand your network by creating a LinkedIn page. One of the seminars Career Services offers this year will show you how.
Experience: Now is the time to get serious about networking.
UP has a group on LinkedIn where you can find alumni working in your potential field. See if there are professional associations in your field you can join, and attend their networking events. Some students are wary of networking, worried they might be taking advantage of a friendship.
“It’s not really asking for a job,” Katchthaler said. “That’s not what networking is. It’s about gaining a firsthand understanding of a profession and getting advice from people willing to share it.”
Use one of the express advising hours to fine-tune your resume and cover letters. If you don’t know what those are, sign up for an appointment and an advisor will gladly help you.
Also consider practicing your interviewing skills with one of the mock interview sessions offered by Career Services. If you’re thinking about graduate school, talk to professors, your advisor and Career Services professionals for tips on the application process.
Enhance: Create a list of 5-10 companies you would like to work or intern for. Continue to network, and talk to family, friends, alumni and professors about your job search. Continue to practice your interviewing skills and refine your resume. Gather information on realistic salary expectations and talk to Career Services on how to negotiate your first salary.
Finding your first job is always tough, especially if you feel like you’re behind. But don’t stress out.
Career Services provides a plethora of information and resources to help students make the most of the skills they already possess. There’s a good chance you’ll find yourself a job soon enough, but if you end up striking out before graduation, there’s good news: Career Services offers counseling to alumni free of charge.
Take it one step at a time, and just keep swimming.
Christine is a reporter at The Beacon. You can reach her at menges15@up.edu or on Twitter @christineybird.
Relevant Information: Career Services is located in Orrico Hall, lower level. Office hours: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday – Friday To make an appointment: Call 503-943-7201 or stop by Express advising hours: 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 2-4 p.m. 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. First come, first served and no appointment necessary.
LinkedIn labs, fall semester: October: LinkedIn Lab - Build Your Profile: October 1 at 4:15 pm LinkedIn Lab - Build Your Network: October 8 at 4:15 pm LinkedIn Lab - Build Your Profile: October 23 at 11:30 am LinkedIn Lab - Build Your Network: October 30 at 11:30 am
November: LinkedIn Lab - Build Your Profile: November 5 at 4:15 pm LinkedIn Lab - Build Your Network: November 12 at 4:15 pm LinkedIn Lab - Build Your Profile: November 2 at 11:30 am LinkedIn Lab - Build Your Network: November 25 at 11:30 am
