Search Strategies

Successful students spend more of their job search time actively engaging prospective employers through on-campus interviews, by speaking with company representatives, by going to information sessions, and by seeking out employers at career fairs. Unsuccessful students tend to pursue their searches in a more passive manner, relying heavily on researching and responding to ads on web sites.*

Most successful strategies

Start early and use the Career Center
Students who use the Career Center experience a higher rate of success.
Begin your search with the Job & Internship Guide. Consult with your career counselor as needed.

Participate in on-campus interviews 
Employers conduct on-campus interviews each semester for internships and jobs.
Details are found in ePACK under "Interview Schedules."

Speak with company representatives
Employers seek opportunities to speak directly with students via presentations, projects, seminars, and events organized through student organizations, faculty, and other departmental venues. Watch for announcements.

Attend employer information sessions
Employers schedule "meet the employer sessions" through the Career Center for you to interact with representatives and learn about specific opportunities. Details are found in ePACK under "Career Events."

Turn an internship or co-op into a job
Securing an internship or co-op can lead to a full-time job offer at graduation. Employers often hire interns or co-ops early as a means of cultivating a long term relationship.

Attend career fairs
Employers attend career fairs to meet students of all majors and degree levels to share information about careers and opportunities. Details about career fairs scheduled this semester are found here.

Network
Employers look for referrals of quality candidates. They even encourage their employees to recommend hires. Do not overlook the expertise and assistance of others. Let everyone know about your search.

Be creative
Try one of these creative job search methods.

Least successful strategy

Commercial job search sites
While successful students do visit commercial job search sites, they seriously limit their activity. Finding a job or internship means going beyond mega job listing sites such as Monster and Careerbuilder.**

*   NACE (National Association of Colleges and Employers), 2007
**  Wall Street Journal, May 2006