BY: Alecia Hicks
Although times have been a little challenging when it comes to communicating, due to COVID-19, being a student means looking forward to graduating and finding success in the workplace after college. Preparing yourself to be a professional means practicing for interviews, creating or updating resumes, developing cover letters and more. For graduating seniors like myself, we are expected to have spent the past four years learning and cultivating ourselves into individuals who will eventually add to whatever company or organization we choose to be a part of. If you are expected to be graduating this May, here are a few tips on how to put your best foot forward.
For a lot of seniors, interviews will be a big part of your lives for the next couple of months until you hopefully find the job of your dreams. In order to put your best foot forward, there are some things you should remember.
- Bring your authentic self.
- Project confidence.
- Know who you are and what you bring to the workplace.
- Understand who the company is (values, mission, objectives).
It can be really easy to try and give the company you want to work for an inauthentic version of yourself because that’s what you think they want to see, but one thing we have learned during COVID-19 is that the employees’ comfortability within a company is just as important as the employers’. With that being said, remember to bring your most authentic self. This will help both you and the company understand if you are a good fit together.
Another important aspect of the interviewing process is making sure that your resume resembles who you are as a person. It might seem smart to fluff up your resume a little, but remember to have specific examples because some employers may ask specific questions about your resume. AUM does a great job of offering resources to help with resume and cover letter building. If you are interested and/or need help, feel free to visit the Career Development Center located in Taylor Center room 101.
Lastly, if you are worried about not having a lot of experience before you graduate, an internship is a wonderful option to help you prepare. As a student, you can look for emails regarding internships or you can try searching on Handshake for specific internships. Handshake is a platform designed specifically for students to help them find jobs within their career fields. Make sure to put in your school information before searching for jobs to better help you tailor your profile. For additional resources, Indeed and Glassdoor are always platforms worth checking out.
Remember: Graduating should be an exciting time. Nerves are normal, but don’t be frightened to put yourself out there, connect, collaborate and elevate yourself as you put your best foot forward and enter into a new chapter of life.