May 5, 1997

Learn tips to avoid the common pitfalls of job hunting

Career Center offers advice to graduating seniors and undergrads looking for rewarding employment

By Kimberly Forman

hile most students will be busy with final exams and the end of school, a select few go-getters and seniors will be seeking summer employment or internships. The process does not have to be a painful one, but it definitely can be if applicants have no clue where to start their search.

Fortunately, Director of the Career Center Arden Showalter, and a team of counselors are on hand to make seniors' transition into the real world a lot easier, and to help students land a great internship for the summer.

With graduation two weeks away, students are starting to feel a sense of urgency to get a job. If they are unsure where to start, they should not worry because Showalter offers sound advice to help students put their best foot forward.

Showalter said there are three common mistakes that students make that may be contributing to their unemployment. The number one mistake students make is procrastinating.

"Waiting (to send out resumes) is the biggest mistake," Showalter said. "The thing that bothers me is some students do a lot of stressing, but they don't do a lot of planning and preparing."

Showalter clarified by saying if the anxiety about getting a job moves you to action, then it is positive. She said there are a lot of things a person can do ahead of time that will make the transition from the university to work or graduate school easier and better.

Networking and internships are great outlets and resources for students to start making contacts for the future. Showalter said the best time to take an internship is the summer after a student's sophomore or junior year.

Two services that are offered on campus are ACCess, the SMU Alumni Career Contacts, and the Career Center.

"Internships are the best way to network," Showalter said. "They are critical because some companies, like communications companies, usually hire their interns."

With the endless opportunities that people can create when they network through internships, some might not understand why students would wait so long to send out resumes.

"I think it's a fear thing," Showalter said. "It looks like such a big task; such a scary thing to do that they don't get started."

Showalter said she believes students try to break the process down into "doable steps." And that process in itself, is wasted time that students could be using elsewhere.

"The second biggest (mistake) would be not looking at the hiring process from the employers point of view," Showalter said.

She said students often focus on their education and become somewhat self-centered. Showalter stressed the importance of students marketing and packaging themselves effectively.

"Tell [employers] things about you that they can use," Showalter said. That way employers feel they can connect with you.

In the 1996-97 Career Planning & Job Search Guide, available in the Career Center, there are possible interview questions to ask prospective employers, and questions the interviewer might ask in return.

This, along with setting up mock interviews in the Career Center, will help prepare students to think more like an employer in their field, Showalter said.

She said communication jobs are different from finance, or business jobs. They do not recruit as heavily in the communication field, "so you've got to contact prospective employers in small markets," Showalter said. "Different from the quite a few banks that will come to campus recruiting (students)."

Showalter encourages students to come by the Career Center.

"Come in and see a career counselor. Developing a strategy that's unique for you, your major, your interest, and your career field," Showalter said.

The purpose of resumes is to contact prospective employers, give the employer a concise and accurate description of yourself, including education, experience, career goals and skills. Resumes may be reviewed by various counselors at the center.

It should be kept short because resumes are "skimmed, not read." In the Job Search Guide, students are warned that the career objective, usually located at the top of a resume, may be what keeps people from getting their dream job if the objective is vague and unfocused.

Once the resume is completed, it is ready for employers. Advertised openings can be found via on-campus recruiting, career fairs, the Career Center Job listings, Career Center resume referral, on-line job banks, newspaper advertisements, employment agencies and the Internet.

As many as 70 to 75 percent of jobs found that are unadvertised (hidden job markets), are through personal contact, referral, informational conversations and internships.

The painful reality about job hunting is receiving rejection letters, something Showalter said is unavoidable.

"I think it helps to know they are inevitable," Showalter said. "We say that you either accept rejection or you don't look for a job because there isn't any way you can look for a job and not get some rejection."

Usually, companies will explain why an individual was not hired, and reasons will vary from "not hiring at this time" to "not enough experience." Fortunately, Showalter has advice on how to gain experience.

"We think [students] need at least two work experiences in the field they're interested in," Showalter said.

She added that experience can mean unpaid internships and class projects. Showalter said, basically, employers want to know "could you do this job?"

There will always be positions that require "2-3 years experience," and students may not get those jobs, but at some point students need to say, "'I'll get my foot in the door any way that I can,'" Showalter said.

If you do receive a job offer outside of your major, Showalter encourages students to take it because, "employers will understand you working versus doing nothing at all."

Resumes may seem like they do not play an important part in the hiring process, but in fact they do.

"The resume gets you the interview," Showalter said. "That's what you're trying to get, and the resume is just a vehicle for that."

She recognizes that some may find this unfair that a 20- to 30-minute contact could determine a person's future with the company. During the interview process, there are two mistakes students most frequently make that have a big impact on employers.

Showalter said employers usually complain that students are not prepared for the interview.

"They don't know anything about the organization, which simply requires basic research," Showalter said. "Another problem is that students can't clearly articulate their own career goals."

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