GETTING INTERVIEWED
Jump-start your career by having a job
lined up before you graduate!

Most students are so overwhelmed with all the tasks necessary to complete their education that they wait to start their job search till they graduate. Take advantage of this to get your name higher on the “potential employee” list. One of the personality traits employers highly value is initiative and by contacting potential employers while you are still in school demonstrates your foresight and motivation.

• Create a list of potential employers. Get their addresses, phone numbers and the names and titles of the people who have hiring authority.

• Network.Network.Network.Talk to people; let them know you’re available. Ask for leads. Remember, quite often it’s who you know that gets you the job.

• Set up initial contact on the phone.You must be wellorganized; know your purpose and goals for this call. The primary goal, of course, is to get an interview.

• If you don’t get an interview from this initial contact, send a resume with a cover letter or just send a letter.

• If you have not received a response within five days of the potential employer having received your letter, call them.

• In some cases, endurance pays off. If you keep yourself so visible that an employer is fully aware that you really want to work for her company, you may get the job out of sheer persistence.

For even more ways to prepare, check these lists:
Interview Questions, to impress them by asking questions of your own; Potential Employer Checklist and Job Interview Checklist, to keep all your information in one place.