Tips to help students to land a job before summer

Your student still has time to secure a job or internship before summer. Career Services connects students to resources, workshops and career development advisors to help with the job search. Here are tips to guide your student as they look for a job or internship. 

Whether your student is graduating or simply looking for a summer job or internship, the spring semester can be busy, and finding a job adds to that workload. Your student can make a plan with specific action items and deadlines to stay on track, including the essentials they’ll need in place to start applying for jobs. For example, they could set deadlines for creating online profiles, updating their resume or talking to people in their network about writing a recommendation letter. Getting organized will help your student maximize their time and resources. 

Before updating online profiles or drafting a resume, your student can consider the vital information to highlight. In today’s job market, there’s a disconnect between open positions and people with the skills and experience to fill those positions. If your student can articulate how their skills and experiences match the job requirements, they may gain an advantage in the hiring process. Your student can take steps to determine their skills:  

• They can request a Skills Report to learn which skills are most in demand for the positions or industries of interest to them. Your student can use the information to build a tailored list of skills for each type of job or industry. 
• There are also general skills that all employers value, regardless of industry. Encourage your student to review these foundational skills and find ways to build them. 
• Your student can list all relevant experience, including campus jobs, volunteer experiences, organization memberships and leadership positions. Also, they can list other activities like participation in sports and the arts because showing involvement can demonstrate well-roundedness and offer diverse skills and perspectives.

How your student represents themself on professional profiles will directly impact their outcomes. It takes valuable time to create a great online profile; however, a well-developed profile helps build a positive professional reputation. Sloppy or incomplete profiles can give a negative impression to recruiters and hiring managers. 

Career Services has resources to guide your student through the process and teach them how to develop an effective online presence. 

• Handshake is the top way college students find jobs. Your student can use these helpful steps to set up a profile. 
• LinkedIn profiles are vital to the job search. Not only can students establish a professional presence, but they can search for jobs and connect with CU alumni groups. 
• Your student can build an online portfolio using BuffsCreate to highlight work and projects. 
• They can create a Forever Buffs Network profile to join the online community of fellow Buffs. 
• The free photo booth in the Career Services office allows your student to get a professional photo for online profiles.

Most job applications require a resume and cover letter. Your student can learn how to write an effective resume and persuasive cover letter. 

• Encourage your student to schedule an express appointment with a career development advisor to review their documents and ask questions. 
• They can attend programs and workshops on writing resumes and job searching to ask questions and get more tips. 
• Your student can upload their updated resume to their Handshake and LinkedIn profiles. 

During their time at CU Boulder, your student has likely built an extensive network through their study area, internships, part-time jobs, organizations, activities, volunteer work and more. They can connect with their network to ask for support. 

• Encourage your student to reach out and share that they are looking for employment. They can communicate any need for recommendations and referrals to open positions or job opportunities. 
• Your student can join the Forever Buffs Network to start connecting with CU Boulder alumni. Alumni can help with resume feedback and interview preparation. And some may be open to informational interviews or mentoring.  
• They can also use LinkedIn to connect with others, learn about different industries and join conversations related to their career interests. 

Once your student has created and updated their job search tools, it’s time for them to find open positions and apply. They may have a sense of urgency due to the short timeframe before summer. However, encourage your student to focus on jobs that interest them. They don’t want to end up in a position that isn’t a good fit. They can find support on campus and through Career Services. 

• Your student can find job postings on Handshake, LinkedIn and Indeed. They can set up saved searches on these sites to learn about new postings that match their criteria. 
• Encourage your student to check industry-specific sites like Built In Colorado, Work In Sports and Conservation Job Board. 
• They can connect with recruiters at career fairs and events to learn about open positions and hiring timelines. 
• Your student can also use this job search tracker to streamline the process. 

Career development advisors are here to help as your student begins their search. They can learn more about getting started with Career Services. 

Your student will also want to prepare for in-person and virtual interviews as they search for jobs and share their resume. Here are tips to help students prepare for interviews: 

• Encourage your student to use Quinncia to practice interviewing. They can upload their resume to receive custom practice interviews. They will get specific tips related to the content of their interview, the pace of their speech, their eye contact with the computer and more. 
• Your student can also make an appointment with a career advisor to practice interviewing before the first interview with a potential employer. 
• Share these tips for mastering interviews and making a positive impression with your student.