Hopefully, you’ve accomplished a few career-related tasks over the past two weeks. If you didn’t get to every single challenge, that’s ok! You can find an overview of every challenge here. No matter where you are right now, today’s challenge is to set yourself up for success so you can keep the momentum going! Here’s how:
Set Realistic Goals.
You’ve got a killer resume, a great elevator pitch, you know where to look and what to look for. Now it’s time to start applying and have those interview requests roll in! Now, we want you to begin preparing for interviews (even if you don’t have one yet!) to guarantee you are ready to rock and roll when the invitation comes in.
In addition to a college degree, employers value individuals who possess certain sets of skills (8 to be exact), that demonstrate your ability to solve problems and reach goals. They want to know that you have developed and demonstrated competencies considered essential in the workplace. The good news is that as a Denison student, you’re already developing and strengthening these skills through classwork, internships, networking, jobs and other extra-curriculars.
When was the last time you spoke to somebody about your career thoughts, concerns, ideas, or goals? For most students, what comes AFTER Denison isn’t an everyday topic of conversation. But remember, Denison is built relationships and is a community filled with people who want to help you succeed as you plan for your future. So today the challenge is to reach out to the network you have (both on and off-campus).
Employers want assurance that you can easily transition into the workplace and once there, get right to work helping solve problems and reach
organizational goals. Luckily, the National Association of Colleges and Employers has identified and defined eight career competencies that can help you ensure you are career-ready. Today’s challenge will help you reflect on the experiences you have that aid in your career readiness and brainstorm ways to get the career-ready skills you need to further develop or enhance.
Two of the most popular ways companies find new hires are through employer referrals and professional networks. Many students are afraid of networking or are concerned it’s inauthentic and just a way to get what you want. And many think they don’t have a base network to start with (hint: you do!). Networking is simply about building relationships with those who share similar professional experiences, interests, and goals.
This common interview (or networking) prompt can feel daunting, but with a little bit of preparation and practice, you will set the stage for a
conversation that helps you stand out from the crowd. For today’s short and sweet challenge (it is an off-day after all!), you will write-up and practice your response. Here’s how to get started!
Having an updated résumé is always important, especially if you’re actively seeking internship or job opportunities. It’s said that employers spend an average of 6 seconds looking at a résumé, so it’s important your content is kept updated and organized with the most relevant information easy to find. You most likely have (or will have) many different experiences from your time at Denison, so how do you make everything fits on your résumé?
Social media can both help and hurt your job and internship search. Various surveys show that more than 70% of employers use social media to screen candidates during the hiring process (looking for the good, the bad, and the ugly). And let’s not forget, networking is an important part of your job and internship search process, so it’s never too early to make sure your online presence is solid and not going to affect you negatively.
