By Carolyn Brandes, FirstGen Ahead Coach

We coach our students to apply for multiple internships and jobs to increase the likelihood of getting several offers that lead to a great first job. While it is difficult to predict what the job market is like, there are ways to help students increase their odds.

Before my FirstGen Ahead student started applying for internships, I asked her to list her goals and practical considerations.

Coaching Tip: It can hard for students to know what they want or need in a job, especially if they have never lived on their own or worked in a full-time salaried position. Start this conversation early!

Using this list, suggestions from informational interviews, internet searches, and salary data, I helped her target her job search, create “Indeed” notifications, and set weekly goals for submitting applications. We talked about testing her marketing materials – if they were spot on, she would get multiple offers in line with her qualifications and goals; if not, she would either not get any offers or would get offers that did not meet her goals.

Coaching Tip: Apply early and rewrite marketing materials as needed.

My student’s marketing materials worked; she received multiple interview invitations for positions that were good fits for what she wanted and needed. To prepare for interviews, we talked about how to frame questions directly to share her aptitudes and experiences in ways that showcased what the interviewer was looking for, as well as indirectly to help her obtain the information she might benefit from in learning about the organization. For example, instead of asking, “Would you be willing to mentor me?” she asked, “How do people work together to accomplish goals?” to prompt a conversation about employee culture and opportunities.

I also coached my student on how to listen to what was being said and test assumptions. For example, for one position, she was told that it would primarily be an independent work situation. During the second interview, she asked the interview team, “How do you like working here?” and learned there was more interaction than she had previously assumed.

Coaching Tip: Practice interviews with your student to frame questions and answers from the employer’s perspective, using the STAR technique (Situation Task Action Result).

When my student received her first job offer, she was very excited, of course, but also understandably concerned because it met some but not all of her criteria. She was worried about both taking the job (missing out on a better offer) and not taking it (not getting another offer). She shared her response email draft with me, and we tailored it to convey enthusiasm and gratitude about the offer as well as asking for more time to make a decision.

Coaching Tip: Encourage students to ask themselves, “Will my future self be happy if I took this job?”

Fortunately, my student received several offers within the next few weeks. As exciting as this was, she found it challenging to make a good decision – especially when prospective employers were asking for commitments before she knew all her options. To give herself more time to decide, she asked follow-up questions, requested the total offer package, deferred her decision until the following week, and/or sent follow-up emails to pending positions to gauge when they might move forward in the process. Using these strategies, she was able to consider several offers at the same time without making any employer feel like they were on hold until something better came along.

Coaching Tip: Keep in close contact with your student during this time, using a shared spreadsheet to keep track of communication and deadlines.

My student evaluated her offers by listing the pros and cons of each position after each round of interviews. This helped her ask follow-up questions, as well as choose which position to take.

Coaching Tip: Encourage your student to think about the total package and long-term goals, not just the salary.

My student also courteously let employers know when she was not interested in a position. We worked together to write emails to politely withdraw from their applicant pool while also creating concrete reasons to keep in touch for future networking opportunities.

Coaching Tip: Help your student build bridges that may lead to the next position.

In the end, my student was lucky enough to find a position that met all her criteria. She can confidently say that she is happy with her decision regardless of what else may have come along.

Coaching Tip: Encourage your student to reflect on the time and effort it took to get a good job – and find time to celebrate!