By Mariane St. Juste, Senior, Williams College
For many college students, applying to “good” jobs, that is, jobs that require a college degree can be extremely stressful, especially amidst a global pandemic. This process can take months and for some even years. Adding on the uncertainties due to the pandemic only heightens our anxieties.
What helped me most during this time was to write down my goals, rely on my network (including my coach and mentors from FGA), and remain organized every step of the way. In addition, three qualities – flexibility, communication skills, and resilience – all helped get me through this tough time. In this article, I’ll expand on the biggest takeaways I learned from this process in hopes that the tips can help students trying to secure a good job or skill-building internship during this time.
My first takeaway is the importance of leaning on your network for support. It was very important that I maintained clear and constant communication with my mentors during this process. I reached out to them with questions as small as asking whether an email was okay to send to guiding me when deciding which offer to accept. During this process, it is important not to be afraid to ask questions. I recommend identifying the people in your network and maintaining communication with them along the way as well as thanking them for their support!
My second takeaway from this process is to start early and remain organized. Beginning in September of my senior year, I started narrowing down my interests and scheduling informational interviews with individuals who are working in the field in which I am interested. During that time, I drafted cover letters, polished my resume, narrowed down what cities or states I would like to work in, and started a budgeting plan to identify my ideal salary. I created a folder on Google Drive where I kept track of my progress. In this folder, I included documents and charts that I shared with my coach. I used these to record where I applied and heard back from, the salary that they offered, the city that the position was in, and other factors that I found important when making my final decision. I also made sure to keep track of the individuals whom I met as a part of informational interviews and hiring interview processes in order to send follow-up emails and keep records of the contacts that I made along the way. I also relied heavily on my designated professional journal. In this journal, I wrote down questions for the interviewers, a bit of background on myself, lists of a few reasons why I am interested in a position, and included the notes that I took during the interviews. I also kept lists of tasks and goals for the week.
The third takeaway is to write down and remain focused on your goals. This became extremely helpful during the interview process and when deciding which position to accept. This helped me when determining what questions to ask my interviewers. For example, I often asked questions geared towards understanding the culture and values of the work environments I was interested in. I made sure to ask questions beyond what I could look up on the Internet. I also began to visualize myself in the space and get a sense of whether my values aligned with that environment.
After my interviews were over, I thought the hardest part of the process was behind me, but I soon realized that was not the case. Fortunately, I received several offers and although I was elated, I also felt overwhelmed. I only had a week to make the decision and felt that I needed more time. I met with my network to help me decide the next steps. Together we worked on emails asking the employers for more time and details regarding the terms of the offer. To narrow down my decision, I relied on the goals I came up with at the beginning of the application process. I made my decision by determining which position would best help me to achieve these goals. There were a few qualities that I was looking for in a position. For example, I wanted to work at a place where I felt I could use the skills that I gained from previous experiences while also having opportunities to develop new skills. Furthermore, I wanted to work in an environment where I could feel comfortable and excited to work and where the mission and culture aligned with my own.
Applying for a first job position is difficult, but I believe that there are ways to lessen the difficulty and even enjoy this process. During the past six months, I learned a lot about myself and became more confident in my ability to navigate interviews and the job process. Looking ahead, I am excited to enter the workplace and feel well equipped with the tools I need to succeed.
