If you think references are the only thing you can take away from your old employers, think again! Old employers can be useful resources when you’re applying for jobs and venturing out into the workforce. By following these tips, you’ll be able to utilize your former employers to help you score a great new job.
1. Have Them Introduce You to Other Employees
One way reaching out to a former employer can help you is by having him or her introduce you to other employees in different departments or just ones you never worked with directly. If you expand your network, you’ll be able to meet new people in your field of work that could possibly lead to a new connection or even a job in your industry.
In order to meet new people, take every networking opportunity available. Once you get an email, phone or in-person introduction to other employees through your formal boss, make the effort to get to know those employees. You could meet with them for coffee or ask to shadow them for a day. If you were a diligent employee, they will most likely be happy to help.
2. Ask Them About Job Opportunities
Past employers are good sources to see if there are any jobs within the company that you may be interested in. Even if there aren’t any internship or job openings in the department where you interned previously, working in a different field or a different position in a former company could prove to be an awesome change of pace for you, especially if you enjoyed your time there.
Contacting former employers, even if it’s just to show interest, can help you in the long run because they’ll be reminded of your hard work and might keep you in mind for a full-time job within the company in the future even if one isn’t available now. Previous employers are a great source of information because they’ve already worked with you, so they may be able to suggest job opportunities that are right for you.
3. Learn From Their Actions
Another way you can utilize your old employers or internship supervisors is by observing how they do their jobs. Whether it was the CEO’s resourcefulness or your direct boss’s efficient communication skills, there’s a lot to be learned from your old employers that can help you in the future.
Think back upon what he or she did that made him or her so successful and try to apply this to your own work ethic. You could also contact your former employers to ask for advice or see how they got to their current positions in an informational interview. By doing so, you may be able to figure out what you need to do in order to achieve your end goal.
4. Have Them Look Over Your Resume
It’s essential to keep your resume updated. Internship supervisors look through tons of resumes when considering people for positions, so yours must have stood out to your former boss in some way. Send your resume back to your old advisor; she may be willing to review it. She will point out any mistakes you’re making or suggest ideas that can greatly improve it. She can also help you figure out how best to word the experiences you gained from that internship on your resume.
Your old internship supervisor can totally help you get ahead in your career! Be sure to network, learn from his or her actions and ask him or her about job opportunities. Your stellar efforts will definitely pay off in the long run.