Applying for jobs can be an incredibly daunting task. As a collegietteä, you’re more than likely balancing a full course load, a part-time job or internship, your sorority or student groups, not to mention trying to maintain a social life. Now that it’s time to apply for that full-time job or internship, you’ve got to add adjusting your resume, writing cover letters and preparing for interviews to your already long to-do list.
As if to add to the confusion, different industries have a wide variety of timelines when it comes to the application process. “The nature of the beast is that different industries hire at different paces,” explained Maria Stein, director of university career services at Northeastern University.
Check out this basic guide for young women searching for jobs in a wide range of job industries.
Business, Finance, Engineering & Computer science
Collegiettes entering fields such as business, finance, engineering or computer science should be aware that these types of companies often know they will be recruiting students eight to 12 months in advance. “Their goal is to come to campus and interview, sometimes conduct second round interviews and then try to have offers signed, sealed and delivered in December,” explained Stein. This is partially because these industries consist mostly of large companies that have training or rotational programs in place. That means they know they’re going to need 25 new employees in one department and 20 in another a year in advance, and can commit to letting you join the team before you even start your final semester at school.
Liberal Arts & Communications
Those of you on the flip side with liberal arts degrees face a much different job search. Whether you’re interested in a field like journalism, public relations or communications or something like history, sociology or architecture, you will most likely be applying to much smaller companies who hire one or two new employees on an as-needed basis. This means that you can’t necessarily start your job search until much closer to your date of graduation. Stein suggests mid-March as a good time to start actually applying within these fields, but points out that networking and research are key to helping ease you into the search. (Read more about those later!)
Teaching and Education
If you’re interested in a job in teaching or education, be aware that your job search will be based on the school year and the timeline of the school district you’re interested in. Because the school needs enough time to decide whether existing teachers and staff will be continuing on the following year, the hiring timeline usually begins in April and is done by mid- to late summer. Many colleges and universities will hold job fairs specifically for their education majors. These fairs, which often include opportunities to interview, happen in early spring, so be sure to keep your eyes open for those.
Health Care Professions
For those going into the health care professions, be it nursing, physical therapy or pharmacy, you should be aware of what type of jobs you will be looking for within your field. “Physical therapists can be working in so many different settings,” noted Stein. “So your job search can run a range of things.” Regardless, the same theme applies as within other fields—if you’re looking at working in a hospital, or at a large pharmaceutical company or drug store, job fairs often take place in the fall. If you want to work for a smaller company, the reality is that you may need to wait until later to apply.
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Science
On the other hand, if you’ve got a science degree, anything ranging from biology and chemistry to psychology, and are looking for a lab or research job, recent Simmons College graduate Megan Rena suggests using the graduate school timeline as a guide. “Most research assistant jobs are designed to be one to three year positions where, after you leave, you go back to school,” explained Megan, who is currently working as a research data analyst and project coordinator in the Department of Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital. “Come January or February when current research assistants are hearing about interviews labs will typically post jobs for June or July.” Regardless, she recommends that starting earlier can be just as helpful. “I know a few people who got internships for second semester which later turned into full-time come summer,” explained Megan. Use your time over winter break to look for listings at larger companies that may post jobs further in advance.
Michael Kaufmann, a Boston University graduate who is currently working as a senior research associate at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, warns that when applying for jobs in January or February, a company may ask you to start prior to graduation. “Offering to work part-time in the meantime can be a big aide,” he advised. “It can help you get the job because your hiring manager gets someone who can work now, and you get to start your training, possibly by overlapping with your predecessor, so you can hit the ground running when you start full-time.”
Political Science and Government
If your interests are more closely tied to political science or government, the jobs in your field can also fall on a wide-ranged timeline. Programs like the Police Academy or FBI have early fall and winter deadlines because they are structured and have been in place for years. Want to work on the campaign trail? You’re more likely to find a job by paying attention to election timelines and interning for the candidates you’re interested in, since opportunities that can fall at a broad range of times.
In a field that requires early recruitment? Missed your deadline? Don’t panic. Stacey Kong, a 2009 Northeastern University graduate currently working as a logistics planner at Covidien, explains that this seemingly nightmare situation isn’t so terrible. “I started applying in the fall, in September, and I accepted in November,” she said. “But it’s okay not to do it that early. Worse case scenario is that you graduate in May, get a summer off and then start the job search again in the fall when it’s recruiting season.” Or, take advantage of your time now to find a relevant internship or summer job that may be a step towards future, full-time employment.
If your major wasn’t listed here, don’t panic. Regardless of what degree you’re pursuing, keep in mind that if you are applying to a larger company with organized programs in place, that means recruitment most likely happens in the fall or early winter. On the other hand, smaller companies that hire on an as-needed basis will be hiring throughout the year, and in many cases it can’t hurt to apply even if you think it may be too early. If a job is posted in March and your graduation date isn’t until mid-May, that may be a very viable position for you. In fact, in many cases the employer can take anywhere between six to eight weeks to conduct interviews and make hiring decisions.
Still feeling overwhelmed? It’s understandable. So are there any hard and fast rules across the board for everyone tackling the job search? It’s hard to believe, but Stein assures us that there are.
- Get in touch with the career services department at your school.
Career services is an incredibly helpful resource for you, even if it just means helping you to prepare your resume and basic cover letter. If your major is unique or you’re unfamiliar with where to start, ask to meet with a career counselor who can help walk you through the steps.
- Be aware of career fairs and on-campus interviews.
These events are happening all the time, and more than likely your school has a website or email list-serv that can get you all the information you need.
- Network, network, network.
“The all important thing is that you’re always networking,” says Stein. This is especially important at smaller companies in fields where the economy is still making an impact on things. Stein suggests starting with resources like LinkedIn or an alumni database through your university. Go through the site and the database and search for people you have things in common with. Did somebody graduate from the same university as you and work at a company you love? Bingo. E-mail them and explain your situation, then set up informational interviews so you get to know each other a bit. If nothing else, you’ll learn more about the job and company! For even more networking advice, check out this list of great Her Campus stories.
- Do preliminary research on companies you’re interested in.
Love Forever 21 and want to work for their marketing team? Poke around their website! If there is a specific company you’re interested in working for, spend time on their website getting to know more about them. “The better you know an organization the better you’re going to come across in an interview,” says Stein. Stacey echoed Stein’s statement. “As a supply chain major, I was initially interested in a job opportunity in the consumer industry,” she explained. “When I was at the grocery store, I’d look at all the labels on items to see what company made them. M&M’s by Mars, Neutrogena by Johnson & Johnson, Chunky Soup by Campbell’s, etc.”
- Look into internships with those companies.
This may seem like a no brainer, but getting a part-time position the summer before your senior year is one of the best ways of getting your foot in the door.
- Take advantage of online resources.
With hundreds of different websites out there, often the best one to start with is the career services website at your school. If you’re looking elsewhere, Stein suggests the Bureau of Labor Statistics website as a great place to start. If you’re interested in nonprofits, check out idealist.org. Journalism or PR Mashable and MediaBistro are great resources for you. Poli-sci majors should take a look at the American Political Science Association website. Thousands of other sites for hundreds of other majors exist—you just have to look!
Even if it’s not the right time to apply for a job in your field, remember that networking and research are two things you can always be doing. If you’re afraid of forgetting things, set reminders for yourself! Stick an alarm or appointment time into your calendar now for the right time to being taking the next steps so you have won’t forget about it later.
Now go get hired!
Sources
Maria Stein, director of university career services at Northeastern University
Tina Mello, Associate Director for Northeastern University Career Services
Stacey Kong, Northeastern University graduate and logistics planner at Covidien
Megan Rena, Simmons College graduate and research data analyst and project coordinator in the Department of Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital
Michael Kaufmann, Boston University graduate and Senior Research Associate at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute