Term Planning For Career Interests

Alright, back to the WPI grind – classes, organizations, jobs, and…right! A social life.  With all of that coming up quickly and filling our Outlook Calendars, it might be tough to find time for applying to companies and job opportunities.

But, by starting this week to create a term plan,that challenge becomes much more attainable.

A little career planning at this point in time will prove helpful when your schedule is packed!
http://www.tinyurl.com/yourcareerplanning

Here are some steps that I find particularly helpful in going for jobs during the Academic Year:

1. Check wpi.edu/+cdc for a listing of events geared toward students.

If you’re looking to quickly see when a company or workshop might be, type in wpi.edu/+cdc and scroll to the bottom of the page.  All of the programs to date for the current term will be listed, along with their date, time, and location!

2. Be on the lookout for weekly emails from the CDC!

Remember those e-mails you receive from the Career Development Center at WPI?  They have valuable info to help you on the search, whether it’s open walk-in hours from Tuesday-Thursday 10am-4pm this term, to upcoming programs and companies on campus.  Don’t miss out!

3. Leverage JobFinder for the Job and Calendar information available.

JobFinder is your one-stop shop to consolidate the information for on-campus recruiting.  The two features I find particularly helpful in planning ahead are the Job Postings and Calendar – the Postings will inform you when it expires, and therefore a good time to follow up with the Human Resource contact for that position; the Calendar will give you an easy way to add interesting workshops and sessions directly to your Outlook Calendar!  Check out wpi-csm.symplicity.com for more.

4. Keep a personal log of contacts and options to network.

Whether it’s through on-campus recruiting, professional society career fairs, or family connections, everyone finds their jobs through people.  Make sure to keep a log of all the companies and jobs you’ve applied to, when those applications were submitted, and if possible, the point of contact and their information in order to follow up accordingly.

Above all, keep your eyes and ears open for new opportunities.  Even if you’re the only one to attend an information session for a company, that could lead to an interview and more!  Pave a path based on your career path goals, and follow up with the Career Development Center if you need help along the way.

Until next time,
Adam