You've spent four years earning a bachelor's degree. Now, you're at the finish line. What's next?
Land a job after graduation: A to-do list
No matter if you are a college freshman or senior, it’s a good time to start preparing for a future job. You can take steps to ensure you’re ready to land a job after graduation. Concordia University Wisconsin (CUW) offers many tools to help you stay on track and prepare for the future.
Center for Academic Advising and Career Engagement (CAACE)
CAACE is a free resource for Concordia students to receive advice on academic, career, and vocational goals. The center allows faculty and staff to work together in meeting the needs of students. While using CAACE services students will create a career map and plan, as well as job and internship strategies.
CAACE offers services such as:
- Career advancement support
- Resume & cover letter workshops and reviews
- Mock interviews
- Employer spotlights
- Focus2Career assessment
- Personalized advising appointments
Stacy Tolomeo, is the Assistant Director of Industry Relations at Concordia University Wisconsin. Tolomeo shares how CAACE can support students in landing a job.
Start Early
Don’t wait until the week before graduation to start prepping for a job search. Start early. Tolomeo shares, “We advise our students to begin early in preparing themselves for the next steps after graduation. Experiences like internships, practicums, and clinicals are an important part of career preparedness. National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) employers tell us that having a minimum of one experience in the student’s field of study is a competitive edge.”
According to The College Internship Study, students who participated in an internship have 15% lower unemployment, 6% higher wages 5 years after graduation, and year-end grades that are 3.4% higher than those who didn’t. In addition, students who listed at least one internship on their resumes received 14% more offers for an interview than those who did not participate in one. Therefore, starting early in your college career is an easy way to land a job after graduation.
Create a profile on Handshake
CAACE suggests students use Handshake for internships and job searches. It is the largest internship and job platform for college students. Not only can you find opportunities but you can connect with potential employers and peers.
Attend a job fair
Networking is a great way to market yourself and connect with potential employers. Meanwhile, you can see what type of jobs are available, as well as, what may fit your career goals. Tolomeo suggests students attend the WorkForce Career Fair, an annual job fair for students and alumni at Wisconsin private colleges. The fair allows attendees to search for jobs, internships, and graduate school programs.
Reach out to your advisor
Each undergraduate student at Concordia is assigned an Academic and Career Engagement Advisor. These advisors are there to help you create a plan to achieve your academic and career goals. We suggest meeting with your advisor a minimum of once a semester to stay on track. Tolomeo states, “The Advisors in CAACE are a resource to students. We encourage you to engage with your assigned advisor early and several times each semester. Our Center plans professional development events and workshops for CUW students and we want you to engage! Make a point to connect with employers who recruit on campus and virtually!” In short, use the supports given to you.
Students graduating in the spring semester should start job searching in the fall semester. According to Tolomeo, the fall semester for employers is their recruiting season. At that point in the year, organizations have predicted hiring needs for the next year and are actively recruiting, interviewing, and extending offers. However, don’t worry if you haven’t yet started the job searching process! Concordia’s CAACE team is here to support you whenever you’re ready.
If you are ready to land a job, check out all the services Concordia offers to help you with your goals.
— This story is written by Maddie Schueller, content marketing lead for Concordia University Wisconsin and Ann Arbor. She may be reached at madison.schueller@cuw.edu.
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