Update your resume often!   With every class you take you learn new skills.  Set aside some time at the end of every term and update your skills section.  Trying to update an entire resume at the last minute is no fun and ineffective.  Think of how you felt if you have waited until the last day of the unit to complete all your work, painful isn't it?  (Most of us are guilty of it! ECPI Employer Comment: “You can always tell when someone has rushed to throw their resume together, and it can tell you a little about that person.”  - Mike Goldman, Network 2000

Research!   Bookmark all local job and national job search engines and check them out. Try looking up the companies you are most interested in.  Are they hiring?  What positions are they hiring for?  And remember, just because they may not be hiring specifically for what you are going to be looking for right then doesn't mean that they will never have a hiring need for your field.  The simple fact they are hiring is great news, so keep checking back.  This is also an opportunity to find out who the hiring manager is and how they would like for you to apply in the future.  Do they have an online application?  Do they want you to email your cover letter and resume?  ECPI Employer Comment:  “I really like when the candidate already knows about our hospital, it tells me that they are honestly interested in working here.” – Virgil Smoot, Children's Hospital of The King 's Daughters.

Get organized!   Create a database or worksheet that you can use to compile your research.  Make sure it consists of important sections such as the company's name, the hiring manager, contact information, website, and the company profile.  Go ahead and take it a few steps further, add a date section for when you send in your application/resume, who it was sent to, and the name of the position or job code.  Be creative and make sure it works for you!  This will be a good thing to keep next to the phone when you are applying for positions.

Start creating your sales pitch!   Yes, a sales pitch.  Have you ever been asked to “Tell me about yourself.”?   Well, even though it can be the most dreaded thing to be asked to do when unprepared, it's at this moment that the interviewer is giving you the opportunity to shine.  So shine! Rather than feeling like a deer caught in headlights, tell them what you can bring to the table and turn it into a question you would love to answer! The first few sentences are the hardest ones to come up with (“Where do I start?”) as well as being the most important.  Where did you attend college?  What is your degree in?  What are your strengths?  What certifications do you have?  Which certifications are you planning to get?  As you complete your program you can work new skills and information into your pitch.  And remember, leave personal information such as age and marital status out! (In the near future, I will be providing you with what types of information and examples of each that employers should not request and isn't a good idea for you to volunteer.)   

Network!!!!!!   More jobs are found through networking than not. Go to job fairs now!  Tell everyone at church to keep an ear out for you!  Tell all your friends and family when you'll be looking for a job!  Strike up a conversation with the guy that has a Dell ID badge on in front of you in line at the store!  As you meet people in your field of study, let them know that you will be looking for a position when you graduate and ask them for a card.  Don't burn up your contacts by applying to early; simply forming the relationship will be a huge benefit in the end.  Email them once every month or two and just remind them who you are.  Even if they end up not having a position open, I'll bet they know someone who they can refer you to! (I was hired by ECPI through networking!)

Keep in contact with me!    Communication is the key to finding your new job!