I have been sending out resumes to companies I could possibly see myself working for. I am graduating very soon, on Dec. 15, so I figured I would get a head start on seeing what is out there.
Here's some advice:
1. The first thing you should do is contact companies where you previously worked as an intern and give them a heads-up that you're graduating and looking for a full-time position, especially if it's somewhere you really enjoyed interning at.
2. Next, start creating profiles on places like Style careers, Monster, LinkedIn, etc. so you can be informed of job openings in the field you desire.
3. Be sure to have you resume updated and have a general cover letter that you can tweak for each company. Also, thank you letters are essential after interviewing with a company because that shows how much you appreciate them taking time out of their day to meet with you. Try and get email addresses from each person you interview with and send them a thank you letter.
4. Confidence is key. Know that you are capable of the position you are applying for and show them how their company can benefit by adding you to their team!
In November I started reaching out to companies I used to work for, companies I met at the LIM College Career Fair, and applying to new companies I felt I could work for.
Every interview I went on was different. First, most companies will have their HR dept. contact you for an initial phone interview -- to see if you have the personality for the position before scheduling an in-person interview. Upon passing this part you then move on to the scary part -- interviewing face-to-face!
It really isn’t as scary as you think. You just need to do your RESEARCH on the company! And know the expectations of the position you are applying for. Most people I have interviewed with so far have seemed to be very down-to-earth and friendly when interviewing me.
Any questions? Feel free to ask me in the comments!