When should graduating seniors start their job search? Four years ago.

One of my grad students described the timing of a job search as being like a diet. She noted that if you want to look good in a bikini on summer vacation, starting a diet and exercise plan the week before will not provide the results you want. She’s right – launching a new career is exactly the same - start early and do a little every day – long before graduation.

The best time to start a job search is freshman year.

Freshman Year

• Go meet the Career Services staff and find out if you have a dedicated adviser. Get the schedule of workshops and online resources.
• Register for and ATTEND career skills workshops.
• Check in with your advisor regularly.
• Find out where internships, jobs, and online resources are posted. Peruse it at least twice a week.
• Create a baseline resume and LinkedIn profile.
• Get in the habit of connecting with professors and classmates on LinkedIn.
• Approach every guest speaker or visiting alum and start a conversation. Try to start a relationship, either by email or via connecting on LinkedIn.
• Stay in touch when there is news from their industry or employer. Communication deepens relationships.

Sophomore Year:

• Make getting a summer internship your top priority.
• Peruse the platform your school uses to list (and often apply for) internships and jobs daily.
• Research recent alumni – who landed an internship that interests you? Reach out to them and start a conversation. Nurture the relationship.
• Consciously expand your network in the industry and type of role you seek.
• Connect on LinkedIn with professors who can write recommendations and/or endorse your skills.
• Continually refine your resume and LinkedIn profile, adding courses and projects.
• Do a stellar job on your internship so you will be invited back next summer.

Junior Year:

• Keep in touch with colleagues and bosses from your internship via LinkedIn messages or email.
• Start a regular routine of informational interviews (in person is best) with alumni (and people they recommend you meet). Set a goal of two a week.
• Peruse the platform your school uses to list (and often apply for) internships and jobs daily.
• Continue to reach out to your network.
• Continually build up your resume and LinkedIn profile with new courses and projects. Add extracurricular activities and honors and awards.
• Ask colleagues and boss to write you a recommendation and/or endorse your skills.
• Focus on getting a good internship – best case is to be invited back from last summer.

Senior Year:

• Kick your search into high gear:
  • Join and maintain high visibility in the most active LinkedIn groups for your industry and role. Choose the group your next boss is likely to join.
  • Polish your LinkedIn profile with a compelling and concise summary that tells your story and career goals.
  • Make sure your top 10 LinkedIn skills are the critical ones for the position you seek and request endorsements.
  • Increase informational interviews to at least 3 a week.
• Increase your professional online presence:
  • Use LinkedIn Pulse to search publications of interest and choose articles in your industry and related areas.
  • Share these articles – with a value-added comment – as LinkedIn updates and in your groups.
  • Find and read the top blogs in your industry. Make thoughtful comments.
  • Add samples of your work (video, PDF files, or links) to your LinkedIn profile
• Polish job search skills:
  • Do mock interviews once a month. If your university uses a product like Interview Stream that enables you to do (and record) online practice interviews, utilize it! Send the URL to your career services adviser and get feedback.
  • Develop a format for writing compelling cover letters that are focused on the skills the employer seeks.
  • Master searching on LinkedIn and in your university library for information on organizations with whom you will interview.
• Get the word out:
  • In March, let your network know of your upcoming graduation and career preferences. Tell people exactly how they can help you (“I would appreciate introductions to executive directors of non-profit organizations with services related to education or under-served populations”).
  • Keep your network posted on the status of your capstone or final projects/thesis.
• Peruse the platform your school uses to list (and often apply for) jobs daily.

Graduating seniors who have never darkened the doorway of Career Services have a lot of catching up to do. Get yourself there NOW! Be prepared to dedicate some time to developing the skills and visibility you need. A crash diet will help you look better in your bikini than you do now!