Job Search

Steps to a Career after graduation

1. Freshman /Sophomore Years

   Explore careers

   Conduct informational interviews.
   
2. Junior Year

   Build your resume

   Secure an internship/co-op -- mission critical to your success! 
   
3. Senior Year/Graduate Final Year

   Start your career

   Finalize and update your resume; 
4. After Graduation

   Explore opportunities

   Visit the home page for ETSU's Graduate School for more information.

Breakdown on Career Readiness

• Freshman/Sophomore Years

  
  

  EXPLORE CAREERS

  • Conduct informational interviews.
  • Shadow professionals in their jobs.
  • Read, read, read gather all of the information that you can.
  • Visit career related and corporate web sites.
  • Review Occupational Outlook Handbook online.
  • Contact alumni regarding their jobs.
  • Attend career fairs to experience an event and become comfortable with the fair environment.
  • Consider enrolling in BADM 1000 (freshman year) or BADM 2000 (sophomore year) to explore careers and to learn about tool kit basics:  resumes, cover letter, and more.
• Junior Year

  BUILD YOUR RESUME
  Think strategically about gaining relevant experience.  Can you lead, solve problems, demonstrate flexibility and manage change?

  • Secure an internship/co-op -- mission critical to your success!  
  • Volunteer perform tasks related to your career goals.
  • Track class projects that have a real world flavor:  Was there a real or hypothetical client?  Did you produce a deliverable to the client?
  • Attend company presentations to learn about business strategy and  corporate climate as well as what the employer has to offer you.
  • View a resume writing workshop online or see Melinda for assistance.
  • Be sure to attend networking nights and other departmental events that offer opportunities for internship leads.  Check calendar for dates and additional information.
  • Attend College of Business & Technology Career Fairs for additional internship leads. Check calendar for dates and additional information.
  • Volunteer and perform tasks related to your career goals.
  • Workshops:  Many job search tutorials and handouts on resume writing, interviewing, cover letter writing, networking are online under Handouts.
• Senior Year/Graduate Final Year

  START YOUR CAREER
  Career Planning "Strategies for Success"

  1. Finalize and update your resume; email a copy to Melinda as a Word document. Meet with Melinda to make sure your resume tells "the story" it needs to tell. 
  2. Plan strategy regarding your Senior/Graduate Job Search with Business & Technology Office of Career Services, 309 Sam Wilson
  3. Check your email account and Handshake weekly to read career services updates regarding workshops, career fairs, jobs, campus interviews, internship/co-ops, and networking events. 
  4. Create your LinkedIn profile; make sure it is complete and use a professional head shot.
  5. Sign up for campus or virtual interviews!
  6. Attend employer information sessions.  Countless employers host information sessions on Handshake under “Events.”
  7. Attend meetings of professional organizations that track with your degree/major.
  8. Develop a spreadsheet to track employers contacted, date and type of contact, future action required.  Have you started networking as part of your job search strategy? 
  9. If your job search is stalling, meet with Melinda to discuss new strategies to revive your job search. 
  10. Attend the CBAT Career Fair. Do your homework to have a successful career fair experience.
  11. Keep updating your resume as you add new experiences and skills.  Make sure it is accomplishment driven.
  12. Consider BADM 4000, a 1 credit course designed to help you with your transition to life after college.

  All resources available to you as students are available to you as alumni of the College.  

• After Graduation

  Explore opportunities for graduate school!  Visit the home page for ETSU's Graduate School for more information.

Career Readiness Tools

• Job Shadowing

  Job Services and career readiness resources are available to students and alumni, whether exploring careers or seeking an internship or that first job post-graduation. Through observation, a job shadowing experience may provide you with insight into:

  • A typical day in the life a particular employee;
  • Hours of work;
  • Work flows;
  • Project management;
  • Employee interactions;
  • Corporate culture;
  • Management styles;
  • Team-based decision-making;
  • Other aspects of a particular work environment.

  When approaching an employer about the possibility of job shadowing, create a formal proposal addressing the following:

  • Your objective(s) for the job shadowing experience;
  • Your time frame for the shadowing experience--1 week, two weeks, or longer;
  • Proposed hours to be onsite;
  • What you hope to observe, learn;
  • Your contact information; attach a resume to your proposal, if possible;
  • An acknowledgement that the employer is not obligated to hire you--either as an intern or as a full-time employee.

  Don't forget to thank the employer for his/her time in evaluating your proposal.

• Informational Interviews

  Conducting an informational interview can be an effective tool for networking regarding job/internship/co-op leads as well as for gathering career information. Most people love talking about their careers and sharing insights regarding academic preparation as well as gaining experience in your chosen field of study. Keep the following guidelines in mind as you think about conducting an informational interview:

  1. WHO? Who do you talk to? Alumni or professionals in your field
  2. WHAT? What do you discuss? Their jobs, job seeking strategies, resume critique, likes/dislikes of their chosen profession, a typical day in that field, academic preparation, etc.
  3. WHEN? Breaks, mutually convenient dates/times
  4. WHERE? Meet at their place of business, by phone, or Zoom.
  5. WHY? They like to share information regarding their careers--this makes a connection for you. In addition, you will
     1. Learn realities about the "real world of work;"
     2. Learn about different aspects of your chosen field;
     3. Learn whether your career choice is a good fit for you--or not;
     4. Learn strategies for entering your chosen field;
     5. Obtain an edge over other job seekers;
     6. Prepare for the job interview through research and practice.
  6. HOW? Prepare by doing your research on the individual's organization. Ask good questions. They will be impressed that you were prepared with thoughtful questions about their company, their industry, and their chosen career path.

  Contact the Business & Technology Career Services Office, faculty, or the ETSU Alumni Association for contact leads to interview. 

• Interviews

  1. Please remember that most campus or virtual interviews are pre-screened. Pre-screened means that employers review resumes that are submitted as instructed to them for consideration and then make decisions regarding who they want to interview through this screening process.
  2. Just because you, the candidate, submit a resume does not mean that you will be granted an interview.
  3. Sometimes employers create their own interview schedules; sometimes they ask our team to do so.  Be sure to check your email during interview season. If CBAT Career Services is creating the interview schedule, students are contacted by ETSU email first for interview appointments. If you fail to respond to our emails to you, then we will call your cell phone, if your number is available.
  4. Be sure your phone voicemail is set up.  Be sure your voice mailbox is not full.
  5. Scheduling is first-come, first-served as students are contacted based on the order of names provided to CBAT Career Services by the employer.
  6. Many students receive interviews after they attend career fairs or networking nights.  If you do not attend, you miss out on interview opportunities.
  7. Follow employer instructions regarding interview consideration.  Many employers will ask you to apply online or on Handshake, even if you have given them a resume at a career fair. 
  8. If you cannot make your interview time, let the employer know.  Simply not showing up is unacceptable.
  9. Interview Preparation is available on Handouts for Students.  Prepare as if you are studying for a test.