Last night marked an important moment in the course of my life. After spending grueling hours working and reworking my resume, editing my cover letter to perfection, and scavenging my computer drive for an excellent writing sample, I finally submitted my first ‘real world’ job application. Real world—as in annual salary, as in business cards, as in health care benefits! Yipee!
Make no mistake, the actual process of looking for job opportunities out there is hardly glamorous, especially if you’re an introverted person like me. Last summer, CNU’s Center for Career Planning (CCP) held a networking event in Northern Virginia, and against all my internal protests, I went, enjoyed myself and walked away with a few contacts! Through internships and job experiences, building your network of connections is probably one of the best ways to search for jobs. I’m a stubbornly independent person, but even I recognize the importance of receiving help from other people. Here’s a significant life lesson: you cannot do it alone.
With that being said while you’re attending CNU, the folks at the CCP are an excellent resource for all your job-related questions and concerns. Not only have I had my resume revised and perfected (it was truly a glorious mess of red ink markings and scratches), but CNU Career Connect has been a huge help for me and many other students, whether you’re finding a job on campus or an internship for the summer. And if you check out CCP’s events calendar, there are many opportunities to fine-tune your job hunting skills, from workshops to mock interviews. CCP even holds office hours at Einstein’s for all your questions! Or if you just want an excuse to buy a salted caramel mocha.
I don’t want to sugar coat the fact that it is tough out there for recent graduates. But if you start early and build your potential networks, develop those important job skills, and polish off a stellar resume you’ll be way ahead of the curve.
Growing up, my dad incessantly reminded me that if I didn’t construct a solid foundation, all the things that I subsequently put on that shoddy foundation would fall over. The key to success, he said, was a strong foundation of skills that would help me in whatever I did. This same sentiment is true when it comes time to start applying for your next career.
