Boston University - Office of Career Services - Job-Search

You will have a much less stressful time in your job search if you think about some basic questions before you begin. You can always change your mind, and we urge you not to narrow your options too much. Try to strike a balance between knowing what you want and will be happy with, and screening out opportunities that might be great for you.

Types of questions to ask yourself:

What kind of job do I want?
Do I want a large company or a small company?
Am I willing to take the risk of working with a start-up?
Do I want to be in a city, in the suburbs, or in an office park?
How important is salary to me?
How important is opportunity for career growth?
Do I want to work with a large group of people? In a small office? Mostly on my own?
Am I willing to travel for my job? How much?
How much of a daily commute will be OK with me?
What area of the country do I want to be in?
Do I want to work in another country?
How flexible am I willing to be in looking at job opportunities?

Once you have a fairly good idea of what you are looking for, do some investigation to find out what companies are located in the part of the country you are interested in, and research those companies to learn more about them. When you find a company you like, bookmark their Human Resources page and visit it regularly.

Watch our website for companies that are recruiting on campus, and read the job descriptions they are interviewing for. You might find an unexpected opportunity.

Attend our Career Fairs and speak with employers; again, you never know what you might discover.

Be focused, know yourself, and keep your options open!

Many students think that because they won’t be graduating until May, they shouldn’t participate in recruiting, or apply for jobs, until Spring. Actually, companies who come on college campuses in the Fall are well aware that most students won’t finish their studies until spring, and they are planning accordingly; they do want to talk with you and interview you. You can participate in on-campus recruiting as early as the semester before you graduate (Fall for May grads, Spring for September grads, etc.)

If you are applying for jobs directly, you can still start early. If you are looking on company websites at jobs aimed specifically at college students (in a College Relations section of the website, for example) it’s fine to apply as soon as the jobs are posted, even if it is in the Fall.

It’s never too late to start, but remember that finding a job that’s right for you can take several months, so if you want to be working shortly after graduation, plan accordingly.

Prior to beginning any job search, you will need to prepare a resume. For help and information on this, see the section on Resumes & Cover Letters elsewhere on this site.

You will also need to line up your references. Make sure you ask several people if they would be willing to be references for you. If the employer needs to speak with three references and one of yours is on vacation, you will need to have some back-ups. Also, you might want different references for different types of jobs. Think about prior supervisors, professors, or anyone else who can attest to your reliability, initiative, work habits, knowledge and experience in the field, etc.

Some employers might request that you submit a portfolio of your work. Chances are you will know if this is the norm in your industry. If you are in the arts or journalism, for example, you will probably need to prepare a portfolio. Think about this ahead of time, and if you are not sure, gather materials just in case they are requested.

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