Overview on the PM@BU Employability Services
The following structure is designed to guide students in their quest to secure their ideal job.
Here, we introduce our Student Services Model. We recommend going through the three services in sequence.
To guide you with your career, we focus on three critical areas for your successful positioning within the marketplace by allowing you to understand yourself better, matching your skills with occupations, and preparing yourself for interviews.
Service 1 - Self Assessment
Service 1 is designed to guide you in preparing for your ideal post-graduation job. Whether you’re a domestic or international student, the journey through the intricate job market can be daunting. It all begins with self-assessment:
- Goals: Outline both short-term and long-term professional objectives. Where do you see yourself in 1 year, 5 years, or even 10 years?
- Strengths & Skills: List all your skills acquired through education, work experience, or personal projects.
- Review your completed deliverables, like your term projects, research papers, and significant assignments, and either list them or create an e-Portfolio.
- Participate in the monthly Service 1 Career Development presentations.
- Book a 10-minute chat individually to craft your e-Portfolio. If you are inexperienced, we recommend that you upload the same to Digication.
Career focus:
- Pinpoint both short-term and long-term career objectives.
- Document your skills and experiences.
- Communicate your career title and goals to the consultant.
- Indicate which credential you plan to pursue PMP, CAPM, Agile, etc.
Service 2 - Tailor Resumes
- Customize for the Job: Instead of sending out the same resume for every job application, tailor your resume for each specific job. Use keywords from the job description and emphasize the most relevant experiences.
- Leverage job boards and company websites.
- Consult online job boards like LinkedIn, Indeed, Glassdoor, and niche job boards related to your industry.
- Check the careers pages of companies you’re interested in.
- Quantify Achievements: Where possible, provide numbers to quantify your achievements, such as “project leader for project name”, “designed Jira or MS Project Schedule”, or “successfully completed project on schedule and budget”.
- Consult Career Services
Service 3 - Networking, Certification, and Mentorship
This service deals with networking, mentorship, and professional development.
Networking
- Reach out to professionals in your desired field through LinkedIn or alumni networks.
- Attend industry seminars, webinars, and workshops to expand your professional network.
- Attend events organized by us such as Agile Innovation Conference and Project Management in Practice.
- Project Management Institute Chapters
- Other national events
- Boston University Campus Job Fairs
Certification
- We will help you to earn a certificate – PMP, CAPM Agile, etc.
- Attend the Saturday 10:30 AM sessions organized to help you earn your credential.
- Listen to alumni who passed to exam.
- Present your credentials and CV and seek input (privately).
Mentorship
- Consider seeking a mentor in your desired field who can provide guidance, feedback, and even job referrals.
- Upskill – Take online courses or certifications that are in demand in your industry.
Final Thoughts
Some online platforms and tools match your resume with suitable jobs using AI. Examples include Jobscan, which matches your resume against job descriptions, and pymetrics, which assesses your strengths and matches you with suitable roles.
Stay Persistent and Patient – While you are keen to find a job that matches your skills and resume, it’s equally crucial to find a role that aligns with your values, passion, and long-term career goals.
Job hunting can be a long process. Stay positive, persistent, and open to feedback and adaptability.