Recruiting is really all of senior year and after, too. The experience of senior year is beautiful and harrowing. Some people will already have their plans/jobs, some have had great internships and offers, and you probably have great experiences too. However, it is easy not to feel that way if you compare yourself to others. 

In a way, this is a letter to my past self. If you’re reading this, you probably know that I graduated from Georgetown this past summer. You might also know that, despite tons of interviews and all my efforts, I didn’t have a job when I walked across the stage to graduate. However, less than a month later I did and I moved to start at my new company. Getting hired is a result of lots of hard work, preparation, and, honestly, a lot of luck too. During the process of interviewing you learn that, no matter what you do, if your interviewer happens to be having a bad day, perhaps they won’t be up to connecting with you. That’s just life. There are truly a thousand factors that could impact a company’s decision to hire. 

Now, to get down to it, I’ll write up some tips and things I did that helped me succeed: 

• Get everyone involved in your process: 
  • The people who care about you want you to succeed – this includes your family, friends, professors, deans, etc. These are people with different life experiences from you, if you have a couple of them read over your resume they’re all going to see different areas where you can improve.
  • All these people also have a multitude of connections, make use of that! Professors are a great source of information, for example knowledge of former students, that can expose you to those who’ve gone into the type of career you want. It can be as simple as getting a name or email. 
  • With friends – help each other! My best friend used to email me job postings if she thought they might fit me and I was super grateful. It could also mean discussing interview answers with friends. 
• Calls, Calls, Calls:
  • Possibly the most formative part of the process for me was “informational calls.” Wherever you go to school, there’s going to be an alumni database. Whether it’s Linkedin or another network your school has, you can figure out someone who might be able to inform some piece of your job search.
  • Though it can be easy to get hopes up, go into the calls with the mindset that this person is there to help you out with information about your market, not to help you get a job. If you’re lucky, maybe that ends up being the case or, in some cases, the call will end up as an interview. Either way, you have to go in with a humble attitude.
  • Research! Probably the most important element of the calls was how well prepared I was to talk to that specific person. If you’re cold emailing or calling, you never know what type of personality is on the other end of the line. But, you obviously control how you handle such situations and being highly prepared with smart questions about their background is crucial.  
  • Lastly, one thing I always did was a small ask so I could try to continue the conversation. Having the person review your resume is a nice way to stay in touch that’s not too difficult. The worst the person could say is no, but no one ever told me no so take your chances.
• Yes, you do need to go network:
  • You’re not going to want to drag yourself out sometimes, but it’s worth it. The connections you make here can create a real impact. I got my job via a connection from a job fair and I know others who did too. 
  • Even if you don’t get a job from a connection you make here immediately, you could in the future! Make sure that if you had a strong conversation with someone you add them on Linkedin and/or follow up with an email and your resume. 
  • Additionally, this is a great place to make a first impression that differentiates you from others. The people there are going to be able to tell if you’re feigning interest or if you’re uncomfortable. If you need to, go with a friend so you come across more open and friendly. 

Lastly, if any seniors are reading this and want someone to review their resume, hit me up! Or if you’re interested in marketing agencies. I’m always happy to help out and I’ve been through the process before. Happy job hunting, people! I’m sure it’s on a lot of minds already.