Alumni Career Services: Job Search
Job Search
Career Fairs
Use this great opportunity to meet a large number of companies in one place and learn about several career opportunities. Look at the list of participating employers and make a note of who you would like to meet. Prepare a brief introduction of yourself, bring resumes, and wear business professional attire.
Handshake
UGA students and alumni have access to this list of part-time, full-time, and internship opportunities. Create a “saved search” to set up email notifications when new positions are uploaded to the the system. Check for on-site interview opportunities and Career Center events.
Networking
Networking can give you an edge over the competition and is one of the top ways to find a job. Join LinkedIn to keep track of and grow your network. Reach out to your network as you can to keep in touch.
Target Your Search
Search for opportunities by reflecting on your priorities. This could mean searching for positions based on specific factors (company name, company values, geographic location, position title, and more). You can identify common job titles by using our "What Can I Do With A Major In...?" pages. You can also research lists of top organizations affiliated with your values, such as: green organizations, LGBTQ-supporting, philanthropy, etc.
Professional Groups
You can connect with individuals interested in similar career paths who can provide helpful career advice. Be aware that you may need to pay a fee to join professional organizations and access certain career opportunities. Look for a “Careers” or “Jobs” tab on their websites to find opportunities. Attend professional conferences and meetings to develop your network.
Job Boards
Broad job boards are a good way to learn about opportunities and in-demand career areas, but competition is higher because anyone is able to apply through the site. Searching on more specific sites lessens your competition.
- Google Job Board
- FlexJobs
- Work for Good
- Idealist
- USA Jobs
- Handshake
Frequently Asked Questions: Job Search Strategies
We generally suggest beginning your job search at least 6 months in advance of when you would like to start working. With that said, industries differ on their hiring timelines. For instance, accounting and consulting firms tend to hire new graduates up to 9 months in advance, while public relations firms post new graduate opportunities only when they have immediate openings. So, we recommend conducting informational interviews with professionals in the industries you’re interested in to better understand the hiring and job search timeline.
- Click on the "Jobs" tab
- Underneath the search bars, click on "Filters." A menu will appear directly beneath
- For Job Type, select "Job" and "Full-Time"
- Select the checkbox next to "Paid roles only"
- Click the little blue down arrow next to "All employer preferences match" (NOT the checkbox)
- Select the checkbox next to "School Year: Alumni"
- Feel free to add other filters that match with your specific job-search, such as Industry or Job Function. Please note that sometimes choosing too many filters will fail to pull results. If this happens, simply go back to your filters and select one to remove.
- You can save these filter settings by clicking the blue "Create Search Alert" button to the right of the job postings
Since many job seekers use online search engines to find opportunities, it’s important to use good search terms. One good resource is LinkedIn. Click on “Find Alumni” on UGA’s LinkedIn page and search for alumni who are working in your industry/company of choice or who graduated with your major. Review their profiles and note their job titles to add to your list of search terms. Another resource that can help you get an idea of the entry-level roles that recent graduates have accepted is the Career Center’s What Can I Do With A Major In page. Make a note of the job titles and use them as search terms.
Use whatever organizational strategies that have worked best for you in the past, like creating spreadsheets, setting goals, and making lists. Do be sure to set aside time every week (or even every day!) for your job search so that you stay on track. Remember, this is a marathon – not a sprint.
Call the Career Center or arrange an appointment on Handshake with our Alumni Career Services team to help you narrow down your options or to think of some new options. They can help you explore your values, skills, and interests, and identify potential opportunities that fit.
Be sure to thoroughly evaluate the organization’s mission, goals, and culture and compare them to yours. Review the job description in detail to understand the day-to-day activities of the position. Most importantly, ask detailed questions in your interview to learn more about the role and how well you fit. Remember, interviews are not just about the company evaluating you – you are also evaluating the company and the job to make sure it’s the right opportunity for you.
Yes! Think of the job’s qualifications as the organization’s wish list for the perfect candidate. Of course, the perfect candidate often does not exist, and organizations are often happy to consider candidates who meet most, but not all, of the listed qualifications. You can even reach out to the recruiter or hiring manager to learn more about which of those qualifications are “must-haves” vs. “nice-to-haves.”
Send a thank-you note immediately after the interview then wait until after the deadline for filling the job has passed before following up again. After a week or so, send a brief email to let the hiring manager know of your continued interest in the role, and follow up once or twice more after 7-10 days. If you still have not heard back at that point, it’s time to let the opportunity go and move on.
Not necessarily. Many employers receive hundreds of applicants for a single job posting, so it may take several weeks to get a response. And, often employers only respond to the small percentage of applicants who are offered interviews. That said, be sure to tailor your resume and cover letter to the roles for which you are applying and try to make personal connections to follow up on your application. Keep in mind that the most successful job searches include networking, so be sure to balance your time applying online with making personal connections offline.