Getting Ready for Life After Westminster

Preparing for my post-undergrad life.  Wow.

My time at Westminster has flown by at 100mph, and as I enter the last few months of college, I am trying to find a balance of enjoying every last second of Westminster life and preparing myself for the “real world” (ugh).

The task of finding a job is daunting. Here’s what I am doing to ease into the career search.

• Make lists:  Lists of everything!  Companies you’re interested in, places you want to live, and most importantly people you know. Westminster has given us endless connections, and our alumni and friends are our best recourses.   
• Get your resume in order: The Center of Career Development will really help with this process.  Have multiple resumes that highlight different skills based on your different areas of interest.
• Get to work: Like I said, this process is daunting, but only you can land yourself your first job or internship out of college.  Make phone calls, set up meetings, send inquiry emails, attend job fairs, update your LinkedIn, and clean up your Facebook and Twitter.
• Keep your parents in the loop:  Take the initiative and have the career conversation with your parents.  As hard as it is to admit, sometimes our parents/mentors have the best advice.  These people not only know you the best, but they have also lived through their own career searches.
• Keep your expectations realistic:  I have to tell myself this everyday.  I realize that I am not going to be a CEO and give back to Westminster with the big bucks right away.  Everyone has to start somewhere. Maybe for me this means an internship or accepting that I will not land my dream job (Hallmark) right away.

If none of this advice is helpful for you, I would rest assured on one thing: four years at Westminster has prepared us for this moment.  We have the skills to not only land jobs but to exceed our boss’s expectations. Why?  Because that’s what we have worked towards every day since we stepped through the Columns in 2010.

 Grace Clifton, ’14, Business Communication major