As you reach the end of any degree program, people start to ask “Well, what’s next?”-and you may be asking yourself that too, especially at the end of a graduate degree (after all, you’ve been in school for a long time now). But searching for a job feels like a full-time job (it can be!) and it can be overwhelming while you’re trying to finish up your degree requirements. Here are some suggestions to make searching for the next step easier:
Preparation
First, decide what kind of job you’re looking for: Industry? Academia? Additional education? Decide what your ideal job is, what would be an OK back up, and what would never work for you. Don’t be afraid to apply for jobs you’re not sure are a great fit-if there’s a possibility you might accept a job there, apply! You can always turn down a job later if it’s not a good fit, but you’ll never get offered a job that you didn’t apply for. The test I use when I decide what jobs to apply for is: “if this were the only job I got offered, would I be glad to take it?” If the answer is no, I don’t apply.
Next, prepare application materials. While these should be tailored to any job you apply for, you’ll save a lot of time by preparing generic versions of documents now and tailoring them later. Share these documents with trusted mentors and get feedback! Some documents you might consider preparing are:
Industry Jobs
-Cover letter
-Resume
-Portfolio of applicable work
Academic jobs
-Cover letter
-Curriculum Vitae
-Teaching Statement
-Research Statement
-Diversity Statement
-Writing Sample
-Teaching Portfolio
Additional Education
-Application/Cover letter
-Statement of Purpose
-Resume/CV
-Research Interests
Finally, identify people who can serve as references. Think about people who can speak to different aspects of you. For example, if you’re applying for an academic position, you may ask someone to serve as a research reference, a teaching reference, and a “specialty” reference. Identify at least 3 references but having extras on your “on call” list is never a bad thing.
Search
Start searching earlier than you think you need to! If you’re looking for an industry position, positions for new grads often start appearing in the mid fall for early summer start dates. If you’re pursuing additional education, application deadlines vary by programs-be sure you know when your target programs are due! Academic positions follow somewhat similar to industry positions-positions start appearing in the fall for start dates in the next academic year. Tell your mentors, advisors, and friends what kind of jobs you’re looking for. Ask them to send you job postings that might interest you. Sign up for newsletters where jobs you’re interested in are shared. Check your professional organization.
Create some kind of method for tracking your applications, their status and any other details. I like an Excel sheet. I track the job name, my sign in credentials, when the application is due, the application’s status, who I’ve used as references, and any other needed notes. This helps me track jobs that I want to apply for but haven’t had time to submit the application for yet.
Application
Set aside a designated time each week to work on your applications. I found an hour or two a week worked when I was looking for jobs to apply for, but I needed more time as applications came closer to being due.
Read the job description and tailor your application material to it. Use their verbiage as much as you can, that way it is clear that you are talking about the same thing they are. Have other people read any tailored application materials that you’ve put together, alongside the job posting for feedback on tailoring.
Additionally, many applications will have you upload your resume or CV and try to pull the information into the rest of the application. I’ve found that these systems are hit and miss, so be sure to review that information has been pulled in correctly.
Finally, be sure to follow the instructions. Nothing says “I didn’t read the job description” or worse “I don’t care” like not following the instructions, which doesn’t leave a great first impression on the reviewer!
After the application comes (hopefully) interviews, negotiation and starting a new job…but that’s for another post! I hope these tips are helpful as you contemplate your next steps!