Forum 5
Forum 5
This forum is to help students continue to network, and get closer to determining the jobs they want after graduation. In the first part, you will provide a short summary of an informational interview you should conduct with a professional. For the second part, the goal is to link your strengths and interests to actual opportunities in the market – this will also help you prepare for your final assignment, where you plan your next steps post internship.
IMPORTANT: even if you have an option to work with your current employer, you can and SHOULD still do some research on other options. If there is a job option with your employer, include this in responses below, but include other jobs/companies as well. Even if you are pretty sure what job you want, it is important to always explore and be open to options in other places – it’s a good rule in job searching & in career planning to always keep your eyes open to other opportunities – and it is good to remember there are more options out there, and you never know what will happen - having a plan b is always a good idea.
Part 1: Conduct an informational interview: these interviews help you learn more about the field you are interested in, and can give you insight & ideas as to what those jobs are really like. You can conduct an informational interview with anyone whose job you are interested in. This can include people you work with at your internship - though I would advise NOT interviewing your supervisor, but rather branching out and meeting with someone else. Follow the guidelines in the link below, and then report the following:
- Indicate the name & position of person you spoke with, and how you know them and why you are contacting them.
- Report 2 of the biggest takeaways you got from the interview - what realizations did you have as a result of speaking with them that could help you in your job search.
PART 2: Focus on JOB search: IMPORTANT - you must complete forum 4 on personal branding before starting this.
- Look at the list of marketing jobsActions in the career module – and also consider researching some jobs on your own (if these don’t interest you – see Career Module on Canvas and click on the Career Exploration page for more resources to find careers). Which 3 careers seem to be a good fit for you and WHY– based on your answers in Forum 4? (Be specific – for example, if you like working with people in forum 4 and that is a strength, try to find jobs that would allow you to do that - you MUST add a few lines for each job to show you did some research & were thoughtful about the best fit for YOU).
- Browse Handshake: find 3 jobs on handshake that are designed for recent college grades like yourself. What job postings excite you? Why? (NOTE: you do not have to be completely qualified for the jobs - focus on ones you like, as you can always gather qualifications for jobs later). Be specific. Focus on work you would do, as well as other things about job that are important to you (Location, Benefits, etc). Include links for each. YOU MUST INCLUDE THE LINKS FOR THESE POSITIONS TO SHOW YOU DID RESEARCH.
- Now, look at a few companies you have interest in (you can pick companies from the job descriptions, or doing research on your own). What 2 companies interest you most and why? Be specific (for example, if you want to work in a small (or bigger) company, if you like industry, if the work culture is a match for your personality, etc. IMPORTANT - do not just pick a popular company that a lot of people want to work for - and remember a lot of companies that sound "cool" to work for are not always the best to work for! Rather, do research on a lot of places and list why certain ones are a good fit for YOU. For each company, include 1 point from their website, or an article or review of company on GlassDoor to support your interest. Include links to sources for your information for each company.
- What are your general priorities in life, some of which may or may not relate to your career - could be anything including focusing on time with family/friends, getting to travel and live somewhere new, being financially independent, having job stability or security (vs. having more variety & freedom), having more free time for hobbies- whatever is important to you. Are there certain jobs & careers that make more sense to you given your priorities and how you want to live your life?