It’s just that time of the year. I’m heading into the final semester of my chemical engineering undergraduate program at Rowan University and into an onslaught of job applications. For some, a small minority, this may be an exciting time period. However, for myself and I’m sure many others it is riddled with anxiety driven thoughts about graduating without a job offer lined up.
Moreover, I’ve reflected on this idea many times over to identify what is the good and bad in either case, with or without a full-time job lined up. There are a lot of benefits to having a job which include: money, better loan opportunities, benefits, new friends, and possibly travel. There are also some benefits, although slim in numbers, for not having a job right after graduation which include: free-time, independent projects, opportunity to start a business (most likely online). Note, there are more benefits to having a job than there are to not having a job. I don’t want to convey that finding a job can be put off until after graduation. What I hope to convey is that now is the time to begin applying to jobs if you haven’t already. And if your reading this much later on, start as soon as possible. Even if you already have a job lined up, keep looking.
Why you might ask? The answer is that applying for jobs is only enjoyable when you are applying proactively as opposed to reacting to a need for a new job. It is very similar to searching for a new car – wherein, you need to actively survey the market for new deals/opportunities. Depending on the time of the year for a particular dealership, they might be rolling out some of their best, most exciting deals. Likewise with hiring companies, some of the best jobs pop up at specific times where a company needs to bring on new talent. You’ll only know about these great opportunities if you actively search. In hopes of encouraging others to apply early and often I’ve listed a variety of job services sites that may be of help for those seeking work. Please find my list below:
ZipRecruiter (My favorite job opportunity resource)
Google (My second favorite – just search a keyword + “jobs”)
These are just a few of the sites that might be available, but please check them out, especially ZipRecruiter because, of course, it’s my favorite.
I wish everyone success with the new year and hope all are acting proactively! If you are interested in seeing my resume templates, feel free to email me by visiting my “Contact” page and request for more info about resumes.
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