University of Virginia issued the following announcement on Feb 8.
February is the perfect time for college students to start looking for employment, especially those who are about to graduate.
At the University of Virginia, the Career Center is encouraging students to ease into the process now if they have not already started their job search. That also goes for lower-level students looking for summer employment or internships.
The pros at the center are at the ready to dispense advice ranging from résumé preparation and job-hunting skills to elevator pitches and preparing for interviews. The best part is that their services are both in-person and virtual, putting students just a click away from one-on-one, expert guidance.
UVA Today reached out for advice to Elizabeth Wall, a career counselor and assistant director of the public service and government community. The area is one of several so-called “career communities” that are organized by industry, not major. Other such communities include business and technology and science and sustainability.
Q. Can you start by briefly describing the state of the hiring market?
A. I would say right now we’re seeing a lot of different industries starting to kick into gear. They’re hiring for both summer internships and entry-level, full-time opportunities – things in the areas of public service and government, health care and sustainability and the creative industries. A lot of different industries in the February and March timeframe really start to kick their application postings into gear. We’re seeing a lot of new things being put into Handshake everyday
Q. Handshake is a recruiting platform used by more than 22 million students and young alumni looking for work. How often do you recommend UVA students check the platform for new listings?
A. I hear from a lot of students that they feel like they have to check Handshake every single day, so that they don’t miss anything. But more often than not, job postings are up for a week or two at minimum, so if they’re checking at least once a week, that’s probably a pretty good rhythm. Or maybe a couple more times than that. But it definitely doesn’t have to be every single day.
I really encourage students to copy the job descriptions for any job that they’re applying to, because they sometimes get taken down during the interview stage. A student may have applied to 10 different companies and get that interview offer and be like, “I don’t remember what this job entails.” Having that job description to go back to can be a really helpful tool for getting prepared for the interview.
Original source can be found here.
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