Support After Graduation
As an alumnus of Millikin University, the career services of the Student Success Center are free to you. Take a few minutes to review the information and services that are available to assist you in the career development process. If you don’t see what you are looking for, please feel free to contact our office at 217-424-6294 or StudentSuccessCenter@millikin.edu.
Change Is Inevitable. Prepare for It Now.
Career self-management is imperative to success in today's ever-evolving workplace. Adopting an attitude of "owning" your career will allow you to more readily navigate changes and thrive in uncertainty. Tips for practicing career self-management include:
Identify and Articulate Your Strengths and Skills
Look at your current job and any past jobs to identify strengths and skill sets that can be applied across various industries. Identify the skills you most like to use - those that bring you energy and in which you lose track of time because you are very engaged when using them. Be able to articulate your strengths, skills, knowledge, and experience.
Be Values-Driven
Think about the person you are today and what you want out of life. Explore what values give direction and meaning to your life. Examine your values toward family, leisure, personal growth, health, and community to make sure you choose a field that compliments those values. Careers that conflict with your values lead to dissatisfaction.
Explore Options and Develop Career Goals
There are numerous resources for exploring various careers. Check out (www.bls.gov/oco http://www.onetonline.org to get you started.
Research, Research, Research
Research your options. Research organizations/employers. Making informed choices is important, so gathering the necessary information to do so will ensure that you aren't wasting your time.
Develop a Resume and a Marketing Plan
Get feedback on your resume from the Student Success Center. We can help you with format and content. A great format is concise and organized, and will get your resume read. Great content is compelling and relevant, and that gets you an interview! Both of these, format and content, go hand-in-hand and are critical in developing an excellent resume that gets results. It is helpful to reflect on past experiences listed on your resume, as this helps you to identify key skills and accomplishments. These should be included on your resume. Target your resume to the position and industry for which you are applying.
Network
Networking gets you connected by building relationships with those who can help to further your career. It is estimated that between 75-90% of job vacancies are never advertised and are part of the "hidden" job market. Networking is the best way to tap into the hidden job market. So, talk to friends, mentors, and co-workers to build your network. Ideally, your network should include people from different areas of your life who don't know one another. The value in this is the unique information and connections from different groups of people that can be shared. Your network should also be diverse – to include people from a wide range of areas: your current job, your community, your church, professional associations, family, school, and any number of other areas.
Brush Up on Your Interview Skills
Interviewing is an art - a skill to be developed. A great resume will get you an interview, but it won't get you the job. Click here for "Interviewing: Putting Your Best Foot Forward", a printable PDF document.
Recommended Reading:
Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-Lived and Joyful Life by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans