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Career Hunting: Don’t Camouflage Yourself

As the flowers are blooming, weather is getting warmer and college campuses are becoming bare, some are celebrating one of life’s biggest accomplishments: graduating from college. Across the nation, seniors will drape on graduation regalia, walk down the aisle with pomp and circumstance playing loudly, look back to smile at their family members and finally, toss that cap in the air! 

“Phi Kappa Psi is proud to have been a part of your collegiate experience,” shares Executive Director Ron Ransom. “A membership in Phi Kappa Psi is is lifelong. I highly encourage you to strengthen your bonds with brothers across the nation after graduating by staying in touch with your brothers, joining a local Alumni Association, become a mentor through the Mentoring Advantage Program, or serve as a volunteer with a chapter. Wherever life may take you, your brothers across the nation are standing behind you to support your future endeavors.”

Now that this chapter has closed on your life and another one is about to begin, Phi Psi recommends the following tips as part of your job search: 

Resumes (Data from Indeed.com) 

  • Put the most important and relevant information first 
  • Keep your resume short, preferably one page 
  • Look for keywords in the job posting 
  • Proofread your resume, have others look at it as well for errors 

Cover Letters (Data from GlassDoor) 

  • Do your research: Address your cover letter to your potential manager. Can’t find one? Use “Dear Hiring Team”  
  • Go into more detail about your previous experience and make it relatable to the job you are applying for 
  • Keep it one page at max 
  • Don’t reuse cover letters, create a new one for every application 

LinkedIn (Data from LinkedIn) 

  • If you don’t have a LinkedIn, make an account today! 
  • Add information into the profile summary section 
  • Choose a professional, clean photo for your profile picture
  • Join the Phi Psi LinkedIn group for undergraduates & alumni  
  • Sign-up for LinkedIn’s “Open to New Opportunities” feature to be alerted for jobs 
  • Connect with people you know and don’t know 

Interviewing (Data from Indeed)

  • Remember: Early is on-time, on-time is late 
  • Have multiple copies of your resume, cover letter and work samples on hand 
  • Pull clothes out the night before and iron them 
  • Answer all questions honestly 
  • Send a thank you note following the interview 

Join a professional organization 

  • Look to see if your local area has a young professionals club 
  • Join a trade association pertaining to your career path 
  • Participate in local lunch-and-learn opportunities 
  • Network, network, network!  

Don’t fear rejection 

  • It is usual to never hear back after applying 
  • Don’t get discouraged at rejection letters 
  • If you interviewed and didn’t get the job, ask the hiring manager what you could have done better throughout the process 
  • Keep applying! The job meant for you is out there somewhere