What is the best way to get started on your career? Look to more advanced students for answers.
Recently I sat down with Kayim Levy, a junior accounting student, to get a student’s perspective on how best to get started on a career journey while at Lundquist.
Kayim recommends following four steps:
- Start networking (you cannot start this too early!). Create a LinkedIn profile that represents your interests. Then, start reaching out on LinkedIn and request informational interviews from as many people as possible. Learning from many different people in a variety of jobs or industries will give you different perspectives to draw from, which is helpful when you start applying to internships and jobs.
- Get involved with a Lundquist club as soon as possible.
- You can learn more about the Lundquist clubs on their webpage. Or, as Kayim did, you can learn about different clubs by talking to older students. What clubs are they involved in? Does anything sound interesting to you?
- Begin talking to recruiters—go to events and connect. Kayim recommends starting out early, with a low-stakes event (don’t wait until you need an internship immediately!).
- How did Kayim get started connecting with recruiters? He went to Meet the Firms and introduced himself to an upperclassman who appeared comfortable with networking. That student took Kayim around the event and introduced him to different firms and recruiters. While not every student will be able to play host at a recruiting event, Kayim stressed the importance of learning from a successful older student about how to interact with recruiters, attend events, etc. Think of it as looking for an unofficial mentor.
- If possible, try to find a job that complements, rather than hinders, your student journey. Start by looking at on-campus employment.
- We realize that many students may require more hours and may work off-campus. Any employment helps you to build your skills—and skills are transferrable from job to job and industry to industry.
Following the four steps above will help you to feel more connected to your career options and increase your confidence when you start to look for internships.
Kayim is currently a Lead Career Peer Educator for Mohr Career Services.
Mohr Career Services has an outstanding group of Career Peer Educators, who staff our Drop-in advising program from 10am to 4pm, Monday through Friday, Week 1 through Week 10. Our peer staff can assist with resume reviews, cover letter help, and LinkedIn profile advice. Stop by!
For more help with developing your career search strategy, make an appointment with a Mohr Career Services career advisor. We look forward to working with you!
