An Easy Formula to Multiple Job Offers

• Final Career Goal by Last Semester of College (if not the previous semester): Multiple job offers from target companies. Despite the current depressed economical cycle, this goal is still attainable. There are students in your university and virtually every other college and university who are currently getting multiple offers right now. This formula will help the underclassmen to achieve this goal.

How do you get to this situation of multiple offers?

Valuable internships—sometimes, internships in some industries are more competitive to get than full-time positions since there may be fewer available. Ideally, you should pursue at the end of sophomore year, and most importantly, at the end of junior year. The more impressive the company, the more marketable for full-time jobs you become. Also, by completing an internship during the summer after junior year, you should aspire to impress your managers in order to receive a full-time offer at the end of the summer from this exintern employer. Offers are frequently given to the best interns, so you are competing with your intern peers. Having an offer ‘in the pocket’ gives the student a ton of confidence going into the full-time job search. during the senior year.

How do you land high quality internships? 

Be a confident, knowledgeable job seeker. Interview practice enhances a student’s confidence level significantly. The University’s Career Services staff often has programs for ‘mock interviews’. Even if they don’t, initiate a request to the Director that you want, or I should say need, a practice interview. We at Chicago State University will actually play the role of the company that the student will be interviewing with (Northern Trust, Frito-Lay, or any other) to make it as realistic as possible. Also, companies will be glad to come to campus to give practice interviews to groups of students.

Do advanced research on specific careers and employers by networking, attending employer presentations and career fairs. Dig into the company website and other resources such as Vault.com which publishes research on industries, job functions and companies. Your purpose in researching the company is this: to be more knowledgeable about the company and industry than other applicants. Be prepared to give 3 specific responses to these two questions: 1) ‘Why do you want to work for this company?’ and 2) ‘Why are you interested in this field/job?’ Additionally, you should have 5-7 well-thought out questions which shows off your research and also distinguishes you from other applicants. Some interviewers actually place more value on the questions you ask, than the answers you give!!

In addition to self confidence and industry knowledge, what else will help me in the interview to get the internship?

Company recruiters love student leaders. Leaders are not just those that have the title of club president, it is those students who have an impact on an organization, club, university committee or class. My personal favorite question to ask in a practice interview is this: ‘How have you made an impact on Chicago State University?’ I have discovered sometimes that someone who has had the title of President really did not have a major impact on his/her organization. Multiple involvements are not better. Recruiters would rather see you have a major impact on one group than to be just a member of 4 groups.

It is much easier to demonstrate your passion for your major if you have a solid GPA. You will do better in your major if you have a sincere interest (passion) for the courses. Selecting your major is very important decision. Here again you have multiple resources to use to help you: the University Career Services staff, faculty, students in the major and alumni in the work world. You, of course, want to select a major that will be marketable to employers (a discussion of the value of a Liberal Arts education will not be discussed here). Your commitment to courses in your major must be a high priority. Also, the course selection is important—do not avoid the most difficult courses and toughest faculty. To best prepare yourself for your intern employer, select courses where group projects and presentations are required—both of these are important to excel at while in school.

In summary, the Formula to multiple job offers is this: Personal Interest (Passion) + Tough Courses + Solid GPA in Major + Impact at University + Advanced Industry Research + Advanced Interview Training = Success in Landing 1-2 Internships = Multiple Full-time Job Offers