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Going into business school, I knew I wanted to work in the environmental business sector when I got out. One small problem though – I had absolutely no industry work experience. I was a sociology major who had three years of work experience in commercial real estate acquisitions. How, then, did I land my dream internship -- the highly coveted EDF Climate Corps Fellowship that, in the previous year, picked MBAs mainly from the top 25 business schools in the U.S? Well, many variables can be factored into this equation: extensive company research, active participation in Net Impact, networking with industry professionals, etc. But my success is, in part, due to the help and advice I got from the Career Center. There are many useful resources on the career center website and here are some that I utilized during my internship search:
This exclusive site for Graziadio students and alumni is where you can search for jobs, post your resume and cover letter, and register for career events. The library is complete with sample cover letters for specific companies, guides for networking and salary negotiating, industry sample resumes and more. Access GTO.
Ever wonder if you're in the right industry? Want to know what organizational culture best suites your personality? This in-depth, online assessment recommends specific career paths for you to investigate and shows how well and in what ways you match up with that career. Tip: You can only take the assessment twice, so take it at the start of your MBA and towards the middle/end and see how it compares. Access CareerLeader
Throughout the year, the school plans career workshops, Webinars, career fairs, industry panels and networking events to help students and alumni further their careers. They are there for you to take advantage of so don't miss out on these opportunities to build your network and strengthen your resume.
Your career counselor is there for you to talk to every step of the way. Take advantage of one-on-one, short-term coaching sessions for guidance on resumes, interviews, career planning, salary negotiation and more. Here are some words of advice on how to make the most out of the wonderful resource that is your career counselor:
1) Early bird gets the worm. The sooner you meet your career counselor, the sooner you'll get help with your internship/job search. Job opportunities come across your career counselor's desk all the time. If you wait until Spring semester to ask for help, there's no telling how many opportunities might have passed you by. Furthermore, the longer you wait, the more competition there is. So don't wait! Meeting with your counselor early means getting more information funneled to you which improves your chances of getting that dream internship.
2) Help me help you. Your career counselor is not a mind reader so give them the information THEY need so they can best help YOU. Unless you tell them, there's no way they will know what your industry you're interested in or what companies you want to target. Get to know your counselor (they're cool people!) and let them know what you're looking for... or if you don't know what you're looking for. That way, they are better equipped to help you. Alumni contacts, industry networking events, information about your target company -- these will all come your way if you let your counselor know that you want these resources to come your way. Put in the effort and they will too.