Strategies for Career Success in your Senior Year
Overview
Congratulations on making it to senior year. You are now on the cusp of graduation! While some students have full-time job offers from their summer internships, many more are still looking for work or preparing to apply for graduate school. Follow the steps in this guide to achieve career success at graduation and beyond!
Pro-Tip: Schedule an appointment with your academic advisor to ensure you are on track to complete all of your degree requirements. You don't want any surprises when you petition to graduate!
Step 1: The Basics
- Start Early! — Companies start recruiting 10-16 months in advance. This is especially true of large companies with very competitive jobs and internships.
- Schedule a job search strategy appointment with a Career Coach — Our team of career coaches will help you develop an internship and job search strategy.
Which career coach should you meet with?- Vania Tong — Undergraduate STEM students
- Noel Kreidler — Undergraduate business students
- Britannia Gillanders — Undergraduate arts and humanities students
- Update your profile in Handshake — Handshake is your one-stop-shop for all of your career needs. Claim your free Handshake account to complete your profile, select career interest areas, register for upcoming events, and apply for jobs and internships.
- Update your resume — Use VMock, our free A.I. resume review tool. (Watch this 5 tips video and this VMock demo to get started.) Once your resume is finished, upload it to Handshake to start applying to jobs and internships.
- Practice your interviewing skills — Use Big Interview to practice your interviewing skills. Record your answers and watch the recording by yourself or with a trusted friend or advisor. How can you improve?
- Dive deep into the Job Prep Toolkit — A comprehensive collection of resources to help you explore careers, develop your resume, practice your interviewing skills, build your network, and more.
Step 2: Prepare
- Showcase your work through an ePortfolio or website — Gather and display your most exemplary work samples (from school or work) that represent your knowledge, skills, and experiences in an ePortfolio or personal website that you can share with potential employers. (As a student, you have free access to Portfolium.)
- Burnish your credentials — You can stand out from your fellow graduating students by earning certifications and credentials from specific companies like Adobe, Microsoft, Salesforce, and many more. Find out if the jobs you are interested in require specific certifications, like a Certified Financial Planner or Certified Professional Accountant, and make a plan to obtain those certifications as soon as you can.
- Job Boards and Resources Directory — Find niche job boards that are directly related to your major and career goals. Handshake, LinkedIn and Indeed are all great job boards, but there are a lot of hidden gems, too!
- Leverage your professional network — Now is the time to ask your personal and professional network for help! Let everyone in your network know what your goals are for after graduation. You'll be pleasantly surprised at how many people want to help you succeed!
- Attend as many career and employer events as possible — Bookmark the Career Center Events page as well as the Handshake Events page to stay up to date on upcoming career development and recruitment events. (View the university calendar to see all career and employer-related events across campus.)
- Line up at least three professional references — Whether you're applying to jobs or graduate school, you'll need people who will serve as a professional reference for you. People appreciate advance notice, so don't wait until the last minute to ask.
Step 3: Launch
- Launch your job search — If you want to graduate with a job in hand, you need to start your internship search early. Some companies open their applications as early as one year in advance.
- View thousands of jobs and internships on Handshake, Indeed.com, LinkedIn, and many other job boards.
- Attend the many career fairs , industry meet-ups, and employer coffee chats hosted throughout the year.
- Fellowships and internship opportunities — It's not too late to participate in one of the many fellowship and internship opportunities hosted or facilitated by various SCU departments, including the Ignatian Center, Ciocca Center, Markkula Center, Miller Center, and more.
- Micro-internships — The Career Center has has partnered with Parker Dewey to provide micro-internships: opportunities to build skills and experience working with local and national companies on exciting short-term projects. Most micro-internships are paid.
- Work Simulations The Career Center has partnered with Forage to provide work simulations: short, real-world, online projects hosted by companies ranging from JPMorgan Chase and Red Bull to Lyft and Lululemon and hundreds more.
Step 4: Considering Graduate School
Are you considering pursuing an advanced degree? Whether you’re exploring postgraduate options or already on the path to further education, this curated collection of resources is designed to support your research and preparation.
Explore Santa Clara University's graduate programs »
| Resources & Directories | • GradSchools.com • GradSchoolMatch.com • Peterson’s • Princeton Review • Discover Accounting (Accounting Master's Programs) |
| MBA – Master of Business Administration | • Accredited Online MBA Programs • California Online MBA Guide and Resource • MBAs by Type • MBA.com |
| GMAT – Graduate Management Admission Test | • Official Website of the GMAT Exam • GMAT Guidebook • GMATPrep • Manhattan Prep • Official GMAT Practice Questions • GMAT Study Plan • When to Prepare & Build a Schedule • How to Prepare for the GMAT in 3 Phases |
| GRE – Graduate Record Examinations | • GRE – Psychology Graduate School Exam • GRE Study Guide • Magoosh Test Prep • Manhattan Prep • Prepare for the GRE |
| LSAT – Law School Admission Test | • About the LSAT • Law School Admission Council (LSAC) • LSAT Prep: 2 and 4 Month Study Plans (courtesy of the University of Dayton) |
| CBEST – California Basic Educational Skills Test | CBEST – Official Website (California Teaching Credential) |
Step 5: Explore the Santa Clara Network
- Bronco Exchange is an exclusive and easy-to-use platform that connects Santa Clara University students, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends in a global, virtual community. Whatever your goals, there’s a Bronco in your corner ready to help.
Prepare for Life After SCU or Graduate School
Have you completed all of the recommended steps for seniors? Explore the benefits of being part of the alumni family.
Preparing to continue your education? Look ahead to being a graduate student.
Need help with your job search? Book an appointment with your Career Coach.
