A question we often receive from college students is, “When should I start applying to jobs?”

Answer: It depends.

Depending on your major and intended career field, your job application process may require you to start months ahead of time or weeks ahead of time.  For example, in the finance, IT and consulting fields, recruitment usually starts in the Fall of your graduation year — especially for development programs.  In the communications field and many other industries, recruitment doesn’t start until the Spring of your graduation year or even after graduation.  Many positions are immediate-fill so if you see the opening in March but you won’t be available until June, it’s unlikely that they would wait for you to start months later.

So, what should you do?

The best place to start is your college career center.  If the opportunity is available to you, go in and talk with a career counselor on campus.  They will have all sorts of information on your intended career field and can guide you in the right direction.  Additionally, they can help you build your resume and prepare for interviews and job fairs when the time comes.  If these resources are not available to you, talk with friends and professionals in your intended field.  Find out when they started their job search and application process and what they recommend.

If none of the above resources are available to you, contact us and we’ll help you prepare for your job search!