How to use your career service office effectively to find an internship or entry-level job in this COVID-19 pandemic

Every school, large or small, urban or rural, private or public, has pros and cons. Sometimes those are pros for some students and cons for others. An example that comes to mind would be athletic facilities. If you’re an athlete and your school offers a wealth of athletic facilities, that’s a pro for you. But for someone with no interest in athletics, those same athletic facilities are a con as they’re effectively paying for a service that they aren’t going to use.

An example of a service offered by every school is the career service office. The budgets for these vary considerably and drive the staffing levels and other resources. But what all of these offices have in common is that they’re under used by students searching for internships and recent graduates hunting for entry-level jobs. Some schools see the vast majority of students using their career service office at least once prior to graduation, although those schools tend to require students to do so in order to graduate.

The reality is that only 20 percent of college students use their career service office, and even fewer make good use of those offices. That’s a real shame, as every single office can provide tremendous career assistance to every single student. Put another way, College Recruiter believes that every single student at every single school school make regular use of their career service office. The wisdom of the career service office directors and other professionals within these offices is staggering.

Want an example? Laura Bickert Ciarlello, Associate Director for Internships at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, recently shared with us three tips for how students can find internships and recent graduates can find entry-level jobs even during this COVID-19 pandemic:

1. Be open to non-traditional options. Internships are taking different forms now more than ever and it’s important to consider that you might not secure a standard 10-15 week, 20+ hour a week, on-site internship. Companies are now offering remote or hybrid options and are seeking candidates willing to adjust and acclimate to different platforms and mediums. Some are also offering shorter, project-based opportunities that can lead to something more permanent in the future. Any experience with a company can go on your resume under an “Experience” or “Internship” heading – it doesn’t matter if you worked for 5 hours per week or did a remote project from home. Experience is experience. 
2. Be even more proactive in your search. In non-pandemic times, building your professional community and informational interviewing your way to a job or internship is more effective than just applying to online sites. This is still the most effective way to search and more important now as you may need to nurture relationships and build rapport to share your skillsets over a longer time period when employers are weighing whether or not they can hire. Set up one-on-one meetings with as many people as you can – faculty, career services, peers who graduated before you and are employers – spread the word that you’re looking for an internship in your field. You’ll be the first person they think of when an internship pops up on their radar. 
3. Use your resources wisely. As a student, and often as alumni, you are able to schedule private one-on-one coaching sessions with your career center. They can review professional documents like resumes, cover letters, and personal statements and give best practice advice on how to stand out in a search. They may also hold mock interviews with you that can guide you on how to present yourself effectively via phone and online interviews when these might be outside of your repertoire. Your faculty, family, friends, and peers can all also serve as trusted resources and provide additional insights that you can take into account when making final decisions about your career and search.