Those seeking employment opportunities—internships, externships, job shadows, summer research positions, or post-grad jobs—can boost their success rate by attending to some basic details. Wherever you are in your application process, it’s not too late to ensure you have a polished, professional presence.
- Set up the voicemail on your phone. Be sure your message is polite and succinct. Even in this day of email messages, employers often make job offers via phone call. Voicemail is particularly important if you have “silence unknown calls” turned on or you’re often in class or at work and unable to answer your phone.
- Check your voicemail regularly. Offers for student-oriented programming often come with short deadlines for response. Don’t miss your opportunity because you weren’t paying attention.
- Use your grinnell.edu or set up a .gmail-type email address that isn’t goofy. KrazyKitten1234 might have made your friends laugh in middle school, but your potential employer could find your social handle peculiar or even sketchy.
- Check your email once or more per business day. This is especially important around deadlines.
- Record deadlines. When you apply for something, if the deadlines are in the posting, put them in your calendar or set reminders so that you’re paying attention when the deadlines arrive.
- Confirm the privacy settings on your social media accounts. Better still, clean up your social media so there is nothing questionable posted for a potential employer to find.
- Update or create your LinkedIn profile. If you’re new to LinkedIn, our website has LinkedIn resources to get you started. Your CLS adviser will be happy to help with LinkedIn questions.
- Follow-up. If a deadline has passed and you haven’t heard from a potential employer or summer program, it is acceptable to write a brief, polite email inquiry to the hiring manager. Feel free to come to the CLS drop-in hours to get assistance in drafting your message (Spring 2023 drop-ins Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 2–4:30pm).
