What’s Next?: Life After College
Resumes, Careers, and Job Searching, oh my!
Searching for a job before graduation or even after can be difficult.
The University of North Alabama has the Career Center which has free services available to all UNA students and alumni through every stage of career development. There are one-on-one sessions available with the career center team as well as several events offered throughout the semester to help find a job. They are committed to empowering students and alumni in all phases of their career development.
The UNA Career Center is dedicated to supporting students from all backgrounds, cultures, and identities - they ensure that all experiences and perspectives are respected, recognized, and integrated into career planning and development.
Visit them: Collier Library on the 2nd floor
Schedule your appointment today!
Crush Your Interview
Step 1: Make sure you are prepared
Do your research: Look up the company/organization you want to apply at. Study their mission, goals, and motto. Know the duties, responsibilities, and particulars of the job you are applying to.
Review your application: Double check your resume for errors. Make sure you highlight your previous accomplishments and experiences.
Practice makes perfect: Have someone to practice asking you questions and you answer them. Make sure to practice telling the interviewers why you would be the best candidate
Be EARLY: If you’ve scheduled an interview, it’s always best to arrive early. Be flexible with scheduling and allow enough time for the interview.
Step 2: Look the part
Different jobs may have requirements for professional dress or work attire! Check with the organization to see what they allow. Here are the basics along with some additional tips on more gender-neutral attire:
Casual: informal clothing that is worn at work and outside of work. Casual attire includes t-shirts, button-down shirts, blouses, jeans, khakis, linen pants, shorts, sneakers, loafers, and open-toed shoes. Avoid wearing casual wear if you are going in for an interview.
Business casual: a common form of dress that is seen in the office. Business casual attire includes skirts, slacks, khakis, blouses, collared shirts, blazers, heels, flats, boots, dress sandals, casual slip-on or tie shoes, and clean athletic shoes. This attire may be appropriate for some interviews as well as many office settings. It’s not too casual or too formal.
Business professional: is a traditional form of attire for companies that have strict dress codes. This attire includes slacks, skirts, suits, heels, flats, loafers, and minimal jewelry.
Step 3: Stay calm, cool, collected, and confident
Be prepared: You will likely be asked to introduce yourself. Make sure you’re ready to state your name, describe your work experience, and provide examples of how you can work independently and/or with a team.
Listen carefully: Take a breath and think before you answer each question. Use the job description and keywords to provide evidence of your achievements.
Quantify your experiences: Make sure you provide specific examples that speak to the work that you have done and how it can apply to this new role.
Ask questions: Typically interviewers will ask if you have any questions for them at the end. A good follow up question can be: “what does a normal day in this role look like”, or “what is the timeline to hear back about the interview process?”
Step 4: Give it time
Be patient: It may take you several interviews to land your dream job! Just remember that opportunities are out there!
Your Brand
Setting yourself up for success after college can look a variety of ways. One thing to think about is how to make your professional profile.
Many people use Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn to set up their brand. Whether that looks like getting a new headshot or posting about important topics in your field, your social media will be looked at by future employers. Make sure that you’ve thoroughly reviewed your past posts and that they are deemed appropriate!
Use social media as a tool to network and find jobs!
Find Your Community!
There are so many ways to stay connected with UNA after graduation! Think about joining an alumni club or affinity group!
UNA has several alumni clubs located in different cities that you can connect with. The clubs work hand-in-hand with the university on various projects. States that have UNA Alumni Clubs are located in:
Alabama
Florida
Georgia
Mississippi
Tennessee
UNA also has affinity groups that Alumni can be a part of, which are:
Alumni Book Club
North Alabama Athletics Alumni
Black Alumni Association
UNA Faculty Alumni
Fraternity and Sorority Life Alumni
International Affairs Alumni
Miss UNA Alumni
North Alabama Gaming (Esports) Alumni
UNA ROTC Alumni
UNA Social Work Alumni
UNA Staff Alumni
Student Government Association (SGA) Alumni
UNA First-Gen Alumni
UNA Marching Band Alumni
UNA Geography Alumni Association
UNA Young Alumni: 40 Under 40
Written by:
Shanise Allen and Alyson Bergner
Sponsored by:
Mitchell-West Center for Social Inclusion
