Career Placement Tests

When I was a sophomore in college I began to realize that I was not in the right major for where I wanted to go. I was not sure where to turn or how to figure out what the right career field was for me. Someone recommended making an appointment with my school’s career services department to discuss what I could do.

When I met with my career advisor, she recommended that I take a series of tests. My first thought was, “Ugh, I can barely pass my accounting exam, and now I have to take more tests?” She further explained to me, however, that these exams were not graded, rather they were known as career placement test. She said that they could help me to learn which fields I may be best suited for based on my interests and personality. The best part of all, the tests, which can often cost hundreds of dollars, were free!

Career Fair 101

Recently, I attended a career fair at my university. As much as I wanted to feel confident going into it, I could not help but feel a little nervous. What if I forgot something or said something wrong? To help myself feel a bit less nervous and to hopefully help you, I came up with a list of things that I feel are important to remember before going to a career fair or networking event.

1. Bring Resumes! 

It goes without saying that resumes are a crucial part in landing a job. A lot has changed in the job market over the past few decades, but one thing has remained the same – resumes are always required. Don’t bring just one resume or even a couple, bring several. Depending on the size of the event that you’re attending usually 15 to 20 is a good starting point. 

LinkedIn & Indeed

In the previous post I talked about the importance of tailoring your resume to the specific job that you are applying for. Where do you find these jobs you may ask? Well, you’ve come to the right place. Below, I will outline my two preferred resources for locating job opportunities!

LinkedIn
I am a HUGE promoter of LinkedIn. In my opinion, there is no better tool for online networking, career conversations, and job openings than LinkedIn. If you do not have a LinkedIn profile, create one now! Don’t worry, I’ll wait.

Back? Okay great! Searching for job openings on LinkedIn could not be any simpler. Basically, you just enter in what you’re looking for into the search bar and they populate. You can refine your search as narrow as you would like it to be. The more information you provide to LinkedIn in your profile and the more people you are connected to, the more LinkedIn will be able to suggest jobs that you may be a good fit for.