A How-To Guide: Exploring, Planning and Realizing Career Goals

1. CAREER GUIDE
2 0 1 0 - 2 0 1 1
A H o w - To G u i d e :
Ex plorin g, P la n n in g a n d R e a l i z i n g C a re e r Goal s
Career Center | Student affairS | duke univerSity

2. WhAt yoU WIll fInD hERE . . .
3 It is Your Career
NDEXCareer Guide
2010-2011
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4
6
7
8-11
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How to Use This Guide
About the Career Center
Your Career Development Process
Your Board of Advisors
SELF-INQUIRY
Assess your Values, Skills, Interests, and Personality
10 Review your Experience
10 Next Steps and Selected Resources
10 Advice for Graduate Students
11 Making Career Decisions
12-14 EXPLORATION
12 Read
12 Talk
13 Do
13 The Graduate School Option
14 Next Steps and Selected Resources
14 Advice for Graduate Students
15 Making the Most of the Experience Buffet
The Career Guide is
16-18 EXPERIENCE ACQUISITION
published annually by the
16 Think Differently About Experience
Duke University 17 Internships
17 Consider Professional Fellowships
Career Center 18 Next Steps and Selected Resources
within the
18 Advice for Graduate Students
19 Nine Domains to Find Your Fit
Division of Student Affairs.
20-37 SEARCH SKILLS AND STRATEGIES
Copyright ©2010 20 Are You Search Savvy
22 Professional Networking
Duke University 23 Managing Your Online Reputation
24 Top Search Strategies
All rights reserved
26 Connect with Employers
28 Resume
29 Cover Letter
32 Interviewing
37 Next Steps and Selected Resources
37 Advice for Graduate Students
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38 WHERE TO GO FROm HERE

3. It IS yoUR CAREER
your curiosity and abilities have been great assets. We
know that your many interests coupled with a record
of achievement in many arenas can render the career
decision-making process somewhat challenging.
Sometimes you might feel as if it is difficult to create goals when the options
are seemingly limitless. At other times, you may feel there are not enough
opportunities to satisfy all of your interests. Or perhaps you feel confident
about your next step and want support in getting there. While at Duke, you
will encounter each of these scenarios, sometimes all in the same day!
We invite you to use all of the Career Center resources in your work to
identify and make sense of all choices that interest you. Use them to take
control of defining and developing a variety of options now and into
the future.
We at the Career Center recognize that “career” is more than the collection
of your degrees, occupations, and proudest achievements. We believe that
it is holistic and dynamic. It is the unique integration of a growing range of
experiences, shifting influences, accumulation of decisions, and deepening
and discarded commitments. You are growing into your career with every
experience and all that you learn—about work and about yourself.
hoW to USE thIS GUIDE
We recognize that you are coming to this guide with a point
of view and set of experiences that are uniquely yours.
Whether you’re looking for a path or already on one, use this guide as a
jumping-off point from wherever you are to wherever you’d like to be.
Whether it’s a campus job, research role, internship, fellowship, full-time or
volunteer position, or any of the multitudes of opportunities available to you,
the advice in this guide applies.
Be sure, however, to look beyond the guide. We’ve written this to motivate,
inspire, and get you StARtED. turn the page to learn more about the wealth
of additional resources that we encourage you to utilize.
3

4. ABoUt thE
We’re Here to Help!
Welcome You are invited to take advantage of th
from arrive at Duke until after you leave. In
perfect reason to introduce yourself. L
the Smith Warehouse
Director Career Counseling
Call us or stop by to schedule an appointment
Welcome to the next with a counselor. Use your first appointment to
stage in your career introduce yourself and come up with a plan to
development process. meet your needs.
The fact that you are Call 919-660-1050
reading this introductory
letter implies that you are serious about getting on with your professional Drop-In Advising
development and that you are ready to take a series of intentional steps to No appointment necessary. Use this convenient
resource for all of your time-sensitive needs.
get there. I hope the Career Guide serves as a valuable resource, and that
Expect to spend 10-15 minutes with an advisor for
you will use it as a portal to access other campus resources available to your specific questions.
you. Monday - Thursday 2pm-5pm
Fridays 2pm-4pm
One of the most harmful career myths you will encounter during
your time at Duke is that there are three or four “best ways to Workshops
launch a career.” Not only is this not true, it has never been true. We will host virtual guests and events in addition
to traditional presentations in person. Throughout
the year, workshops will include a wide variety of
Our primary assumption is that all Duke students, undergraduate and
topics, featuring an interesting range of guests.
graduate, are among the most diversely interested and diversely able in
the world. We don’t assume you need assistance figuring out what you
Career Center Library
are interested in but rather, which of your interests, abilities, academic Browse our collection of reference materials and
strengths, and values you will combine and pursue after Duke. Today’s books for inspiration or help in preparation. Most
global marketplace can make those choices difficult and exciting. items can be checked out.
Monday – Friday, 9am-5pm
I say all of this at the beginning of the Career Guide to get you to read
further, and to encourage you to use the Guide as a transition point to a On-Campus Interviews
more active engagement with the resources of the Career Center. Meet with employers who come to campus to
hire interns or full-time staff. Use your eRecruiting
account to apply for opportunities and schedule
At the Career Center, we work at the intersection of dreams and reality and interviews as they become available.
you can find us in Smith Warehouse—see you there soon.
Bill Wright-Swadel
Fannie Mitchell Executive Director
Duke University Career Center
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5. CAREER CEntER
Duke University
he full range of resources available to you from the moment you Career Center
fact, we encourage it! Having no sense of what to do next is the Open All Year
Monday-Friday
Let us be partner in your exploration and decision-making process. 9am-5pm
Around Campus online Smith Warehouse
Bay 5
Workshops and Drop-In The Career Center Website Second Floor
In depth tips, strategies, and resources
Advising Come to You are available on the website, and we’re
We don’t spend all of our time at the Career 114 S. Buchanan Blvd.
always creating more. We also highlight
Center. We schedule presentations and meetings Box 90950
some of the best articles and news from
all over campus. across print and web media that might Durham, NC 27708
be of interest to you. 919.660.1050
Information Sessions
Attend presentations hosted by many types of Subscriptions and career-student@
organizations to learn more about them and studentaffairs.duke.edu
opportunities available to you. Databases
We sponsor and host a wide variety of
Subscribe to our Career
tools and databases available to Duke
Events students. See the Resources portion of
News newsletter for
weekly updates. Manage
We bring many guests to Duke, often with the each section of this guide for specific your subscriptions within
help of fantastic campus partners. Some of our recommendations. For a comprehensive “Administration” in
annual events include: overview, visit Resources on our website. eRecruiting.
Expert in Residence Program - knowledgeable
professionals share their expertise and advice with
you ITunesU Our Event calendar is
We maintain a library of programs always available on our
Career Fairs – Employers who are looking to hire website under “Events”
for internships and full-time opportunities attend at Duke’s ITunesU site. Download a and in Duke’s Buzz
to meet face to face with students. lecture or presentation to listen or calendar.
The Fannie Mitchell event in late January or view on the go.
early February – More than 70 Duke alums return Search “Duke University
to campus to discuss their careers and decisions Career Center” on
made along the way. We sponsor this event in Facebook to Like our page
partnership with the Duke Alumni Association. and get updates.
Duke Arts Festival – Meet and learn from alums
in arts, media, and entertainment and have an
opportunity to showcase your own talents. We Q:What do you think the
plan this event in partnership with the Duke Career Center’s role is?
Alumni Association and Office of the Vice Provost
for the Arts. I think the Career Center’s role is
Diversity Networking Dinner - Employers twofold. First, for those students who
committed to hiring a diverse staff attend
have yet to decide on what they want
this annual event to meet Duke students in a
conversational setting. their future to be, the Career Center is
Etiquette Dinners – Dine in style while being there to educate them about the
instructed on proper business etiquette. numerous choices they have, and finally,
for those who already know what they
Presentations By Request want to do, the Career Center is there to
Visit our website to request a workshop. We bring guide them.
a variety of presentations and discussions to your
organization, residence hall, or group of friends. If
Either way, the Career Center will help 5
you can gather a crowd, we’ll join you! students go beyond their boundaries. nAnDISh ShAh ‘10

6. Your Career
Development Process
Believe it or not, you already know a lot discovery is what is fun! You will continually
about yourself and your career. Your career use your past experiences to identify new
is something you build every day with the insights, new options, and new steps.
habits you establish and break, ideas you
explore, people you meet, and decisions You already bring a set of your own
you make. All of your life experiences preferences and life experiences to this
provide you with insight into process of continual learning and
your unique preferences. decision-making. Uncover
The key to making what drives you, discover
satisfying life choices opportunities, test your
is being aware of strengths and interests in
the things you the world, and learn to
already know about communicate persuasively.
yourself and the Being fully engaged in ALL
world, and using this aspects of the cycle gives you
acquired insight when ownership and control over
faced with an opportunity that which comes next for you.
or crossroads.
Is this hard work? Yes. Is it worth it?
You can expect to cycle through a process Absolutely. The Career Center works with
of learning about yourself again and again you to make sense of the unknown or to take
during your time at Duke, and also the steps toward your goals with success. We are
entirety of your career and life. The endless your partners in all steps of this process.
6

7. your Board of Advisors
As you learn and build your career path, meeting new people and
“enlisting” them to your personal Board of Advisors is a key strategy for
success. Think about the many people who have had (or could have!) a
positive influence in your life.
Look into the future and consider whom you might strategically seek out to
add to your board, in addition to staying in touch with those you already
know. Every person you encounter over time gets to see a different piece
of you at your best (and possibly worst) and can be called upon for insights
into significant aspects of who you have been and who you are becoming.
Build and use your Board of Advisors to learn about yourself and to imagine and discover Here are some
YOUR possibilities. The benefits include: suggestions for
• Feedback on habits, patterns, and strengths that you haven’t noticed about yourself insight you
• Advice on steps to take, people to meet, and resources or strategies to consider could gain:
• Insight into how your advisors have made decisions in the past and what other
options they considered
Family—know you
• Inside information about what a typical day is like
• Suggestions for opportunities that might excite you deeply and over time
• And more
Friends—see where
you thrive and struggle
Enlist a supervisor
Your supervisors are great advisors, even when you no longer work at the organization. Many
Professors—have
will suggest you stay in touch, or you could ask if they are open to the possibility.
insight into your
Staying in touch doesn’t mean having to request something every time you talk. If you come academic mind
across information or do something that might be interesting to the person, share it! The
sentiment, “thinking of you”, goes a long way and can be a great reason to send an email or Coaches—challenge
pick up the phone. you to overcome
obstacles
Here are some great updates to share.
I thought of you when:
I learned something in class. Advisors—contribute
I saw something in the news. to your decision-making
I used something I learned when working with you. process
I followed your advice.
I mentioned you (or your organization) to someone.
Community
Leaders—see your
Enlist a professor passions engaged
Find something you’re genuinely curious about as a reason to talk. People, even professors (!),
tend to be flattered when others express interest in something that is important to them. Peers—have worked
You can use the words, “I’m trying to understand…” as a way to start these conversations. alongside you
Some other examples might include:
You mentioned… in your lecture. I’m trying to better understand how this connects Supervisors—have
to… had to give you
We worked on… in the problem set. I’m trying to understand why this technique is constructive feedback
preferred over…
Being a professor seems interesting to me. I’m trying to better understand what it Duke Alums—have a
is like. Can you tell me about what you do? How you decided to do this? What else
common experience
you have considered? Who you work with?
This topic is very interesting to me. I’m trying to better understand the ways that
it connects to opportunities outside of academic work. Do you know about this or
anyone who might?
I learned a bit about your research and am intrigued by… Can you tell me more
77
about…

8. SELF-INQUIRY
Values Interests
Well-
Informed
Decisions
Personality Skills
Uncover What Drives You
Through a process of self-inquiry, you will gain insight into your values,
interests, skills, personality, and what you have learned from unique
experiences. These are the critical data that will drive your career planning
and development.
Self-Inquiry is not a one-time event. It is the best way to start thinking
about your career and a place to return when contemplating transitions
and significant decisions about your career. As you grow and change with
new experiences and exposure to new ideas, you will return to this process
many times. The more aligned your career decisions are with who you know
yourself to be, the more likely you will feel fulfilled and successful.
Benefits of self-inquiry
You will make well-informed decisions to set yourself up for the outcomes
that matter to you throughout your career.
You will better articulate your strengths and interests to others who can offer
valuable guidance, connections, and opportunities.
Assess your Values, Skills, Interests,
and Personality
Values, skills, interests, and personality are lenses through which you can
look at your life experience. Each is a different view into you. Use these
viewpoints to identify patterns that naturally emerge through the choices you
make. The exercises on the following page can help you get started! A career
counselor can help you interpret and learn from your responses.
Remember! This is only a starting point. Look beyond the guide to other
8 Career Center resources for more.

9. Explore Your Values
Inventory Your Skills
Values are the principles that we find important
and influence the way we live our daily lives. Your skills are the abilities that you possess. Skills are developed and improved with practice and over
Our identification with specific values tends not time, though they can be influenced by a natural knack or unique talent. Communicating your skills in
to grow or diminish instantly or dramatically but a way that builds confidence requires that you give evidence of your past exposure and success.
evolve over time.
Exercise: Using the list below for inspiration, come up with ten skills that describe your current
Exercise: Rank the list of values below in strengths. Next, come up with ten that describe those you expect will be important in your fields of
order of importance for you. Use the blanks to interest. How do they compare? Note overlaps as well as gaps.
incorporate values beyond what is included here.
Communicating Clearly __________________________ __________________________
____Variety Managing a Project __________________________ __________________________
____Loyalty Collaborating towards __________________________ __________________________
____Fun a Goal
__________________________ __________________________
____Structure
Writing Persuasively
____Influence __________________________ __________________________
Learning Quickly
____Recognition __________________________ __________________________
Researching Thoroughly
____Creativity __________________________ __________________________
Innovating
____Financial Compensation __________________________ __________________________
____Job Security Compiling a Budget
Balancing Priorities __________________________ __________________________
____Having Visible Impact
____Intellectual Stimulation
____Colleague Relationships
____Independence
____Being an Expert
____Respect Assess Your Personality
____Taking Risks
Your personality is unique to you and includes inherent traits as well as
____Relationships
habits that you’ve acquired over time in realms like gathering information,
____Learning
making decisions, and relating to others. Better understanding
____ ___________________________
characteristics of your personality can help you to articulate the
____ ___________________________
circumstances under which you thrive, or natural strengths that you can
____ ___________________________
utilize, regardless of your environment.
Identify Your Interests Exercise: Describe yourself at your best and most natural in response to
these prompts.
Interests run the range from a passing curiosity to something with consistent
and lifelong appeal. Your interests can include your passions, hobbies, and What energizes you? _____________________________________________
curiosities. Your career can evolve to include the interests that you have not
yet pursued as much as those to which you are already committed. _________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
Exercise: Psychologist John Holland identified these six areas of
occupational interest. Rank this list from the most to least descriptive of the
patterns in your interests. How do you gather information? ___________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
______ Realistic Practical: Enjoy practical and physical;
engage with tools, machines, and gadgets _________________________________________________________________
______ Investigative Analytical: Enjoy gathering information and
What guides your decisions? _______________________________________
analysis; appreciates intellectual activities
_________________________________________________________________
______ Artistic Creative: Enjoy aesthetics and self-
_________________________________________________________________
expression; favor unstructured environments
______ Social Connected: Enjoy helping, training, and What approaches do you use to conduct your life? ____________________
counseling; thrive side-by-side with others
_________________________________________________________________
______ Enterprising Influential: Enjoy persuasion and managing; _________________________________________________________________
prefer to lead
______ Conventional Systematic: Enjoy details and accuracy; 99
comfortable within a chain of command

10. Review your Experience
With a little distance (or a lot!) from the collection of your past activities, you can continue to discern
the patterns and designs that make up the mosaic of your life’s experiences. And while distance
certainly comes with time, you can put some space between yourself and an ongoing experience
through active, ongoing reflection, e.g., journaling.
To get started, make a list of memorable experiences. Include experiences you consider rewarding as
well as those you consider disappointing. Make room for those that may seem irrelevant, unimportant,
or too far in the past.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Feel free to use the following list of kinds of experiences to help you brainstorm:
• On-campus jobs • Sports • Faith community
• Academic projects • Volunteer engagements commitments
• Research • Campus leadership • Hobbies/recreational
• Internships • Student clubs activities
• Study abroad • ROTC • Entrepreneurial ventures
• Political activities • Job shadowing • Vacations
For each experience you list, consider the following questions:
What led you to choose that experience?
Why did you choose that experience over others?
What, if anything, did you sacrifice when choosing that experience? How did you feel about making that sacrifice?
Who and/or what influenced your choosing that experience?
What did you especially like/dislike about that experience (consider activities, people, environment, etc)?
What skills and personal characteristics did you demonstrate or develop during that experience?
How was that experience connected or disconnected from other past and subsequent experiences?
What was most memorable about that experience?
Next Steps and Selected Resources: Self-Inquiry
• Use a career counseling appointment to begin exposing patterns in your values, skills, interests, and personality.
• Visit the Career Center website for an expanded set of self-inquiry exercises.
• Consider the questions identified in the Nine Domains to Find Your Fit article on page 19.
• Seek input from members of your Board of Advisors (Page 7).
Advice for Graduate Students: Self-Inquiry
In choosing to enroll in a graduate program at Duke, you have come a long way toward understanding yourself—the
unique abilities, interests, and preferences that influence your academic and personal decisions.
Nevertheless, you are not a finished product. If your experience of graduate school at Duke doesn’t transform you in
significant ways by broadening and deepening your knowledge and self understanding, it will fail to accomplish its
purpose. Earning an advanced degree is not a career answer, but a foundation for further intellectual and personal
growth and the discovery of multiple career options.
As you progress in your studies, make use of the professional development resources of:
• Your department and division
• The Office of Graduate School Student Affairs (GSSA)
• The Career Center
10 Find members of the Duke community who will encourage you to revisit your goals and priorities and who will support
10 the decisions you make about how to best use your graduate education.

11. Making Career Decisions
REVIEW
Take a moment to reflect on why you chose to apply and come to
Duke. This decision was likely influenced by a number of factors
such as advice from family, interest in a specific academic program,
scholarships or financial aid, campus life and sports, geographic
location, a campus visit, and others. You may wish to use the
diagram below to recall the various factors that influenced YOUR
decision. Feel free to create more bubbles if necessary!
Looking at the factors that were involved, mark those that were the strongest influence on this
important decision and consider the following questions:
What does this specific decision teach you about your decision-making style?
Have the influences and factors in your decision-making process changed since deciding
on Duke? How and why?
Are these the factors that drive most of your important decisions? What differs? How
and why?
With hindsight, do you notice anything significant you may have overlooked at the time?
Would you bring different information to the table?
Remember! You can always choose to approach future decisions differently. This exercise reveals
some of your past patterns and you can use this information to determine how to move forward.
Taking Career Risks
In addition to all of these factors, go back and think, too, about yourself as a risk taker. What kind
of risk taker have you been? Were there elements of deciding to be here that involved a leap of
faith? What about other options that you set aside in order to be here? Were they more risky?
Less?
Taking measured risks by putting yourself out into the world to discover how you fit is a critical part
of career discovery. We encourage you to build upon a series of comfortable risks over time, and
to learn to identify your boundaries as you go. The series of decisions you make over time can be
11
exhilarating—do not let risk be paralyzing! 11

12. Discover Opportunities
EXPLORATION Be a savvy information consumer and research careers while approaching information
critically. Embrace a variety of sources and exploration methods to gain deeper insight into
new possibilities. Like your academic coursework, you must continuously assess the reliability,
validity, and bias of your sources. As your perspective widens, so do your choices.
Be sure to take stock of your impressions as you • Did you discover something that interested you in
make new career discoveries. some ways but not in others?
• What are you motivated to explore further and • What aspects of the experience were you drawn
why? to, and what aspects were unappealing, and why?
• Are you learning things that are different than you • What else do you want and need to know?
expected, and how do you feel about this new • Are there obvious things to learn next that will
picture? help you understand other components?
Here are some suggested strategies with increasing levels of risk and reward. Be sure to
employ all three categories to be comprehensive.
READ
Look through a professional lens. Some ideas for information sources:
You can learn a lot about your areas of interest from • Websites
your computer screen or a print publication. • Blogs
Some key patterns you’ll want to narrow in on include: • Discussion Boards
• Where do people in this field go for professional news • Trade Journals
and updates? For jobs and internships? • Reference Books
• What memberships, affiliations, or certifications are • Memoirs and Biographies
common or relevant?
• What qualities or experiences are (in)consistent in the Words of warning! Do not get stuck here. A good
histories or profiles of the people who impress you? exploration strategy will get you talking and doing, too.
TALK
Learn through others’ experiences. Ask for 30 minutes to speak with them about it at a
Explore fields of interest through conversations with time and location convenient for them (a phone call
people whose work intrigues you. Put yourself in is also an option, but an online conversation is not).
their shoes and see how well they fit! Be punctual, prepared, and professional in your
Consider any encounter a chance to have such dress and demeanor for the meeting. See below
a conversation. No need to wait for the perfect for suggested questions.
situation or a formal career-related event. A Take notes while being sure to focus on building
waiting room, grocery store line, or a family rapport and making eye contact.
gathering are all great places to gain insight from Request referrals to others who would be willing
others about their careers. to share information.
Keep the conversation on schedule to
take It to the next level: Informational acknowledge that their time is valuable!
Interviewing Express your gratitude at the conclusion of the
Informational interviewing is a great conversation and through a thoughtful thank-you
conversational tool for gaining a personal and note afterwards.
practical perspective on your career interests and
building relationships with individuals in fields you Great Questions for Any Career Conversation:
may choose to pursue. • How did you get started in this field? Are there
With informational interviewing, the ball is in your other entry points as well?
court. Here are the basics: • Will I need more formal training to apply for
Identify individuals whose personal career path, positions in this field? What organizations
organization, or broader field of work interests provide training on the job?
you. Feel free to start with people in your inner • What do you like most/least about your work?
circle. After all, do you really know what your uncle • What qualities and skills are needed?
does at his cool sounding job everyday or why • What are the possibilities for advancement?
your favorite professor chose her field of research? • What new developments are expected in the
Introduce yourself or ask a mutual acquaintance to field in the next three to five years?
make an introduction to someone you do not know. • What do you read to keep informed of events,
Email is one appropriate way to do this. Consider friends’ issues, and openings in your field?
parents, Duke alums, or professionals in your community. • What does a typical day look like for you?
12 Briefly explain your curiosity about their work.

13. The Graduate
School Option
DO!
You may be considering graduate
school because you are passionate
about a particular intellectual
endeavor or because you
know you need a certain set of
credentials to move forward
in your career development.
Depending on your goals and
interests, an advanced degree may
You define experience. be an option to consider. Before
Your opportunity to reality-test some of the thing you have learned from others is now! taking this step for granted, take
Think broadly and creatively about what defines experience and you will discover ways time to think about the reasons
that you can dabble in new realms or continue to build your expertise. For example, many you would pursue graduate
writers build and maintain a topical blog to develop their craft, as well as display passion and school, what you would expect to
knowledge on a defined topic. gain, whether it is the best way
to achieve your goals, and when
you would be ready to make the
Here are some other ideas:
commitment of time and financial
• Ask to shadow and observe someone during a normal workday. resources.
• Offer to volunteer for an organization, an event, or a person to develop specific abilities. The following are some important
• Develop your experience in a club to showcase your strengths. factors to account for when
• Invent a project and offer to do it for someone, or do it for you. considering this weighty decision:
• Create ways you can contribute to research or work that intrigues you. • The clarity of your short- and
• Secure an internship during the school year. long-term career goals
• Your expectations around how
a graduate education would
help you advance some of
“I don’t need to explore… I already know what I want!” your goals
Are you sure? We bet you’re not done yet—exploration builds upon itself, so this might be • Whether graduate education
your opportunity to become more refined in your professional and personal knowledge. is the best way to achieve
your desired outcomes and
You may use these questions to guide your learning in order become the most competitive whether there are strong
candidate possible: alternatives, e.g., licensures
• Your ability and willingness to
take on associated financial
Who
burdens
• Create a detailed profile of the person Where • Your comfort with putting
who would thrive in the role(s) to • Where are the areas of change and other interests and goals on
which you aspire? Can you do this yet? excitement? Where do experts hold to meet the demands of
your program
• Are there areas for your own predict the field will be in the next five
• Kinds of programs that would
improvement? years, 10 years, 20 years? best meet your goals
• How do I position myself to be part of
What this? Whether you seek to practice a
profession that requires a specific
• What sources of information and advanced degree or are interested
relationships do the professionals in Why in a path where there is a less
this field use to keep up with news, • Why do people go into this field, definitive need for such, the
issues above are critical. While the
trends, and colleagues? Are you initially? Does it remain the same or
majority of Duke undergraduates
paying attention to these, regularly? change over time? eventually go on to pursue
• What are the strategies used in this field • Why do people leave or come back? advanced degrees, such a decision
to identify and bring on new talent? Are there patterns to notice here? should be based on individual
circumstances, interests, and goals.
What are there motivators, timelines,
If you have decided that an
resources, strategies, or techniques How advanced degree is right for you,
that you need to be aware of? • How did you decide that this was your the next step is to contact the
best option? appropriate resource at Duke to
assist you:
When • How have you challenged or tested • http://trinity.duke.edu/
• When are important events that I this choice? advising/preprofessional
should make myself aware of, e.g., a • Office of Health Professions
Advising
conference?
• Prelaw Advising Office
• When is the typical hiring cycle? Are • PreBusiness Advising Office
there things that I should prepare for? • Pregraduate Advising

14. Next Steps and Selected Resources: Exploration
Use a career counseling appointment to devise a research game plan. Work with a counselor to identify the
best resources to use first.
Participate in the Expert-in-Residence Program (year-round) and The Fannie Mitchell event (early spring
semester) to learn from Duke alums visiting campus.
Use the Occupational Network (online.onetcenter.org), especially the “skills search” to match job titles to
your interests.
Identify and reach out to a variety of professionals using DukeConnect (www.DukeConnect.com) and by
joining the “Duke University Alumni Network” group after making a profile on LinkedIn (www.LinkedIn.com).
Familiarize yourself with the variety of information resources available to you as a Duke student. A few to get
you started:
Career Insider by Vault (http://www.studentaffairs.duke.edu/career/resources/vault-career-insider)
Access profiles of professions, companies, and industries. Content ranges from a few paragraphs to
book length and also includes videos.
Job & Career Research Library Guide (http://guides.library.duke.edu/careerresearch)
A thorough overview of the best research tools available across Duke.
GoingGlobal (http://www.studentaffairs.duke.edu/career/resources/goingglobal)
Essential insights and resources for exploring by location; domestically or abroad
eRecruiting (http://www.studentaffairs.duke.edu/career/resources/erecruiting)
Register for Career News and email lists that match your interests
Advice for Graduate Students: Exploration
Having enrolled in a specific program of study, you become an explorer discovering new knowledge
through research. But you shouldn’t neglect to use your research skills to discover and explore career op-
tions that were initially off your map.
If historical research is your forte, investigate the career of a business historian. If teaching about the envi-
ronment commands your energy and creativity, explore the advantages of teaching for special programs
that offer undergrads hands-on fieldwork experience. If you’ve discovered that you’re good at coordinating
large-scale events/conferences, scout out career opportunities with academic associations or job announce-
ments in trade magazines for event planners. Explore the requirements for positions in more than one kind
of organization and be open to new avenues to exercise your particular abilities.
Every sector of the economy has a place for someone with your developing interests—whether they will be
fulfilled through the traditional academic research, teaching, and administrative roles or through others com-
mon to the business, governmental, and nonprofit sectors. Our distinguished faculty and staff working in the
Graduate School, the offices of Student Affairs (including the Career Center), the Duke libraries, the research
centers, and our alumni are ready to point you in the right direction when you are ready to ask.
1414

15. Making the Most of
the Experience Buffet
Picture a delicious buffet with your favorite dishes as well as delicacies that
you have heard of but never had the opportunity to try. Food and drink from
around the globe, each prepared to perfection. How do you approach this
buffet?
Would you start at the beginning piling on everything that looks delicious as
it passes before you? But then you would be too full to enjoy your favorite
dessert at the end. You could take only a tiny taste of a few things to keep
your options open, only to find yourself still hungry in the end. Perhaps you
are already imagining another, more strategic approach as you read.
When it comes to the vast and tantalizing smorgasbord of experiences accessible to Duke students, it
is not difficult to understand why Dukies tend to behave like hungry diners piling their plates as high as
possible. We also know that one of the reasons you were admitted to Duke was because of your diverse
experiences, which demonstrated that you were an intellectually curious and interesting person.
You may deftly balance your overloaded plate, but are you getting the most enjoyment and benefit from
your meal? Or is your palette overrun by all of the flavors and textures, unable to distinguish savory
from sweet, crisp from creamy? Do you conclude your meal feeling satiated or stuffed? Well nourished
or just full?
Let’s go back to the buffet. What’s your best strategy?
Scan your options. Based on what you know about your tastes and preferences, what must you
have? Do you see anything that hadn’t previously piqued your curiosity but does now? What dishes are
available that you have not seen or heard of before now?
Make your selections and enjoy. Choose a balance of nutritious and indulgent options, old favorites
and something new. Not too many selections on one plate—you can always go back for more! Taste
each item on its own, then see how the flavors blend or complement each other. Enjoy slowly and savor.
Assess your satisfaction. Are you still hungry? Was your anticipated favorite less tasty than you had
hoped? Leave it on the plate to save room to eat something else.
Go back for more. You are even more prepared this time around. You know what you like and
what you have yet to try. You have gotten feedback about the things that others have enjoyed. Your
preferences are more specific and you are scanning for particular items that will satisfy you.
Talk about the meal. After leaving the meal you are still talking about it. What did you like and why?
Did you skip anything appealing because you were no longer hungry? Would something else have
helped round out the meal for you? Would you go back for more? If so, what would you have? What
would you pass over?
Your career development process is like a buffet. It entails tasting and trying, learning what you
like and what you find unappealing, and even experiencing moments of hunger and excess. You are also
learning how to satiate an appetite that changes with time, and how to get more out of your experience
by discussing and reflecting with others.
1515
Bon appétit!

16. ACQUISITION
test your Strengths and Interests
EXPERIENCE
in the World
Duke students are renowned for being
super-involved on and off of campus;
filling their schedules with research,
volunteer work, student organizations,
creative endeavors, entrepreneurial
ventures, studying abroad, internships.
You name it, Duke students are doing it!
With each experience you select, you are choosing to develop and utilize particular skills,
work with or for certain people, function within a specific structure and environment,
acquire particular kinds of knowledge, and grapple with particular problems. The Career
Center recommends you examine each of your opportunities to better understand:
What you want to learn or gain?
How you want to challenge yourself?
What you want to do more (or less) of?
What curiosities do you want to satisfy?
By looking at your array of choices with a critical eye, you will be well equipped to
determine your next steps, whether your goal is to enhance current knowledge and skills or
set forth in a newly-discovered direction.
think Differently About Experience
Once you have determined what you want to learn next by reflecting on your past
experiences and future aspirations, there are many ways to pursue your immediate
goals. Opportunities abound on campus and in the local community to develop specific
knowledge and skills, to build relationships, and to generate further insight about who
you are becoming. The key is to be discerning in your choices: the value of any given
experience can only be measured in relation to YOUR unique goals and interests.
The list below suggests some of the avenues for gaining experience. Keep in mind that no
single club, project, or activity has a monopoly on the knowledge and skill development
you seek!
• Student organizations (active participation • Significant projects, in class or out
and/or leadership) • Athletics
• Community engagement and • Hobbies
volunteering • Honors thesis
• Research with a professor • Campus and national competitions
• Independent research • Tutoring
• Job shadowing • Military
16
16 • Entrepreneurial venture

17. Career Center advisors are eager to talk with you
about how these and other experiences may be the
right fit for your personal priorities and interests.
Internships 85% of Duke seniors
Think of internships as a broad set of additional experiences that may complement
your on- and off-campus activities and coursework or help you bridge gaps in your responding to a 2010
exploration, learning, and development. Internships are most often explicitly pre- survey reported having
professional in nature and are one more tool for gaining self-insight, knowledge, had at least one internship
and skills.
before graduation.
As with your other activities and courses, it is essential that you take a critical
approach when pursuing and selecting from the range of internship choices. There
is no objective measure for a good internship. The best internships are those that
align with your unique values, skills, interests, and personality and that make sense
given what else you have learned and experienced thus far.
As you learn more and clarify your interests with each experience, your priorities and
goals will likely change. Over time, you may choose to mix and match a variety of
internship experiences along with your coursework and other experiences to best
meet your needs and interests.
Start Investigating
Internships Don’t rule out an unpaid
• Meet with a career counselor to clarify what you hope summer opportunity! There
to learn from an internship and develop a personalized are many options if you act
strategy—the earlier you begin the conversation, the early: Apply for competitive
better! Continue periodic check-in meetings throughout
your exploration and search. funding to cover your costs,
• Request time to talk with members of your Board of stay close to home, take
Advisors for advice and perspective. Keep your advisors on a part-time, paid job
up to date throughout your exploration and search.
• Talk to other students about their internship experiences. alongside an internship, or
build up your savings before
Consider Professional Fellowships the summer begins.
Though many students only associate “fellowships” with academic pursuits,
professional fellowships are a great option for those seeking short-term work
experience, training, and mentorship after graduation. These competitive
opportunities—found throughout the world—are typically geared toward
cultivating young leaders in various professional fields. As such, they can serve as
a fantastic springboard for your career.
For more information about post-graduate professional fellowships, make an
appointment with a career counselor and explore from our website: http://www.
studentaffairs.duke.edu/career/resources/short-term.
For academic fellowships, e.g., Rhodes Scholars Program, the Office of
Undergraduate Scholars and Fellows at Duke and its website are excellent
resources.
17

18. Next Steps and Selected Resources:
Experience Acquisition
Schedule a career counseling appointment to identify steps toward experiences that strategically align
with your curiosities.
Create an account and set up personalized searches in each of these Duke databases to become more
aware of the options.
eRecruiting (http://www.studentaffairs.duke.edu/career/resources/erecruiting)
inet (http://www.studentaffairs.duke.edu/career/resources/inet)
Internship Exchange (http://www.studentaffairs.duke.edu/career/resources/internship-exchange)
Use Dukelist (dukelist.duke.edu) to identify volunteer, research, and work opportunities at Duke.
Attend a career fair.
Look for leads and ideas using these consolidated lists:
Internship Series online (http://www.studentaffairs.duke.edu/career/resources/internship-series)
Internship feedback Database (http://www.studentaffairs.duke.edu/career/resources/internship-
feedback-database)
e-leads (http://www.studentaffairs.duke.edu/career/resources/e-leads)
Advice for Graduate Students:
Experience Acquisition
As a graduate student, it is crucial that you use opportunities provided by the university and your own ingenuity
to get experience in organizations outside the university. Fulfilling the curricular requirements of your study
program and earning an advanced credential will not be enough to convince many employers that you are
qualified to assume positions with more responsibility than those offered to BA/BS graduates.
Curricular requirements do not always satisfy employers for these reasons:
Faculty search committees may want tenure-track candidates with more than one area of research expertise.
Biotechnology firms may prefer candidates who can perform research and also demonstrate experience leading
research teams.
Liberal arts colleges will select faculty candidates who have designed their own courses and received excellent
student evaluations.
Government contractors may not only require security clearances, but will also favor applicants who have had
relevant internship experience.
Engineers who apply for jobs with smaller investment firms must demonstrate not only quantitative modeling
skills, but also exposure to operations in one or more of the sub-fields of finance, such as risk management,
derivatives pricing, or econometrics.
Your challenge will be to find ways to apply your knowledge to actual problems encountered in the workplace at
the same time you are pursuing your graduate degree. Gain experience outside the department, the laboratory,
and the library through formal internship programs or by taking on projects you create for yourself. Your applied
learning experiences will convince your first employer after graduate school that you have not used your
18 graduate years to hide out, but to reach out.

19. nine Domains to find your fit
??
? ??
It is both challenging and exciting to imagine your career options. For one thing,
??
??
?
your career is and will continue to be multi-faceted, just like you! Whether you
are working on your next move, or figuring out your longer-term aspirations, you
will gain traction by fleshing out the nine intersecting domains, or elements, that
comprise your career.
??? ?
Spend time with the questions below; each refers to a specific domain related
to your personal career fulfillment. You do not need to work all of this out in
one sitting, but we do encourage you to put your thoughts on paper. Free
?
yourself to be in the present moment with an understanding that your answers
to these questions will change over time. This can be a great starting point for
an intentional conversation with a career counselor or member of your Board of
Advisors (Page 7).
Domains:
Knowledge:
In what areas of knowledge, intellectual, personal, experiential, can you claim a particularly
strong grasp and find great enjoyment?
What do you want to learn next?
What do you ultimately want to know?
Skills:
What can you do well?
Among your capabilities, which do you enjoy using? Which do you prefer NOT to use?
What skills do you wish to acquire (short and long term)?
Goals:
What do you want to accomplish in the short- and long-term?
Values:
What are your personal and work values and how do you want them to intersect with your work?
Which of your values do you want to hold in common with the people with whom you work?
Environment:
In what physical environments do you thrive?
In what physical environments do you struggle?
Relationships:
What types of relationships do you want in your work (with colleagues, managers, constituents,
customers, etc.)?
Who do you envision your colleagues to be?
Compensation:
What kind of financial compensation do you need or want?
What sorts of benefits or perks are important to you?
What do you want to learn in your work?
What are the sources of your joy?
Location:
Where do you want to be?
What geographic factors are important to you?
Challenges and Barriers: 19
19
What real difficulties do you see ahead for you?

20. SEARCH SKILLS Are you Search
Characteristics of a Savvy
Internship and Job Seeker
Ready to move forward with your search? here are a few characteristics that
successful and savvy experience seekers possess and implement throughout the
search process. these characteristics apply whether you are pursuing an internship,
job, volunteer role, fellowship, or membership in a student organization.
Successful seekers REFLECT! Time to search for an opportunity. But wait! What type
of experience are you seeking? Why? Take time to think carefully about your
skills, strengths, likes/dislikes, and what you want to learn next. Being able
to articulate the above will allow you to conduct a search with purpose and
direction, ultimately saving you time and minimizing frustration. Reflection is a
key component that should be used throughout the process.
Successful seekers conduct a TARGETED SEARCH! Pursuing any and every
opportunity you find will produce results that may not align with the direction
you would like to head with your career. Target organizations and industries that
are of genuine interest to you and tailor your approach (resume, cover letter,
proposal, and pitch) to reflect the experiences and skills most relevant and
salient for those opportunities.
Successful seekers RESEARCH! You may know the top five employers in your industry
of interest, but who are the top 10? Top 20? Don’t limit your knowledge
of the world to what you already know. Take time to expand upon
this base of knowledge and learn about opportunities and experiences that are
interesting to you. Researching organizations and employers allows you to learn
about their culture, values, and specific opportunities for career development.
Your research will help you determine whether or not there is a potential
fit between you and the opportunity or organization, helping you make an
informed decision about your next step!
Successful seekers are ORGANIZED! Some searches are especially time consuming.
You should anticipate spending several hours a week on your internship, job,
or fellowship search. The same may be true of other opportunities. Develop a
system that allows you to keep all of your contacts and notes in one place and
keep a calendar of relevant events and deadlines. Consider having an email
address, folder, or use tags dedicated to your search-related communications.
Store your search-related documents electronically in a centralized folder so they
are easy to access if needed immediately.
Successful seekers have ENDURANCE and PATIENCE! Since some searches can last
several months, be prepared to participate in a process that may not always
agree with your preferred timeframe. We are used to immediate gratification in
our society, but each organization, employer, or funder works at their own pace
for legitimate (if obscure) reasons. As a candidate for the opportunity, you will
20 benefit from being aware of and sensitive to this fact.
20

21. Savvy?
Successful seekers FOLLOW UP! Following up on your applications and conversations can be the difference
between securing an opportunity and remaining in an undifferentiated pile of resumes. By following up,
you can confirm that your application is in the right hands, restate your serious interest in the position,
and demonstrate follow-through skills so important in professional roles. As with all communications
with employers, it is critical to act in a timely, professional, and courteous manner. While you may be
eager to know the status of your application, be aware that they may not be able to provide much
information at any given time. Your follow-up will nonetheless make a positive impression.
Successful seekers MANAGE SETBACKS WITH POSITIVITY! Being told “no” in your search is never fun,
but it’s bound to happen at some point. Rejection can hinge on a number of factors, many of which
are out of the your control. While rejection can be frustrating, it is very important to remain positive
and not let a setback with one opportunity effect how you present yourself for another prospective
experience. Transform rejection into motivation, staying confident that you have many strong
characteristics to contribute.
Successful seekers project PROFESSIONALISM AND MATURITY! You are more than the sum of your skills
and previous experiences. Professionalism and maturity can take you a long way. As you connect with
people throughout your search, there are many opportunities to demonstrate this, including how you
communicate and present yourself. 21
21

22. Professional
Networking
Intentional, sustained, and effective networking is a
powerful tool when searching for interesting internships,
jobs, and other experiences. It can significantly augment
other methods for learning about and pursuing career
options, such as on-campus recruiting, social networking,
and online searches.
Believe it or not, networking is something you already
do well! Think about your first weeks on campus,
meeting fellow students and exchanging information
related to your discoveries about Duke life, (bus routes,
campus dining facilities, interesting activities, great
professors, etc). By sharing information, you were
assisting or receiving help yourself (getting from East
to West Campus on time, finding something fun to do
on Thursday night, etc.). Beyond information, perhaps
you introduced your math-whiz roommate with your
calculus-confused friend for some informal tutoring.
Exchanging useful information and seeking and
creating helpful introductions are the essence of
networking.
The Value of Networking
Strategically connecting with people enables you to:
• Gain insider knowledge and insight into the career
field, industry, or organization and the day-to-day
experiences, career paths, terminology, organizational
culture, sources of industry information, and more.
• Build confidence over time in speaking about yourself,
career interests, and future goals.
• Expand the number of people you know who are
doing things you are curious about.
• Learn about opportunities, sometimes before they
become publicized (Note: Networking is NOT the
same as asking for a job).
• Refine your goals, make well-informed decisions
in your search, and make a positive impression
on employers and those who are evaluating your
candidacy.
22

23. networking Basics
With practice comes improvement. Ever hear the phrase,
“fake it ‘till you make it?” no one needs to know that
you’re nervous or that you’ve never done this before. on
Managing Your Online Reputation the other hand, if it makes you more comfortable, feel free
to tell people this is new for you. It’s okay. Even after years
You know that employers use the Internet to research potential job of practice, introducing yourself to someone new can feel
candidates. Thus, a necessary part of any job or internship search is risky. But it is worth it. Students we talk to most commonly
to create and maintain a positive online reputation. Use the following say that their level of nervousness far exceeded the actual
task, and that the conversation was fun! Just remember
steps to move from damage control towards proactive ownership of
that almost any interpersonal encounter can be an opportu-
your online first impression. nity for intentional networking.
• Know yourself: skills, interests, values, personality,
Increase Your Awareness. Be sure you know what information and accomplishments.
is or could be available about yourself online, where it is, and what • Make a list of your current relationships—
impression it may create. personal, professional, academic, and beyond. Add
• Search your name (and different versions of it) on the major Duke alums to your list! your first-degree contacts
search engines, on different social networks, and sites where will be instrumental in connecting you with other
you comment. A few not-so-obvious sites to check: Tumblr, people you do not yet know, your second-degree
Netflix, Flickr, Match, Delicious, Amazon, Yelp. contacts.
• Know the privacy agreement and settings for the various • Do not discount individuals because you think they
online communities of which you are a member. do not know the right people. they do not need
• Request feedback from peers and professionals on to be in the area you are pursuing to have valuable
impressions based your online presence alone. Would they relationships to share.
hire you? Why or why not? • Create a plan for reaching out to your first-degree
• Familiarize yourself with sites where your potential colleagues contacts and for keeping track of your communica-
or supervisors gather and participate online. tions. you might want to start with people who seem
to have the closest connections to your interest area
oR with those whom you feel most comfortable
Protect Your Image. Ensure potential employers only see
with. Either way will work. the point is to create a
information that conveys a positive image. You do not want them to plan you can act on!
question your professionalism, judgment, or ability to represent their
• Do your homework. learn a little bit about each
organization. person you contact (profession, current projects,
• Adjust the privacy settings for all online accounts. company, relevant personal information, etc.). Use
• Remove content and tags that could negatively influence a the power of the Internet to your advantage.
potential employer’s first impression. • Draft and practice your opening communication
• Hide or delete old accounts that do not best represent you. (verbal introduction, email, etc). Discuss this with a
• Request that information about you posted by others be friend, career advisor, or someone from your Board
removed if you are opposed to it. of Advisors (Page ##).
• Make your move! Send an email or letter first; follow
Build a Professional Presence. Present your name, with a phone call. or simply CAll! Assign yourself a
accomplishments, and aspirations in ways that can be accessible to daily quota. Be persistent but not pushy.
others. • Follow up! Call again within a week if you receive no
• Use social networks to create and maintain a public profile response. Arrange a meeting in person or by phone.
that represents your accomplishments and a sense of the Ask for 30 to 45 minutes only. you could get even
professional you are becoming and you are comfortable with luckier!
the public seeing. • Set the tone. Know and explain why you are calling
• Display a copy of your resume and a portfolio of your and what you hope to learn (industry information,
accomplishments online. career exploration, job search advice, graduate or
• Promote your profiles and/or website, e.g., add a link to your professional school guidance, etc.) you are not ask-
ing for a job!
email signature.
• Contribute to conversations relevant to your fields of interest • Ask for referrals. one of your most important ques-
tions is, “Whom do you recommend I contact for
through media like blogs, LinkedIn groups, and/or Twitter.
additional information?”
• Send a thank-you note within 48 hours! Email is oK!
Own Your Presence. Assert greater control of your online identity
A personal letter can be very effective, too!
by owning it yourself.
• Maintain connections. nurture the relationships by
• Create a personal website that serves as a professional
staying in touch and letting them know where you
resume and portfolio. Update this regularly with new content. land!
• Continue your activities online and watch your name and
• Be patient. networking yields results that often accu-
professional identity become more prominent in search mulate over time. never stop networking!
engines. Set a goal to take over the whole first page of
Google when someone searches your name. 23
23

24. Top Search Strategies Ethical Conduct in Your Search
Before you jump into your search, consider While you are keeping track of all the elements of your search, be sure
a few recommendations that will help you your ethical conduct remains a constant the whole way through. Should
to search smart, manage your time, and you have questions about the ethical thing to do in a given situation,
implement an effective plan. please contact the Career Center. We are here to help clarify and
A search is a long-term process. Longer explain whatever may seem muddy. If you are in a pinch for time, always
than many people anticipate. Plan to err on the side of caution.
spend four or more months gearing up and The following are expectations for how to conduct yourself in a way that
implementing a search for a full-time or is ethical so as to prevent situations that could result in a permanent
highly competitive internship opportunity. scar on your professional reputation within an industry as well as
Many students have compared this damage to the reputation of Duke students as a whole:
commitment to taking an additional class.
Set aside time on a regular basis. Unlike Be 100 percent truthful and accurate on your resume.
a paper or project that can be postponed Embellishments and exaggerations are considered lying. Employers
or worked on in surges, the best searches often look beyond candidates’ resumes to verify information that
are spread over time. Put time on your candidates have provided. Don’t falsify, stretch, or bend information
calendar each week—an hour or so for such as your GPA, SAT scores, involvement in activities, leadership roles
downtime and a few hours during peak you have held, or results in competitions in which you have participated.
periods. On-Campus Recruiting Policy: Falsifying your resume may result in
Prioritize your interests. Spend time being reported to Duke’s Office of Student Conduct and subject to
exploring to effectively target your sanctions, being banned from the Career Center’s on-campus recruiting
search to your interests. Three fantastic program permanently, and forfeiting employment opportunities.
applications to great-fit opportunities tend
to reap more rewards than 100 scattershot Attend interviews to which you have committed. By
applications. agreeing to an interview (whether through eRecruiting, email, or phone),
Learn what an optimal candidate profile you are making a commitment. Should you need or desire to withdraw
from an interview, timely notification is a must.
includes. The better picture you have of
On-Campus Recruiting Policy: You may remove yourself from an
the person who would be selected for your
interview schedule no less than two business days prior to your
desired role, the more effective you will be
interview. Students who withdraw any later or do not show up will be
at presenting your own experiences. Utilize
barred from the On-Campus Recruiting program. Reinstatement will
the three exploration methods discussed
require a letter of apology to the recruiter and a meeting with a Career
earlier in this guide to get a well-rounded
Center staff member.
view.
Practice presenting yourself in writing
Communicate in a timely manner with employers. Don’t
and in conversation. Your ability to ignore phone calls and emails from employers as you go through the
articulate what you want and why comes
process of accepting or declining interviews or job offers. If you need
only through reflection and practice. Create
more time when determining details such as start dates, relocation
opportunities to rehearse before you find
information, etc., it is best to be in touch, be straightforward about the
yourself in an interview for that coveted
reason for delay or uncertainty, and request more time.
position.
Get feedback. Have others read your resume Consider your verbal or written acceptance of an offer
and guess what kind of position you are
seeking. Practice introducing yourself and
a binding contract. Reneging on an offer is when you accept an
offer then turn it down. This behavior typically ends any chances of
expressing your professional interests to
employment with that organization in the future.
family or friends. Ask your roommate to
On-Campus Recruiting Policy: Students that renege on a job offer will
role-play an interview with you.
have their eRecruiting account inactivated and will have to meet with
Track your progress. Keep records so that Career Center staff to discuss the particular situation as well as take
you know what applications and documents
steps to repair the relationship with the employer.
have gone where and when. Track whom
you have talked to, when, how you have
followed up, and whether more follow up
End your search upon accepting a position. Once you have
accepted a job or internship, whether verbally or in writing, you must
is expected. This helps you when preparing
terminate any other recruiting-related activity with other employers.
for an interview or actively managing
This includes contacting employers with whom you are scheduled to
your conversations and professional
interview and removing yourself from candidate pools.
relationships. It also gives you a record of
On-Campus Recruiting Policy: Continuing to pursue other
your progress for days that feel stalled.
opportunities once you have accepted a position is a violation of
the Career Center’s on-campus recruiting policies. Your account in
eRecruiting will be deactivated and you will be expected to meet with
a Career Center staff member to discuss the situation and to work on
24 repairing the relationship with the organization.

25. 25