Hi, my name is Anna Malygin and I'm a current sophomore here at BU.
Since I'm about to be an upperclassman, it's time for me to start thinking about
what I want to do after college and what steps I should be taking.
So I'm currently an intern at the Center for Career Development here at BU, and
I got the chance to sit down with Esther Leonard who also works at the Center for
Career Development.
And she agreed to answer some of my questions about the current job market.
So let's cut to that.
Just looking at the current job market, I'm a little bit worried about how to
really progress into the professional world.
So I just wanted to ask you a few questions.
>> Sure.
>> So from your perspective, what does the job market really look like right now?
>> For right now, the job market looks pretty good.
It has definitely been rebounding.
In fact, I believe this last month,
the government had shared that about 913,000 jobs were posted.
This is more than it's been since the pandemic started.
Also we've noticed on Handshake a huge increase in employers posting jobs.
>> Do you think that virtual elements will be part of the job finding process even
after the pandemic?
>> Definitely,
there has been an increase actually prior to the pandemic of virtual elements.
The pandemic basically created an environment for these types of elements to
really flourish, and I don't think they're gonna go away.
>> So what do you think would be the best steps for
a student to take in the current job market to apply for jobs?
>> The number one way to get a job is through networking.
So really identifying people in the fields or companies or
organizations that you're interested in.
One of the first ways you can do that is through our alumni network where you can
go in and connect with other alumni and learn from them,
conduct what's called informational interviews.
I would say the other element is really creating an online presence for
yourself and making sure that you have an updated LinkedIn profile.
What I'm seeing more and more is people having online portfolios.
>> And when do you think is the best time to start building an online presence?
>> As soon as you can.
With LinkedIn, you can look for jobs and
internships, and volunteer opportunities and you can network.
So even if you're a first year student or sophomore student and
not looking for a full time job yet, but you're looking for
an internship, or you just want to connect with your professors or
other peers, then go ahead create that LinkedIn profile.
>> And how do you think that a student can get a sense of a company's culture right
now with everything being virtual?
>> That's a really great question.
Traditionally, in person, candidates get to see the work environment.
Now really taking advantage of the networking, informational interviewing,
again, following them on the various social media platforms,
looking on the company's website, and
then in the interviewing process, asking those questions.
>> What part of the resume would you say that employers focus on the most?
>> It takes employers six seconds to decide if they're gonna keep looking at
your resume.
So the top part of your resume matters.
If you are about to graduate, the education will be at the top,
a very short.
You want to focus on experiences that are most relevant for the position.
The first three bullets on your resume under whether it was professional
experience, relevant experience, whatever,
should mirror or reflect the first three bullet points on that job description.
>> During interviews do you think it often comes down to skills or personality?
>> That's a really good question.
[LAUGH] I don't think I've gotten that question.
In the interview, they're looking at a few things, right?
Competency, they are looking at personality, and then also motivation.
Those are the three things that they're looking for.
So I would say a balance.
I think you definitely need to articulate how your skillsets relate to the role and
how you can ultimately contribute to that position.
>> If you're gonna weigh certain pros and cons of how the pandemic has affected
the job planning process, what would you say they are?
>> In terms of pros, in some cases, there's an element of conveniency for
people, right?
You can have interviews right at home.
I think the pandemic sorta has challenged us to become more tech savvy, right, and
really increase some of the skills that we probably wouldn't have had before.
In terms of cons, particularly in the beginning of the pandemic, right,
there was a loss of jobs, right?
And so that made it hard, particularly for those who maybe graduated last May.
Another con, it could be a pro, con, sorta highlighted is still a lot of inequity and
it turns out that a lot of these fast growing fields and even a lot of remote
work are geared to those who are either highly skilled and highly educated.
>> And you mentioned some of these before, but what would you say are the main
resources that a student at BU could use during this process?
>> Really take advantage of the student groups, right?
Because you can start creating your resume before you even have an internship.
What makes you a competitive candidate for
that internship is the things that you did at BU.
So the Student Employment Office, doing research like UROP,
the BUild Lab or the Community Service Center.
And then you can, of course, look for those internship opportunities.
Stay in contact with some of the people that you meet, your professors,
your former supervisors.
And then of course, use our resources.
[MUSIC]
I would say my final piece of advice is ask for
help when you need it because you can't do this alone.
Students tend to compare themselves with other students like they feel behind.
Remember, everyone's journey is different.
>> I definitely agree because sometimes it feels like, if you ask for help,
you're kind of failing a little bit.
But when I've gone to the Career Center to ask them questions,
it's just given me a completely new perspective and really helped me.
>> I'm glad to hear that.
>> Well, thank you so much for joining me.
I definitely have a whole new perspective on the job finding process.
>> Of course, you're welcome.
Thank you for having me.
I enjoyed having this conversation.
>> So I hope that that helped you as much as it helped me.
It's definitely a challenge trying to figure out what you're supposed to
be doing after college.
I think the best way to figure that out is definitely asking for help.
So make sure that you look at all of those resources at the CCD that were mentioned,
because it really helped me and I'm sure that they'll help you too.
Bye.