Maximize Your Job Search: How Graduates Can Leverage Career Services

By Paul Cecala, GCDF,  May 1, 2025

Photo by Joshua Hoehne on Unsplash

As I write this, I have just finished an all-day industry advisory meeting with Florida Institute of Technology’s College of Psychology and Liberal Arts. It got me thinking about graduation season, the members of the Yo Jo Club (YOung JOb Seekers Club), and how higher education institutions do in assisting graduates find work.

I have worked as a Career Services Manager for a couple of trade schools and assisted my alma mater’s career services department where I can for more than 2 decades. It saddens me when I hear so many graduating students and alumni share that they feel the Career Services Department was not helpful.

The Challenge!

But I understand where those concerns come from. Typically, the public or no-for-profit college and university career services staff is less than a dozen people to serve thousands of students and tens of thousands of graduates or alumni. Further, these small college staffs need to be employment experts in virtually every degree offered by the university that could be upwards of 1000 different majors from some large universities. Their task is monumental.

Self-Serve Online Resources

Hence, many university career services departments provide a variety of events and career fairs while depending on online services to meet most student needs. They also expect employers and students alike to take advantage of self- serve options like ‘Handshake’ (an app for employers to post jobs and students to apply). In essence, “You want career services help, go to our do-it-yourself online services.

This leaves many feeling like the department does not care and is not interested in helping individuals. Though, my experience in working with these folks is that they DO want to help you. They just don’t have the time to provide the level of customer service their constituents want.

You should help the career services office help you. Students in their earlier college years should work diligently to obtain work experience in their field through internships, externships, and part-time jobs. This real-life experience is the best way to prepare for your job search prior to your graduation year.

Students should participate in the career/job search activities the office provides during their sophomore and junior years. Career services will sponsor career fairs, employer visitation events, and job search training seminars. Attending these not only gives you great networking opportunities with employers, but also gets you know by career services.

Plus, many academic departments will hold their own events with alumni and employers. You should attend these from the very start of your academic career. The people you will meet should become important members of your professional network, mentors and advisors. They participate in these events with one goal being to find the diamonds in the rough that they can help mold into the employee they want.

Guidance for graduating seniors

Start the job search process at least 2 semesters before your planned graduation. It takes time to put together effective resumes, branding materials, and networking strategies. As recent grads or soon-to-be grads, you should go to the online services and make your best attempt at using them. Identify specific issues and questions you cannot answer from there. THEN contact the office explaining the work you have done and asking for an appointment for the specific guidance you need. This shows you are serious about your search and not just seeking someone to do it for you.

This is also the time to reach out again to all the employers and alumni you have met in the past. They will be interested to hear an update on your progress and ways you would like their help. Now is the time to check in with your family and friends for the people they know at the places you want to work. Start networking (Building relationships) with those contacts. The number one way to find a job is speaking directly to the hiring manager. The number two best way is to have your network introduce you to the hiring manager. Start these conversations before you graduate and even when they don’t have a posted opening.

Ramp up your LinkedIn activity now. Begin posting about the intelligence you are gaining in your industry of choice. Follow and connect with thought leaders and hiring managers in the industry and the companies you want to get in with. Become a known entity to those people and places. Set up your job agents with your targeted employers, LinkedIn, and other websites to ensure you do hear about potential openings.

Join Networking Groups

One of your primary goals now is to become friendly (professional acquaintances) with people who are employed in the organizations where you want to work. Join a professional association or two for your field. Attend their functions; they often allow students and recent grads to do so at very discounted prices.

In many parts of the country there are job seeker networking groups whose entire mission is to assist people with getting jobs. You might join one of those. I wrote a 2-part blog on this topic with lots of relevant information. You can find them at https://sites.google.com/a/cecalacareer.com/cecalacareer-com/career-advice-blog?authuser=0.

Join one of my groups

In fact, I facilitate several groups for job seekers, one specifically for recent graduates. 

The YO JO Club is a networking group of people under 30 years old in job search helping each other do a better of job of find a job. Often recent graduates participating in the group say they love the peer-to-peer advice they get. Other advantages include feeling more motivated afterward, the sense that they have ideas of value to share with others, and the idea that they are not alone in their job search. All the groups I facilitate are offered at no-cost to the participants.

In the end 

In the end, you cannot control everything that happens in your job search. You can only control what you can control (to turn a phrase). Expecting the career services department to actively participate in your job search is not healthy for you and not their role. Their role is to provide you resources so you can do it yourself. Again, to use a couple of over-used phrases, the squeaky wheel gets the grease, and it’s your job search. You have to help yourself.

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Paul Cecala

Paul Cecala can help you navigate to your success. Learn more about his services here.