Introduction

Career Prep is the first of two Roadmaps that focus on career readiness. It will teach you about résumés and cover letters, online networking platforms, and Careers & Experiential Learning resources.

The second career readiness Roadmap is called Job Search. To access the Job Search Roadmap, click here. This Roadmap will teach you how to perform an effective search for full-time jobs and undergraduate internships. It provides resources and advice on how to find employers and put yourself forward as a candidate. We encourage you to complete the Job Search Roadmap whenever you are searching for a job or internship.

The Career Prep and Job Search Roadmaps are outlined below for your convenience.

 

Roadmap: Career Prep

Objective: Fine-tune or create professional documents; establish a professional online presence.

Step 1: Résumés and Cover Letters

Step 2: Professional Online Presence

Step 3: Meet Your Career Director

 

Roadmap: Job Search

Objective: Help you find and secure a job or internship.

Step 1: Job Search Strategies

Step 2: The 2-Hour Job Search

Step 3: Networking

Step 4: Elevator Pitch

Step 5: Interviewing

Step 6: Careers & Experiential Learning

 

To begin the Career Prep Roadmap, fill out the information below and click "Next." Entering your email address will allow you to return to this Roadmap and pick up where you left off if you are unable to finish in one sitting. Just click the "Save and Close" button to save your progress. The system will then email you a personalized link so you can finish your Roadmap later.

When you have completed the entire roadmap, click "Submit Roadmap."

Learn how to create an industry-competitive résumé and cover letter utilizing the resources found in BYU Career Services.

Résumés

Your résumé summarizes your education and work experience to potential employers in a single, easy-to-read page.  Presenting your strengths effectively makes it easy for employers to see how you can be useful to them.

 

Building or Improving Your Résumé

BYU Careers & Experiential Learning maintains a website with resources for designing effective résumés.  These resources include:

• Templates for getting started
• Tips for making your résumé effective and for writing effective bullet points
• Sample résumés

People who know you well, such as family, friends, and former employers, may also be able to help you identify and articulate your strengths.

When you're applying for a specific job or internship, revise your résumé to highlight work experiences that are most applicable to the position you're applying for.  Before adding content to your resume you should ask yourself, "Will this information help me get an interview?" (i.e. Is it relevant to the job I am applying to?)

 

Evaluating the Strength of Your Résumé

The BYU Careers & Experiential Learning website also provides tools for evaluating the strength of your résumé.  These include:

• A rubric for scoring the effectiveness of your résumé
• Access to VMOCK, a computer program that analyzes properties of your résumé to identify potential weaknesses

It's also a good idea to get professional feedback on your résumé.  To make an appointment with a Career Mentor, click here.

Cover Letters

“A cover letter is a letter outlining why you’re interested in the job and why you’d excel at it.” —Alison Green, US News & World Report.

When an employer asks you to submit a cover letter, he or she isn't asking for a rote repetition of your résumé. Instead, the employer wants to know why you are interested in this specific job and what special skills you would bring to the company. Writing a cover letter gives you an opportunity to expound on the experiences on your resume and connect them directly to your prospective role.

Although this will take some extra effort, it is critical for you to tailor your cover letter for each company you're applying to. Every company is looking to fill a need in the hiring process, and the better you address a company's specific needs in your cover letter, the more likely you are to secure an interview. If you don't know what the company needs, do some research. Look at their website for clues about their driving motivators and objectives. Review the job posting thoroughly and try to use key words from the posting in your cover letter.

When you have finished drafting a cover letter, make sure it is reviewed by two or three other people before you submit it. Although friends and family may be eager to help you, make sure you get at least one professional opinion on your cover letter. Your professors can be a great resource in this area. You can also seek help from a Career Mentor at BYU Careers & Experiential Learning (CXL). To contact CXL services, visit careers.byu.edu.

Cover Letter Resources

To see a template for a great cover letter and an example letter, check out the BYU Cover Letter Handout. It includes explanations of key parts of the cover letter and several tips and tricks.

To learn more about cover letters, visit the BYU CXL page with links to resources. You can access this page here: General BYU Cover Letter Resources

If you have any other questions or want further feedback, make an appointment with a Career Mentor here.

Build a stellar LinkedIn profile and learn the ins and outs of the BYU Handshake platform.

LinkedIn

If you don't already have a LinkedIn profile, make one! LinkedIn is the #1 social networking platform for professionals. On LinkedIn, you can network with professionals in every field from essentially any background. LinkedIn can be especially helpful in connecting you to BYU alumni who work at the companies you're interested in. You can also use LinkedIn to view job posts, learn skills, and advertise when you're looking for a job. You can use your profile to showcase your work experience, and your past employers and coworkers can endorse your skills.

Visit LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com. Make sure you connect with BYU Economics and request to join the BYU Economics--Alumni and Student Network, linked below.

BYU Economics LinkedIn

BYU Economics--Alumni and Student Network

You can learn more about LinkedIn and get personalized help with your profile from BYU Careers & Experiential Learning. View their helpful handout here and visit careers.byu.edu to make an appointment with a Career Mentor.

Handshake

Handshake is an online platform that forms a bridge between BYU and recruiters. It has several key features that are useful for students seeking internships and post-graduation employment. Some of those features are described below.

Jobs

This is where companies post job openings for graduates of all majors. You can search through these jobs and filter them based on key words and even apply for the jobs you're interested in directly on Handshake.

Events

When you click this tab, you'll see a list of all the recruiting events coming up on campus. These events range from info sessions to training sessions to open-door interviews. Such events will expose you to the many companies who recruit at BYU, and you will likely find job and internship opportunities you have never considered before. You can register for these events directly on Handshake.

Employers

This tab lists all the different employers on Handshake. You can filter them by location, size, etc. You can also follow them to be notified if they post any job or internship opportunities. Visit https://careers.byu.edu/handshake-login, set up your profile, and start exploring job and internship openings.

To view a helpful guidebook from BYU Careers & Experiential Learning on all things Handshake, click here.

If you answered "Not Yet" to either of the above questions, remember that you can come back to this Roadmap and update your responses once you have made LinkedIn and Handshake profiles. Just click "Save and Close" whenever you are finished with this session. You will then be emailed a link that will allow you to resume this Roadmap and edit your past submissions.

Learn how to make appointments with your Career Director.

 

Career Directors

While Career Mentors are students who can help with general materials, Career Directors are professional administrators who can counsel you on your specific career goals. Career Directors are assigned to cover specific departments so they can be up-to-date on career fields in your area of study. To find your Career Director, head to this CXL webpage. Currently, Amanda Peterson works with Economics. 

At Your Appointment

When you meet with your Career Director, you can ask about internship and job opportunities and learn about job searching resources. Your Director will counsel with you and help you feel personally prepared for whatever comes after graduation. Make sure you prepare questions or application materials before your meeting so you can use your time with your Career Director effectively.

If you have not already done so, please schedule an appointment with your Career Director now. Once you have met with your Director, return to this Roadmap and fill out the following response.