Graduate school prepares us clinically, but does not teach us professional skills. In this post, I will outline some useful tips for obtaining and maintaining employment in the counseling field.
Step 1: Finding Opportunities
Many, if not most, job opportunities are discovered through networking. So instead of focusing your energy on combing through Monster.com listings, try using your network. Tell everyone you know, both IRL and on social media, that you are looking for a job. But avoid asking a specific person for help if you haven’t had any interaction with them recently. From their perspective, it can feel like you are being entitled and demanding. Instead, spend time both in-person and on social media connecting with your contacts. Congratulate them on milestones, send them an article you think they might be interested in, comment on one of their posts, or meet them in person for coffee. After you have established a connection, then you can start asking for help.
Step 2: Make a Great Impression
It starts with your vita:
- Proofread carefully. Make sure there are no incomplete sentences or misspelled words. And never use casual texting language such as IRL.
- Header: Information should be complete and accurate. Do not use an unprofessional sounding email address, such as @hotmail.com.
- Objective: Ensure it is clearly stated and indicates what job you are applying for. Ensure your vita contains job skills relevant to the desired position.
- Experience: This section should have a clear method of organization, for example, chronological. Your job descriptions should be clear, complete, and contain action verbs.
- Format: Vita should be longer than half a page, but under three (except for academia). There should be enough white space (but not too much) to make vita visually appealing and easy to read.
In my next post, I will discuss interview and salary negotiation skills.
Yours in the Joy of Knowledge,
Dr. Barbara LoFrisco
