Purchasing a cap and gown and earning good grades on final exams are just a few of the many tasks a student has to complete before graduating from college. In addition to these school-related tasks, a student must also consider the applying-for-jobs tasks, such as establishing references.
Because it's beneficial to complete these types of tasks before graduating, they are listed below along with tips on how to complete them. This can serve as a college graduation checklist.
Get References and Recommendation Letters
Most employers request three references on their job applications, and some employers require letters of recommendation. Therefore, prior to graduating from college, students can meet with those people they want to list as references in order to ask their permission for doing so (such as professors, internship supervisors, campus employers, etc.).
It's especially beneficial to request a letter of recommendation from someone prior to graduation because it's easier for that person to remember the task if he or she is still in contact with the student. Also, if a student asks for a letter prior to graduation, then there is a greater chance that the person will remember more to write about, such as if a student participated in class regularly.
Resumes and Cover Letters
Since most employers require a resume and cover letter from job seekers, it's important for students to work on these two documents prior to graduating from school.
First, students can review their resumes and cover letters with their professors, or other mentors from their colleges, internships, campus jobs, etc. Secondly, many colleges offer workshops and seminars about resumes and cover letters. Students can bring drafts of their resumes and cover letters to one of these events to ask for feedback.
Portfolios of College Work
Some professions, such as in education and business, ask job applicants to provide a portfolio of their work. Therefore, it's important for students to complete their portfolios prior to graduating from school. Students can meet with their professors and advisors and ask them to review their portfolios for completeness and appropriateness.
Updated E-mail Accounts
Many college students rely on using their college e-mail accounts for all forms of electronic communication – academic and personal. Most of these e-mail accounts, however, will be terminated once students graduate from their colleges. If a student plans to create a new e-mail account after graduation, then he or she can create the account prior to graduation.
If a student creates a new account before graduating, then he or she can notify all of the contacts in the school account about the change. This is important if a student hopes to remain connected to any professors, advisors, campus employers, etc.
While college students are busy with school projects prior to graduation, it's still beneficial for them to work on completing job-seeking tasks, such as gathering letters of recommendation, during this time. It's much easier for students to complete these tasks before graduation while they're still connected to their campuses.
 |
