It’s the start of a new academic year, which means that at least one of your students will be entering the world of work for the first time. As a faculty member, your job is to prepare them for the transition to the ‘real world’, but how exactly do you do that? How can you help your student manage their newfound independence and secure their first job?

While there are many traditional paper-based methods for applying for jobs, today’s generation of students has grown up in the age of social media. With many platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram at their fingertips, your student will have no trouble finding a job that suits their skillset, interests, and career ambitions. However, this raises another question: what will you put in place to ensure that your student are presenting themselves in the best possible light?

With so much competition, even the smallest details can make a difference. From crafting the perfect resume to finding the best-fitting business attire, from brushing up on your interview skills to learning how to network, your student will need all of your help to stand out from the crowd.

Here, we will discuss some of the basic essentials that every school’s online marketeer should know.

Resume

Your student’s resume is the key to getting an interview, gaining employment, and ultimately, securing a first-class position. And no, we don’t mean the humble piece of paper that they staple to their binder as they trudge off to class every day. We mean the resume they upload to a professional looking website to attract employers.

If your student is applying for a secretarial position, they might not need an actual resume but rather a cover letter that demonstrates their professionalism, creativity, and interest in the role. The same goes for an entry-level marketing position; while your student might have some experience in marketing, they will almost certainly need to demonstrate their knowledge and interest in the subject matter to stand out among their competition.

Regardless of the position that they are applying for, your student should have a resume that is free from spelling errors, shows an understanding of the job application and interview process, and is carefully curated to highlight their skills, achievements, and relevant experience. Remember: you are their first point of contact with the potential employer, so ensure that everything about them is consistent, comprehensive, and shows an understanding of the business.

Cover Letter

In addition to your student’s resume, they will also need a cover letter. A cover letter is basically an optional additional piece of writing that you wish to include in your student’s application to give the employer additional information about yourself. While some employers might prefer to see a résumé, a cover letter gives you the opportunity to highlight your student’s skills, experience, and qualities in a manner that is distinct to you, the hiring manager. A good rule of thumb is to think of a cover letter as an opportunity to’sell’ yourself to the employer.

A cover letter can be extremely creative, yet it must serve its purpose of enticing the reader to learn more about the candidate. Many times, cover letters can be the determining factor in whether or not an applicant gets an interview callback. So, take a little bit of time to brainstorm ideas for your student’s cover letter, and make sure that it is representative of their application.

LinkedIn Profile

If your student is entering the workforce for the first time, they will need to create a LinkedIn profile. A LinkedIn profile is a must for any professional in today’s market place, and it’s a great opportunity for your student to showcase their skills, experience, and qualities. A LinkedIn profile can also be a great tool for your student to find a job, as it is readily available to anyone, and free for students.

A LinkedIn profile should contain all of the information that is relevant to your student’s application, and it is a good idea to have a look through their profile before completing their application. This will ensure that all of the necessary information is there and will save you both time on the application process. When creating a LinkedIn profile for your student, think of things such as:

• Full name
• Email Address
• Contact Phone Number
• LinkedIn URL
• Skills
• Activities
• Interests
• Experience
• Education

Additionally, when you are uploading their resume to LinkedIn, be sure to ‘tag’ it with the appropriate skills. This will allow potential employers to discover your student’s resume, and it also gives you the opportunity to keep track of the various skills that your student develops from one position to the next.

Professional Email

Your student will also need a professional email address. As we mentioned before, a LinkedIn profile is a great opportunity for your student to showcase their skills, experience, and qualities. But once their profile is complete, they will still need a way to contact the employer about their application. You can help them out with this by providing them with a professional email address that they can utilize to connect with potential employers.

Since email is the most common and popular method of communication in today’s world, it is essential that your student is using a professional looking email address. This will help establish them as expert contact, and it also makes it easier for the employer to get in touch with them if they have any additional questions about their application.

Resume Review

Lastly, it is a good idea for any new hire to have their resume reviewed by a headhunter or career advisor before beginning employment. A resume review will help identify any problems with your student’s application, and it can also help improve their chances of securing a job. The best scenario is that a resume review will highlight the skills that your student needs to work on, and it can also point you towards any gaps in their knowledge and experience.

In short, securing a job can be difficult for anyone, but it is even more so for those who are entering the workforce for the first time. Your student will need all of your help to stand out among the competition, and a perfect resume is a great place to start. Know that there are many other components to a successful job search, such as networking, creating great interview questions, and following up after the interview. So don’t get discouraged if your resume doesn’t get you the job; instead, use the feedback to improve your approach for the next phase of the search.