Job Search Tools and Tips

Career Services exists to help you identify studies and career goals that suit you, to support you in your future planning, help you prepare for the world of work or further education, hone your skills through experiential education, brainstorm with you, listen to you and cheer you on. As a result, we offer everything listed above plus counseling, workshops, internships, co-ops, Career Fairs, an information-rich website, job listings of all kinds, meetings with employers and more.

You own your job search – the result of which is up to you and employers. Career Services does not “place” students or alumni; we educate our students and our grads to connect with the folks who do make those offers: employers!

Find Job & Internship Opportunities

• Search Handshake: Find on-campus, full-time, part-time, and seasonal opportunities posted for the Montclair State University community.
• Explore Online Resources: Use job boards, networking tools, and research sites to discover opportunities and learn about employers.
• Attend Career Fairs & Events: Connect with employers, explore career options, and discover internship and job opportunities.
• Check Employer Websites: Visit organization websites for additional openings and application opportunities.

Link Your Major to Career Opportunities: First, it is important to determine what careers align with your program of study. It is important to keep in mind that major does not have to determine what you will do for a living. You should also take into account your values, skills, personality and interests.

Conduct Information Interviews: Have a conversation with someone in the field you are interested in working in to help you learn what it is really like to work in that field.

Develop Your Resume and Cover Letter: Because no one knows you as well as you know yourself – your goals, your accomplishments, your strengths – no one can write an effective resume and cover letter for you but you. You must be comfortable with every word in your resume and be able to speak easily about whatever you write.

Learn from the Pros: Career Services hosts a number of career development workshops and networking events throughout the year. Check out the events calendar and plan to attend sessions of interest!

Review Your Digital Footprint: Update profiles and resumes on LinkedIn, Handshake, and other sites where you are marketing yourself for employment opportunities.

Avoid Job and Internship Scams: Scam artists take advantage of college students since they tend to be new to the job search and quite vulnerable during the process. They also understand that many students are very interested in finding positions that are paid and advertise their false positions as such. Be aware that job scams exist and learn how to recognize and avoid them.

Create a Plan: Set S.M.A.R.T. goals (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely) and hold yourself accountable. Create a routine with designated timelines in which you utilize avenues such as networking contacts and online resources. Track your progress using an Excel sheet!

There are many online employment websites. The more you diversify your job search, the more likely you are to find opportunities that suit your interests. .

• Handshake: Job and internship postings.
• Idealist.org: Jobs and internships for those who want to make the world a better place.
• USAjobs.gov: Federal government’s official job listing with employment search, information center, veteran information and forms.
• NJHire: New Jersey Department of Education’s free education recruitment website.
• LiquidCompass: Healthcare jobs in hospitals/health systems with highlighted positions for new grads.
• My Next Move (for veterans): Helps you find a civilian career similar to your military job.
• LinkedIn Job Search Engine: Leverages the world’s largest professional network to connect you with opportunity. LinkedIn Jobs surfaces insights such as whom you know at a company, providing you an edge in your job search.
  • LinkedIn ProFinder: LinkedIn’s new professional services marketplace that helps connect entrepreneurs and freelancers with real business projects.
  • LinkedIn Internships: Helpful internship finder that uses the power of LinkedIn to help you take the first step in your professional career.
• Summer Jobs: Top resource for finding summer camp jobs, seasonal employment and careers with resorts, parks or hotels.

Beware of Job Scams, Protect Your Privacy, Ask Questions

Phishing

Phishing has become more prevalent in recent years. These scammers use two different tactics to identify their victims:

1. A mass email is sent claiming to have viewed recipients’ resumes and notes that they meet the requirements for a bogus position. The message may also use language stating that they are responding to a resume you sent. Try to remember whether or not you sent your resume to that organization/recruiter.
2. The scam may also come in the form of a professional email sent to you containing a link. Beware of the fact that the link can lead to a false website that may ask you to update banking or employment information.

International Check Cashing Scam

This scam involves transferring funds internationally. The scam artist tells the targeted individual that they are overseas and would like to have money deposited into the victim’s account via check, money order or wire deposit then cashed. The victim is told to send a portion of the money to the scam artist and to keep a percentage for themselves as payment for services. It’s explained that this helps to avoid international taxes and fees. In the end, the victim has the money withdrawn from their account before the bank realizes it was a fraudulent check, money order or deposit.

Reshipping

Once again, this scam is typically generated through an email from a company that appears to be legitimate. Victims are asked to receive packages and reship them to a different address, with their address on the return label.  If caught, they can be arrested for receiving and shipping stolen goods.

Mystery Shopper

These positions often appear too good to be true. They give victims the opportunity to dine at a particular restaurant, or shop in a popular store and then be reimbursed for their purchase and perhaps even to receive a small compensation. Although many of these opportunities are legitimate, there are some that ask potential employees to pay an upfront fee to get more information about the role prior to being hired. This may happen in other industries, as well. It should be known that there is no need to pay a potential employer anything prior to getting hired for any job.

Ways to Avoid Falling Victim to Scams

• Google is your friend. Oftentimes, previous victims have posted about their experiences online. Many potential scams can be avoided by simply looking up an employer by organization name, contact name, phone number or email.
• Carefully review contact information, job descriptions, company descriptions and email addresses.  Be sure to look for spelling and grammatical errors, which are usually the sign of a scam.
• Keep a list of all jobs and companies to which you’ve applied so you can easily look back to see if the employer was one in which you were interested.
• If the sender’s email address is coming from a Gmail, AOL, Yahoo or other perceived personal account, it’s most likely a scam. Most businesses have their name in their email extensions.
• Never give out your social security number, birthday, mother’s maiden name or financial information. New employers do not need any of that information until after you have started working and wish to have your paychecks deposited directly into your account.
• Under no circumstances agree to forward, transfer or wire money to or from your account. Any transfer of funds should come out of the employer’s business account.
• By no means pay an employer for any products, information, licensures or information prior to being hired for the position.
• And remember that scam artists go to great lengths to create emails and websites that look like legitimate organizations. They copy company branding such as logos, colors and text to trick their victims. If there is any doubt as to the validity of the message, call your financial institution or the referenced company and ask them to verify that the message is legitimate.

Choosing a major is about finding a subject that matches your interests, strengths, and career goals. Explore topics you enjoy learning about and consider how they connect to future career opportunities.

Other Resources

• The LinkedIn Alumni Tool: Explore what alumni are doing with their degrees.
• What Can I Do With This Major?: Learn about common career areas, typical employers, strategies to maximize career opportunities and much more!
• What Can I Do With a Major In…?: From the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, research possible careers related to a list of majors.
• Buzzfile: Search for employers that are relevant to specific majors.
• Career Communities: From the University of Delaware, link to occupations, industry specific job/internship resources and more!
• Federal Job Search: Search federal/government occupations by college major.