Off-Campus Efforts

Oftentimes, students will not find a suitable match through on-campus efforts. For example, some students desire to work for a very small, entrepreneurial company or a company in a specific geographical area. Therefore, companies typically using the Career Placement Center will not be able to meet these students' needs. In addition, some students will discover that they have failed to develop a set of professional characteristics that appeal to these companies. In any event, finding a position with outside-campus assistance requires a great deal of effort and careful preliminary planning.

Placement efforts outside the Career Placement Center should begin early in your senior year. Carefully worded cover letters and professionally prepared resumes are critical in persuading a potential employer to grant an interview. Oftentimes, students find break periods (such as Spring break) very valuable travel times for interviewing potential employers. Targeting specific employers takes creativity and research skills. Recognizing that people are also products, marketing majors often find that they can apply their marketing training to their placement efforts.

The Career Placement Center, advisors, Marketing faculty, family, and friends can assist you in these outside efforts. In addition, some students obtain the services of employment agencies, many of who are fee-paid (at no cost to the student) to assist in their efforts. Agencies may be especially helpful to those who want to locate in a distant geographical area. Again, students attend business schools to develop a career, do not fall short of your aspirations because of a lack of forethought and planning.