Gain connections and build your network at W. P. Carey

W. P. Carey provides the best career development resources for undergraduate business college students to help us earn our dream jobs. Here are some tips to to help you maximize the value of these resources and become a successful graduate.

As college students, we go to school, get good grades, and then after we graduate we should be given a billion job offers to choose from right?! WRONG. The world of jobs is competitive, and it does take a lot of effort to get that dream job you want when you graduate.

So other than getting a college degree, what else should you focus on when getting your education at W. P. Carey? Listen closely ... it’s not just about the grades. Yup, I said it. While GPA is important to care about, recruiters are also looking for candidates that are involved on campus, maintain leadership positions, and have work/internship experience. In addition, they are looking for candidates that have great communication skills and can be personable yet professional.

I will admit that there is a caveat: every employer/company is different. For example, while one company may not care about GPA so much, another company might care a lot about only receiving candidates with a 4.0. This brings up another question, how do you know what they are looking for?

My best advice is to meet the employers in person. But how do you do that? Here are some tips to help you to gain connections and build your network at ASU's W. P. Carey School of Business.

1. Get involved

You'll hear this all the time at W. P. Carey, and for good reason! Getting involved with student organizations — including 45+ business clubs — can allow you to talk to many recruiters and you can meet other students that have connections as well. Learn more about the value of getting involved.

2. Go to career fairs

No matter what year you are, the career fairs at ASU exist to help recruiters connect with awesome students like you. Here is a quick rundown about the value of attending career fairs throughout your college career.

First-year students

Check out the career fairs so you can become more aware of what they are like. They are actually more fun than you might think and it is super beneficial to take a look to see how the career fairs work so you can be better prepared for when you want to gain an internship or full-time job offer.

Sophomores

Again, get some more practice and start talking to recruiters about internship opportunities.

Juniors

Make sure to print out several copies of your resume (about 5 to 10 copies) and do your research to figure out which companies you really want to talk to about receiving an internship. Even if they aren’t looking for interns, it is great for them to get to know you early so you can stay in touch and ask for a full-time job offer before you graduate.

Seniors

This is your time to shine! You are almost done completing your undergraduate education, and it’s time to get that full-time job opportunity. Remember to bring copies of your resume, dress business professional, and do plenty of research of the companies that you are interested in. Companies do not like it if you just go up to their table and ask what they are about — it clearly shows you are not interested.

3. Work with W. P. Carey Career Services

A HUGE benefit of being a W. P. Carey student is W. P. Carey Career Services. Every W. P. Carey student can work with an assigned career coach, and easily schedule an appointment online through Advising SOS.

I have received a lot of my professional development knowledge and skills from W. P. Carey Career Services and their amazing career coaches. Students can ask them for any career advice, such as what kind of jobs can you get with your chosen degree, what are the average starting salaries, how to prepare for interviews and SO MUCH MORE! I have gone to W. P. Carey Career Services constantly since my first year and I am very thankful for the opportunity.

So to summarize, W. P. Carey provides the best career development resources for undergraduate business college students to help us earn our dream jobs. If you are a student at W. P. Carey, make sure to utilize their resources to the fullest and you will be a successful graduate.