Regis University Graduate Survival Guide

new GRADUATE SURVIVAL GUIDE

Transitioning from school to work takes planning. Here you’ll find tips on how to make the transition easier, whether you’re looking for a first job, a career change or promotion.

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ALUMNI BENEFITS

CENTER FOR CAREER AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Our services are available and free of charge to all Regis University alumni, and include:

• Access to job and event postings in Handshake

• Career events and workshops

• Resume, CV and cover letter design/review

• Job interview preparation

• Graduate school assistance

• Salary negotiation tips

• Networking and LinkedIn assistance

• Career counseling and planning

• Career assessments

• Job search assistance

Scheduling a virtual, phone or in-person appointment online is quick and easy!

Step 1: Go to joinhandshake.com and click ‘login’

Step 2: Below the blue button, click ‘sign in with your email’ and follow the prompts

Step 3: Once logged in, click “Career Center” then “Appointments”

Experiencing issues with Handshake login? We’re here to help! Call 303.458.3508 or email careers@regis.edu

In-person appointments are available only at the Northwest Denver Campus.

Center for Career and Professional Development reserves the right to suspend in-person appointments at any time as necessitated by city, state and/or Regis University COVID-19 directives.

Clarke Hall, Suite 214 regis.edu/ccpd careers@regis.edu

303.458.3508

YOU HAVE A DEGREE, KNOWLEDGE OF YOUR FIELD AND ARE READY TO TACKLE THE JOB MARKET, BUT MAYBE YOU’RE NOT SURE WHERE TO BEGIN.

WHAT’S YOUR FOCUS?

You’ve worked hard for your degree. Now, put that degree to work. Here are some steps you can take to find a career that fits your interests and skills.

CAREER PLANNING APPOINTMENTS

Many Regis graduates are looking for more than a job — you may be looking for your first step toward a satisfying career or career transition. Meeting with a career counselor can help you discover resources and focus on the type of work that fits you best.

LINKING MAJORS TO CAREERS

The Center for Career and Professional Development offers information on some of the careers you might pursue. Resources for linking majors to careers are available online at regis.edu/ccpd. Click “ What Can I Do With This Major? ”

CAREER ASSESSMENTS

The Center for Career and Professional Development provides, at no charge to alumni, a variety of assessments designed to shed light on strengths, values, talents and skills as they relate to career discernment.

• Strong Interest Inventory (SII): Assesses your interests as they match with a range of occupations and work environments.

• Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI): Understand your personality preferences as they relate to career options.

• StrengthsFinder: Uncover your unique talents and strengths, then learn strategies for applying them in your life and career.

Schedule an Assessment Exploration appointment with one of our career counselors to determine which assessments will be most beneficial in guiding you toward your goals.

NAVIGATING THE JOB MARKET

No matter where you live or the career path you have chosen, it’s no big secret the job market you’re entering has undergone a reinvention inside our post-pandemic world economy. To navigate a job search within this new landscape, you’ll want to take advantage of every employment resource available to you.

In an era of remote networking, online job searching and virtual interviews, it might feel challenging to know where to begin.

Here are three ways to get started…

1. Log in to Handshake at joinhandshake.com and complete your profile (jump to page 8 for Handshake login instructions)

2. Create or update your professional profile on LinkedIn

3. Schedule an appointment with the Center for Career and Professional Development to gain access to additional job finder resources.

RESEARCHING EMPLOYERS

Before you attend a networking event, career fair or job interview, do your research!

Impress prospective employers by showing that you’ve taken the time to learn about the company’s mission, operations and team culture via their website, social media and LinkedIn page.

Look for…

• Location, website and contact information

• Revenue, expenditures and number of employees

• Parent company, subsidiaries, divisions and departments

• Top executives and hiring managers

• Background, major accounts, products, services and goals

• Human resource policies

• Comparisons with competitors

• Company culture

• Job listings and position descriptions

PROFESSIONAL AND INDUSTRY ORGANIZATIONS

Professional associations are a great place to make contacts and get inside information on industries and employers. Participating in a professional organization is one of the best things you can do to further your career both before and after landing your next job. Professional associations can be found online or through your local Chamber of Commerce. Another place to start is on CareerOneStop, a website that allows you to locate national professional associations by occupation or industry served.

YOUR RESUME

Resume development leads to a resume that best represents you and the focus of your job search.

A good resume will help you get selected for interviews. The Center for Career and Professional Development can assist in this process.

SUCCESSFUL RESUMES DEMONSTRATE:

• A focus on your goals based on direct and transferable skills you’ve developed through experience and education.

• An emphasis on accomplishments, more than just job duties.

• A well-written, one-two page presentation composed and formatted as an easy-to-ready document.

BEFORE SUBMITTING YOUR RESUME:

• Eliminate “I”, “me”, “my” and other pronouns.

• Describe your accomplishments and experience in bulleted phrases beginning with action verbs.

• Include no more than 10, possibly 15, years of work experience.

• Check for consistency of formatting, readability (use of bold, bullets, present or past tense verbs), and font size — no smaller than 11 point.

• Have it reviewed by a career professional and someone in your field (professor, manager, coworker, etc.)

The Center for Career and Professional Development can help you create your best resume. Schedule an appointment with a career counselor to develop a resume that will effectively present your experience, accomplishments and skills to prospective employers.

YOUR COVER LETTER

Cover letters allow you to address companies and organizations more specifically and focus your communication with a hiring manager. The reader is able to assess your written communication and organizational abilities. In a competitive job market, a tailored cover letter can make the difference between getting or not getting the interview.

EFFECTIVE COVER LETTERS DEMONSTRATE:

• A solid match between your experience and/or skill sets and the needs of the employer.

• An understanding of the position and the company.

• A focus on accomplishments, more than “soft skills” (For example: “At company X, I increased productivity 20 percent by implementing team goals and incentives.” versus “I am good at working with people.”)

• A clear expression of interest in the company and position stating your intention to follow up.

BEFORE SUBMITTING YOUR COVER LETTER:

• Find the relevant hiring agent (avoid Dear Sir or Madam); if you cannot find a name, use an appropriate job title or role (Sales Manager, Finance Director, Hiring Authority, etc.).

• Ensure you used the name of the company or the hiring agent in the body of the letter; this personalizes the letter.

• Proofread, and have another set of eyes review it (career professional, someone whose writing you trust, a coworker, etc.) for both content and spelling/grammar. Since each cover letter you write for a given position is unique, don’t send a one-size-fits-all cover letter!

NETWORKING BASICS

Networking is an essential tool for a successful job search. The networking process yields more and better job leads than relying exclusively on online job board sites.

To network effectively, you need to be able to:

• Articulate your strengths that benefit an organization or company.

• Describe tasks you like to do and problems you like to solve.

• Delineate a general career direction.

• Create a way to track and maintain networking contacts, the results of those activities, and follow up as needed.

If you are unsure how to begin, talk with a career counselor to identify your strengths, clarify direction and polish your networking skills. Here are additional methods for finding good networking resources.

• Ask faculty and other professionals in your field for names of relevant professional organizations.

• Monthly meetings, members-only job postings, continuing education and built-in network contacts are just a few of the advantages of joining a professional organization in your career field.

Attending career events sponsored by the Center for Career and Professional Development is another way to meet people in your field, gather information about opportunities and

acquire professional contacts. Keep an eye on these sites for the latest news on upcoming Regis University career fairs and employer events:

• HANDSHAKE ( joinhandshake.com)

• regis.edu/ccpd

• FOLLOW US ON Facebook, Instagram, Twitter AND LinkedIn

KEEP IN MIND:

• Be clear about who you are and what you bring to an organization.

• Use a variety of resources to create a professional network; in particular, join the Regis Alumni Association LinkedIn Group and connect with other Regis alumni and current students who share your professional interests.

• Join professional organizations in your career field.

• Be visible and involved in the professional organizations of your choice.

• Cultivate professional relationships by reciprocating with information, acknowledgment or assistance.

• Be prepared when you are meeting with a network connection.

• Ask for advice and be sure to thank each network contact after each meeting.

INTERVIEWING

Now that your resume and networking skills have paid off, it’s time to focus on interviewing. An interview lets you showcase the knowledge, experience and personal strengths you would add to an organization. Behavioral interviewing is the most popular method used by companies to select candidates. Companies may conduct behavioral interviews using one person or a team. Most importantly, professionalism is key! Whether you’re interviewing virtually or in-person, it is up to you to make a positive and lasting impression. Here are a few tips to keep in mind.

BEFORE YOUR INTERVIEW:

• Know what you have to offer an organization; review your strengths from your resume.

• Research the organization.

• Prepare experience-based examples to support and expand on your resume.

• If your interview is in-person, make a trial trip to the interview site.

• Practice, practice, practice.

• Schedule an appointment with a career counselor for a mock interview to polish your skills and receive professional feedback.

• Prepare a list of thoughtful questions to ask the employer during the interview.

BEFORE YOUR VIRTUAL INTERVIEW:

• Test your computer beforehand to avoid any last-minute hiccups

• Virtual does not mean casual – dress professionally!

• Find a quiet, well-lit location where you won’t be disturbed

• Clear your background space of clutter or other visual distractions

• Show up to your call on-time (or even better, a little early)

AT THE INTERVIEW:

• Dress appropriately.

• Arrive early.

• Relax; the confidence you portray in the first minute of the interview can make a big difference.

• If interviewing in-person, bring copies of your resume for your own reference and all members of the interviewing team.

• Bring questions to ask.

• Ask about the steps of the interview process — how long will the company be interviewing, when will second interviews be conducted, and when will a selection be made?

• At the end, be sure to thank the interviewers for the opportunity to meet with them and indicate your desire for the job.

• If interviewing in-person, ask for business cards from the interviewing team. If interviewing virtually, ask each person to share contact information in the chat function.

FOLLOW UP:

• Within 24 hours after your interview, email a personalized thank you note to each member of the interviewing team.

• If you don’t hear from the company, follow up in a reasonable time frame based on what you know about the company’s selection process.

• If you don’t get the job, continue to network with people from the company with whom you have a positive relationship.

Talent, Meet Opportunity.

THREE REASONS TO USE HANDSHAKE

1. The jobs you see have been intentionally posted to Regis University by employers who are actively recruiting from our school.

2. When you fill out your profile, Handshake will give you personalized job recommendations that match your interests and skills.

3. There are thousands of employers on Handshake –local, national and worldwide - including Fortune 500 companies as well as startups and non-profits.

LOG IN

• Go to joinhandshake.com and click “Log in”

• Below the blue button, click on “sign in with your email” and follow the prompts

• To avoid login issues following expiration of your Regis email access, we recommend using an alternate email address

COMPLETE YOUR PROFILE

• Fill out your job preferences and interests

• Add your job experience

• Upload a photo

• Upload your resume

LOOK FOR JOBS

• From the Handshake Home Page, click “Jobs”

• Use filters

• Filter by job types, job roles, industry, employers, work authorization and majors.

• Use key words

• Save the jobs you like and apply when you’re ready

• Doing this will also allow you to receive updates on your saved jobs and notifications when new positions become available

Need some help navigating through Handshake? Schedule a quick 30-minute “Handshake How-to” appointment with a career counselor today!

Schedule online at joinhandshake.com or call 303.458.3508

WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU?

FIRST DESTINATION ALUMNI SURVEY:

Here in the Center for Career and Professional Development, we take great joy in celebrating the accomplishments of our graduates. Your dedication and hard work these past few years will speak for itself as you carry your Regis University education with you into an exciting new chapter of life.

With that in mind, we would love to know where you’re headed from here!

Stay connected!

If you’ve not already completed the Regis University First Destination Alumni Survey, please do so, as we would love to hear from you! Click the link above to be connected to the survey now – it takes only a few minutes, we promise! By completing your First Destination Alumni Survey, you’ll contribute to plans and programs that will serve past, current and future Regis University students.

As a thank you, graduates who complete the survey by September 30, 2023 will be entered to win a $250 Amazon gift card and/or an Amazon Echo device.

Curious what your fellow Regis alumni have reported? Check out the Graduate Outcomes report on our website!