Grad School, Fellowship, & Job Resources
Next Steps: Postgraduation Career Plans
—April Kinser, Director Career Development Office (CDO), Campus Center 201
During your last academic year at Bard you will have plenty of time to develop your post graduation plans if you start in the fall and schedule an appointment in the Career Development Office (CDO) with April Kinser, the designated senior career adviser and CDO director. Please email cdo@bard.edu or call 758-7539 to schedule an appointment with her to discuss your career possibilities and job search plans.
The Bard Basic Job Guide is downloadable at http://www.bard.edu/cdo. This publication contains sample resumes, cover letters, and important tips for your job search. Before meeting with April please try to write a draft of your resume to take with you when you meet with her.
The timetable for starting your job search depends upon the field you want to enter, the type of position you desire, and when you hope to start work. Most of you will find that starting your job search shortly after submitting your Senior Project in April is an appropriate time to look for a job if you are ready to start work in the summer. On average, once an employer advertises a job, it takes at least a few months to fill an entry-level position for a recent college graduate. Keep in mind that government jobs, teaching opportunities in independent schools, and business and financial positions may have application deadlines as early as the fall. Postgraduate paid internships at prestigious organizations are competitive and also have early deadlines. Make sure you are aware of deadlines if you are considering these employment fields.
The job search requires focus, commitment, a positive attitude, an ability to articulate clearly the type of position you want, and the inclination to connect with people and tell them about your career goals. Being able to describe the type of work you are looking for, including job titles is very important in your job search. For example, “I just graduated from Bard College and I am looking for an entry-level position in a nonprofit arts organization as an administrative assistant or coordinator of projects or programs.” People can better help you in your job search if you are able to express to them a succinct goal. The clearer you are about what you would like to do, the more likely you are to be successful in getting a job that suits you and sustains your passion and interest. CDO can help you identify and state your career goals, as well as coach you through your job search. Networking, although very important to your job search, is only one way to discover job opportunities. Don’t underestimate the effectiveness of applying for jobs posted at websites and in the newspaper classifieds of your future hometown. CDO subscribes to a number of websites that post jobs in specific fields. You can pick up this list of resources in our office as well as Bard tailored web sheets for particular professions. We hope you will utilize all of our resources.
CDO offers two Bard specific websites:
www.collegecentral.com/bard discover Bard friendly employers with leads to jobs, internships, and volunteer opportunities, as well as CDO’s online calendar.
http://inside.bard.edu find the Bard Basic Job Guide with sample resumes, the Vault Online Career Library, and more.
We hope you will use CDO to support you in your job search during your senior year. Drop by our office at Campus Center 201 or email cdo@bard.edu to schedule an appointment.
Questions?
Need more information? Contact: April Kinser, Director, Career Development Office, kinser@bard.edu, ext 7177, Campus Center 201