For students graduating this May, finding a job is on the forefront of their minds. The Career Management Center prepares students for those careers.
Employees helps students by critiquing resumes, conducting tailored mock interviews, loaning business professional outfits to students, as well as hosting numerous career fairs and networking events.
“Our goal is to help students prepare for life after Midwestern [State University] and build those life-long business skills,” Stephanie Sullivan, assistant director of the Career Management Center, said.
One of the most important representations of a job applicant is their social media presence. In fact, 91 percent of companies use social networking websites to screen potential employees, and 69 percent of companies admit to rejecting an applicant based on what they saw on a social networking site.
Some red flags to employers are profanity, spelling and grammar errors, illegal drug references, and sexual or inappropriate posts.
Cindy Price, college coordinator of the Career Management Center, said students often don’t realize that once something is put on the internet it’s out there forever.
While there are definitely things on social media that will turn an employer away from an applicant, there are also things that can draw employers in. One in three employers found content on applicant’s social media that made them more likely to hire them, and 23 percent found content that directly led to hiring a candidate.
LinkedIn is a business-oriented social networking service that allows users to highlight professional and educational experience, showcase examples of work, volunteerism, and make networking connections. An overwhelming majority of employers use LinkedIn to screen job applicants. More than 90 percent of employers turn to LinkedIn during the hiring process to screen candidates.
Price said, while job searches may not be on the forefront of an underclassman’s mind, it’s never too early for students to create a LinkedIn account and build a professional network.
The Career Management Center, in partnership with other offices on campus, will host Mustangs Movin’ On May 2-6. It is a week-long event that will feature presentations aimed at helping students to prepare for life after graduation. The presentations will include topics about job searches, how to obtain a home loan, 401K and IRA, employer mock interviews, as well as a presentation by the Career Management Center.
To find out more about Mustangs Movin’ On, students can call the Career Management Center at 940-397-4473.
Cristina McCrary is a career consultant in the Career Management Center.
Check out the rest of the series:
Social media is more than retweets and friend counts
Coordinator: ‘We try to be ahead of everything’
Networking: If You’re Not Doing It, You Should Be
Social Media: Be mindful of what you post
Build a positive social media presence
