JOB SEARCH STRATEGIES

Beginning your search for a job can be a full-time job, but don’t worry. The UNT Career Center is available to help you as you conduct your search, whether you are looking to gain experience or to launch your career. The Career Center offers workshops, career fairs, resume and interview prep, networking opportunities, and other valuable resources designed to help you to prepare for the search process and connect you to opportunities. We are committed to getting you hired and here to support you every step of the way! 

CAREER AND INTERNSHIP PLANNING

It is never too early to start planning for your future. No matter what stage of your job or career search process you are in, the UNT Career Center can help you reach your professional goals. Should you need assistance or want additional personalized advice, set up an appointment to meet with your Career Coach. 

  • Explore careers related to your degree: Don’t wait until you are graduating to think about the workplace. If you haven’t already, research careers related to your major or program. Do you know what jobs you will be qualified for when you graduate? To help plan your career path, conduct informational interviews with people who work with or hire people in your desired career. Ask them if your degree program and extra-curricular experiences have prepared you for the requirements employers expect. Potential employers expect job candidates to have related skills and experience, not just coursework, a good GPA, and other school achievements. To set yourself apart from other graduates, participate in internships, mentoring programs, and other career-related opportunities.
  • Prepare for the Job Search: Preparing for a job search is a process that begins early in your college career. Use this section as a resource for building and promoting your experience. Here’s how to get started!
    • Start Here: Begin with Self-Evaluation: 
      • Think about your experiences, including internships, part-time and summer jobs, volunteer work, extracurricular activities, research, leadership, courses, course projects, and relevant independent projects.
      • Assess what you have accomplished and the skills you have developed in each position. Take the MyPlan assessments to help you explore options and match you with careers based on your personality and interests.
    • Next: Research Your Target Market
      • Meet with a career coach, attend our workshops and events, and review career related resources online.
      • Use the job listings in Handshake to determine the knowledge, skills, and abilities employers are seeking.
      • Compare your qualifications to the requirements highlighted in your chosen job

PART-TIME EMPLOYMENT

Part-time employment is an excellent way to gain real-world experience while also earning money. Opportunities exist both on and off-campus.  

Finding Part-Time Job Openings

  1. Handshake: The first place to look for a part-time job is Handshake, the Career Center’s exclusive online database of both on and off-campus job listings. You will find a variety of part-time positions located on campus or within an easily commutable distance. The number of part-time openings listed will likely increase as the semester begins. To access current part-time listings in Handshake, login and click on Jobs.  
  2. Work study: Work Study positions are restricted to students eligible for financial aid who have received a Work Study award. Refer to the UNT Work Study site for information about eligibility, guidelines, program regulations and current job listings.

To learn more about the various part-time employment opportunities, check out On-Campus Employment.

CAREER FAIR TIPS

These tips for approaching a career fair are based on feedback from our employer organizations and our experience.

Tips to Get the Most Out of Career Fairs

  1. Bring many copies of your resume to submit to employers.
  2. Come prepared. Research the employers you would like to meet with and review their website and job openings. This impresses representatives because it shows a genuine interest in them. 
  3. Dress appropriately. First impressions are important and so it is recommend that you wear business professional attire to put your best foot forward. 
  4. Prioritize the employers you’re most interested in. If your schedule allows, you may find it easiest to start with the employers in which you’re less interested. This will allow you to hone your approach and to be most confident when you approach the employers you’re especially excited about. Be sure to balance this tip with the reality that you may have little time and that many other students may be interested in the same employers. Assume that you will need to wait to speak with some employers.
  5. Be flexible. No single employer representative is knowledgeable about all positions available, especially in a large organization.  Some reps attending fairs are there to share their experiences working at the organization and may not be involved in the hiring process. If the employer rep at the fair does not know specifically about jobs/internships of interest to you, ask for the name of someone who can help you.
  6. Introduce yourself and be prepared to give your “career pitch.” Extend your hand, say “hello” and state your name. Welcome the representative to UNT. Have your resume ready to give to the employer and be ready to talk about your career interests as well as academic and extracurricular experiences to show your skills and strengths. This information about Crafting Your Elevator Speech will help you organize what you’re going to say ahead of time.
  7. Ask the representative for his/her card, and then promptly send a thank-you note. 
  8. Be courteous! Demonstrate sensitivity to other job seekers waiting to speak with employers by keeping your questions brief and offering to continue your conversation at a later time. 
  9. Enjoy the fair and your interaction with the employers. Let your positive attitude show!

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT RESOURCES

The career development process for international students often takes a multi-faceted approach. In addition to meeting with a Career Coach and participating in our programming initiatives, these resources are provided to help UNT international students with the job search process.

  1. The Division of International Affairs provides important employment information for on and off campus jobs.
  2. GoinGlobal -Access H1-B information by city/metro area. Please note that our paid subscription requires you to initially access this site on-campus and create a free account. Once you’ve created an account, you will be able to access it from anywhere.
  3. This brochure provides information about UNT for international students.
  4. Check out the International Students Career Community for more job search information.

GRADUATE STUDENT RESOURCES

The UNT Career Center employs a full-time graduate school specialist dedicated to assisting graduate students in determining career paths and opportunities.  Whether you’re interested in pursuing a career in academia or exploring the broad range of options within various industries and occupations, the Career Coach for graduate students is available to assist you. The resources for graduate students include:

  • Resume, CV and Cover Letter writing
  • Mock Interviews
  • Career Planning Strategies
  • Academic or Corporate Job Search
  • Finding Success with Networking and Informational Interviews
  • Navigating Handshake and other online job postings
  • Making the most of Career Fairs

Professional development should be a daily and vital component of a graduate education. Finding a position in which you will be successful and satisfied takes time, preparation, and effort.  Be sure to take advantage of the events and workshops offered by the Career Center each semester to aid in your success. Check out the Graduate Students Career Community for more job search information.

AVOID EMPLOYMENT SCAMS

UNT Career Services offers Handshake as a resource for employers to connect with UNT students and alumni seeking internships, co-ops, and career-related jobs. Nationally, career services departments are reporting an increase in fraudulent employer postings to online platforms. UNT strives to keep fraudulent and scam postings off the system; however, it is impossible to ensure that every posting is legitimate and to keep track of every position after submission. The Career Center relies on students to notify us if they think a posting is potentially fraudulent. Therefore, we are sharing common “red flags” to be on the lookout for when using Handshake or any other job posting system.

Some job scams are easy to spot while others appear to be legitimate. So, how do you know who to trust? You can start with these basic guidelines to avoid a potential scam.

You should NEVER:

  • Give out personal information such as your social security or bank account number over email or phone.
  • Take cashier’s checks or money orders as a form of payment. Fake checks are common and the bank where you cash it will hold you accountable.
  • Cash a check that comes with “extra” money. Scammers send checks that require you to deposit a check at your bank, withdraw the “extra” money as cash, and then deposit that cash elsewhere. The check will bounce and you will be held accountable.
  • Agree to purchase gift cards or equipment for an employer.
  • Wire funds via Western Union, MoneyGram or any other service. Anyone who asks you to wire money is a scammer.
  • Apply for jobs listed by someone far away or in another country.
  • Agree to a background check unless you have met the employer in person.
  • Apply for a job that is emailed to you out of the blue.

You should ALWAYS:

  • Review jobs thoroughly. If a job is offering a lot of money for very little work, it could be a scammer trying to get personal information from you.
  • Research the employer. Do they have a reputable website or professional references? Is the job listing you want to apply for also on their main career page? Note: work-study jobs may not be advertised on employer websites.
  • Check employer messages carefully for typos and incorrect grammar, as well as a non-professional email address, such as gmail.com.
  • Meet face-to-face with a potential employer. An in-person interview or informal chat over coffee will help you determine the employer’s intentions.
  • Be sure to choose a public place to meet, tell someone where you are going and bring your cell phone, just in case.
  • Trust your instincts. If a job sounds too good to be true, it is likely a scam.

Visit the Federal Trade Commission for more examples and signs of a job scam.

Reporting Fraud and Scam

  1. To report a scam, file a complaint online with the Federal Trade Commission. Check out their video on how to report scam and more ways to avoid fraud.
  2. If you think a job listing Handshake is suspicious, please contact the Career Center. We can remove the job posting and provide you with further information.

Our goal is to provide accurate job listing information on our website; however, we make no representations or guarantees about positions posted by our office. You are responsible for your own safety, wages and working conditions.

Resources

Resources