Research Career Options
There are a variety of ways to learn about careers. The earlier you begin, the more time you will have to gain the practical experience that many employers look for upon graduation. If you have a few ideas about careers you are interested in, you can begin a more in depth investigation of the career with very little effort through some of the on-line resources such as Career Search or The Vault. If you have more time to allocate to your research, try contacting an alum that is currently doing the job you are interested in. If you have no idea what careers are of interest to you, get started by taking a look at the Alumni Career Advisory Network sorted by Major. See what careers Trinity Alumni have chosen after graduating with a major you are pursuing (or are interested in pursuing). Once you have a better idea what career fields you may be interested in, you can then begin to think about trying one out through academic internships, part-time and summer jobs. The more unique the career, the more time you will have to invest in your research. The payoff will be a rewarding career that you enjoy getting up to go to.
Trinity Recruiting
Web Resources
How to Conduct an Informational Interview
Informational Interviewing - Sample Questions
Recruiting Process
Employers all have their own individual process for recruiting. It is important that, whatever their process, you are informed and know what to expect. Generally, employers will have a recruiter who is the primary person to whom all candidates must address their resume and cover letter, conducts the initial screening interview, determines which candidates to invite for a more formal interview at their office, contacts your references, maintains the primary interview candidate file and ultimately has a strong vote in which candidates will receive offers. For candidates that receive offers, this person will also be a valuable resource for obtaining any additional information you may need in order to evaluate and compare offers you may have from other companies.
Often students apply to several companies, and when they receive a call from one of the employers they may have to spend a great amount of energy trying to remember what company the person was from. It is very wise to have a summary of all the employers you apply to (see Job Search Organization Form below) near your phone at all times. You will absolutely distinguish yourself from other candidates if you respond with immediate recognition to the caller. You will effectively create the impression that their company is very important to you, which is what you want.
Career Guides
Download our guides for all your career needs, as well as sample engineering resumes from Trinity students!
Full Time Employment
It is commonly held that ‘the best jobs are never advertised’ so, how do you get them? You have to work to find them! Research organizations that you consider would be the ultimate employer for you, then contact them to see if they have any unadvertised positions. If they do not, ask to speak with someone doing the job you are interested in so you can schedule an informational interview. Meet with the individual to find out how they broke into the business, determine if they have any suggestions on how you should attack your search or if they know anyone you should send your resume to. Immediately follow up with a thank you letter. Then, remember to periodically touch base with the individual to let them know how things are going, something might open up a month or two after you meet. If this approach does not work, utilize the Alumni Career Advisory Network to make contact with alumni currently working in the field you are interested in.
When should you start this process?
You can start when you are a First Year Student or when you are a Senior. The more contacts you make, the better.
Summer Jobs
Summer jobs are a great way to explore your career interests and build the valuable experience that employers will be looking for upon graduation. Don’t limit yourself to contacting employers that have listed summer jobs. Look at full time job opportunities and if you see a position that interests you, contact the recruiter.
Juniors, speak with Professor Mertens in March to register your interest in participating in the Trinity Engineering Advisory Council (TEAC) Summer Program which finds an internship for every interested engineering student during the summer before his or her senior year.
How to Find a Summer Job
Web Resources
Evaluating the Job Offer
Upon careful evaluation, it is not uncommon to find that an offer with a lower starting base salary can actually be the more profitable offer. When evaluating job offers it is very important to first put together your personal list of priorities. To do so, you must ask yourself how important factors such as geographic location, mentoring opportunities, training & development opportunities, exposure to senior management, 401K and stock option plans, business culture (conservative or casual), vacation benefits, salary compensation structure, leadership opportunities, travel requirements, or having your own office actually are to you. Once your list of priorities has been developed, you then have a benchmark from which to accurately compare all offers to. A job with a starting salary of $45,000 at a firm that you will have to work 75 hours per week is not paying you more than a job that pays $40,000 and only requires you to work 35 hours per week; so if you accept it, it had better meet some of your priorities other than pay, and it very well may.