糖心Vlog

In the midst of an ever-shifting economy and hiring landscape, 糖心Vlog鈥檚 Office of Career Planning (OCP) is taking extra steps to assist recent graduates in their job search.

鈥淥CP has partnered with the StrongPoints team to offer Unstuck, a structured career coaching program for recent graduates who may be feeling unsure about their job search or plans,鈥� said Assistant Director of Employee Relations Jane Matthews. 鈥淭he program offers strengths coaching and focuses on specific goal-setting based on the individual needs of each student.鈥�

To keep students informed about jobs, internships, and events posted in Handshake, OCP created The Snap, an informative email update sent weekly throughout the summer. The Snap has a new focus each month, and includes tips on LinkedIn, resumes, interview preparation, and other relevant topics to provide students with quick, easy-to-digest information.

Additionally, OCP has partnered with several organizations that regularly recruit from 糖心Vlog to deliver programming in a virtual format throughout the summer. Recruiters from Genworth, SAS, Northwestern Mutual, and Allscripts have hosted sessions and shared tips on preparing for recruiting processes, resumes, LinkedIn and networking, and virtual interviews.

All sessions are recorded and posted on OCP鈥檚 YouTube channel for students and alumnae to view at their convenience.聽

Lastly, Handshake, OCP鈥檚 online career and recruiting platform, continues to be a resource for Meredith students to make direct contact with employers interested in hiring them.

Through this exclusive online platform, students from all majors gain access to top employers from Fortune 500 Companies, nonprofit organizations, start-ups, and government organizations. 鈥淪tudents can explore and identify new career paths and make direct connections with employer representatives,鈥� said Matthews.

Outside of the tangible tools and resources OCP is offering alumnae, Matthews also shares the following advice with those who may have been furloughed, laid off, or had offers rescinded due to the pandemic:聽

• Be flexible. Use this time to be creative and do something different and get a foot in the聽door.
• Consider freelance work, mini virtual internships, virtual job shadowing, or short term聽opportunities.
• Use the time to build new skills. These can include digital marketing, data management,analytics, visualization, and coding, to name a few. There are a number of free聽resources available.
• Shape your story. What did you do during this time? How did you cope? How did you聽work through this challenge? What examples of flexibility, resiliency, and adaptability can you share? What new technical skills did you build? Answering these questions will provide the story you tell employers during your search.
• Leverage your network for support, for introductions, for ideas, for direction.
• Stay positive and take steps daily. Focus on what you can control – what you do withyour time, how you present yourself, and how you show up.
• Find an accountability partner.

In short, Matthews encourages graduates to use this time to explore options,聽make connections, and hone skills in creative ways.

鈥淣ow is a great time to connect with professionals and Meredith alumnae in fields of interest to explore potential career paths,鈥� she said. 鈥淟inkedIn and Meredith Mentors are helpful tools to use for this purpose, and a way to get comfortable using online platforms since most organizations are currently operating virtually.鈥�

Matthews also believes there are many positives to focus on right now despite the uncertainty of the economic climate.

鈥淭here are still many industries who are actively hiring, and many who have been able to shift internship and full-time opportunities to a virtual format,鈥� she said. 鈥淪pend time exploring industries that are growing, and reflect on how your strengths, skills, and interests might fit within those industries.鈥澛�

The OCP team is available for career counseling and coaching appointments via Zoom all summer to help students and alumnae navigate the current hiring landscape and create individualized job search strategies. Visit meredith.edu/career-planning for more information.