(This post was updated on 7/6/2020)

Many years ago, the interview process was simplistic. 

I would still consider it nerve-wracking, but not as demanding of a process. Today’s college students need to worry about more than aligning their skills, qualifications, and experiences with the job description. 

Now they’re facing phone and video interviews for jobs that may start completely virtual. Plus, they need to understand and prepare so much more. Students need to learn the company’s mission and culture (which might be different, now that it’s virtual), find a network using social media, stay professional while texting recruiters, and discover themselves all along the way. 

The pressure of finding a well-paying job immediately after graduation is already toppling. Especially when about half of college graduates in 2020 may be headed for unemployment, according to The Hill. Adding the weight of the changing interview process is overwhelming for many of your students. 

Here’s how you can help them tackle those fears and effectively prepare for the changing interview landscape: 

Determining whether or not to shift careers is challenging. Even if you aren’t content in your current role, there are many benefits of remaining with the company rather than embarking on a new job search. Before making any move, you should first determine whether it’s better for your career to find a way to move up in the company, or begin searching for a new job.

It’s important, however, not to wait until you’re “burned out” to begin planning your next career steps.

Use these tips to gauge your satisfaction level in your current career track, determine if there are changes you can make to make the shift in your current job, and how to know it’s time to move on:

Thomas is an interview pro. He says all the right things and gives the impression that he knows his stuff. In fact, when Thomas gets job interviews, he gets the jobs.

The trouble is, Thomas usually quits or is fired after only a few weeks. His lack of skills and experience were masked in the interview by his confidence and smooth-talking nature. 

Meanwhile, Beatrice has more than 10 years of experience in her field. During that time, she’s collected various honors and awards for high achievement. Co-workers turn to her first to answer questions about complicated topics or gain helpful insight into a work problem.

However, Beatrice is not a good self-cheerleader. She gets nervous in interviews and often gives odd or incomplete answers to questions. Since trying to shift her career path, Beatrice just cannot seem to get a call back after interviews, despite having the skills and experience to excel in the roles. 

Both Thomas and Beatrice could benefit from a bit of interview guidance, but for different reasons. As a career counselor, you must know how to recognize job seeker strengths and weaknesses and steer them clear of sending up interview red flags or, arguably worse, pulling the wool over interviewers’ eyes.

Here is a look into how you can help job seekers appealingly present themselves while remaining true to the facts: 

(This post was updated on 6/22/2020)

The summer months typically offer a quiet time for career counselors to tie up loose ends from the previous school year, check in with students working summer internships, and prepare for the fall semester career fair. Even with the world operating virtually this summer, it’s still a valuable time for networking and sparking new relationships with employers. 

Career counselors are the bridge to building lasting connections as students transition from academics to the business world. No doubt, you’ve witnessed firsthand the positive impact networking has on your students’ careers. It allows students to connect with mentors, find internship opportunities, and even land jobs before graduation. This year is no different.

Of course, you’ve already guided students toward building a strong network, but times are changing. Share some of these networking ideas with your students to help them make new connections this summer: