We sat down with Mike McCay, director of The University Career Center at Auburn University and Addye Bucknell-Burnell, associate director, Career Development, to get their insight on landing the perfect job.

By Kate Asbury Larkin ’21

Networking

The Interview

Do your homework

• Know your audience.
• Every person you come in contact with at the company is an interviewer, including the receptionist and the janitor; treat every person as the most important person.
• Research the company and position before you go to the interview.
• Bring up all experiences that would be interesting to this employer.

Do not ask questions that only benefit yourself

• Do not ask about salary.
• Do not ask about vacations or time off.
• Think of your interview as a date
• Be sure all of your responses align with the position.
• Show genuine interest in the job.
• Promote yourself — tell your story.
• Do not undersell yourself, your skills and/or your abilities.

Good questions to ask

• What can I do in this job to make your life easier?
• What does a typical day look like?
• What would you like to see this position accomplish in the first 90 days?

Informational Interviewing

Seek out four to five companies or alumni you would like to sit down with to learn more. It doesn’t matter if the company doesn’t have any current job openings. Information interviews aren’t job interviews; they’re a time to introduce yourself, to get to know the company or industry and to show a genuine interest in the company.

Informational interviews can be beneficial for both the job seeker and the employer. When jobs do open, you’ll have already established a professional relationship.

Resume

• Keep resumes to one page, if possible, two pages, max
• Tailor your resume to the position for which you are applying.
• Highlight only the details that would be important to your audience.
• Use the Job Search Guide on the career center website: https://aub.ie/JSG
• Print hard copies on professional resume paper.
• Choose professional references who you are sure will give you a good recommendation; ask permission to use them as a reference.
• Do not include references on your resume; references should be on a separate sheet that you present at an interview or upon request.
• Online portfolios are invaluable electronic resumes.

Handshake

Career Fairs

Auburn-sponsored career fairs are open to all alumni. Alumni within five years of graduation can utilize the University Career Center for additional assistance. career.auburn.edu