Mark your calendars. Pick out a suit. Prepare for the worst, but expect the best.
With this in mind, seniors and graduate students are preparing for what could be the toughest challenge and race of their lives: the hunt to find a job.
The time is near for the class of 1997 to make the big leap out of the safe haven of the University and into the real world, but while some students will continue to pursue a graduate degree, a large group of the senior class will enter the job market.
But what awaits graduating seniors?
So far, the news looks good. According to a study conducted by the career planning office at Michigan State University, there's an increase of 4.7 percent in the number of jobs available from last year.
For students in the University's Business School, the news looks even brighter: Last year's BBA class had a 100-percent placement rate this year. With the assistance of high rankings from U.S. News and World Report, it is safe to say business school students are in high demand.
So why worry?
LSA senior Robert Hunt said he's stressed about finding a job even though it still seems a long way off.
"I'm sure I'll find a job, but I figure if I can't find a job where I want to work, then I'll find a job where I don't want to work until something better comes along," Hunt said.
Every decision made in the job search seems crucial: whether to put your name in bold type on your resume, whether to wear a pants suit or a skirt, or whether to crack that funny joke that wins almost everyone over, but could backfire during an interview.
The first step that graduating students should take, said Bryan Kempton, a counselor at the Career Planning & Placement office, is a self-assessment of their strengths and weaknesses.
"Many students think a good interview and resume are key. Those are important, but the main thing students need to keep in mind is that they've spent enough time at the University to gain a good sense of their values and interests," Kempton said. "Then they should connect these skills to what they can do in the job market."
LSA senior Heather McAllister said she doesn't think the type of undergraduate degree really matters.
"I think what they're looking for are intelligent, inquisitive individuals with the ability to analyze information and come up with their own independent solutions," McAllister said. "And that's not something you can teach in a class anyway."
But LSA senior and English concentrator Laura Bennett said having an LSA degree will hinder her chances at getting a job in market research.
"A lot of companies will only hire through the Business School," Bennett said.
Contrary to popular belief, Jeanne Wilt, director of the Office of Career Development at the School of Business Administration, said a number of companies value a strong liberal arts education.
"You can have all sorts of backgrounds, but if you market yourself as intelligent, then you'll be fine," Wilt said.
Gary Boley, director of Stearns Engineering Placement, said engineering degrees are regarded as the liberal arts degree of the 21st century.
"There's a lot of attention given to engineers as liberal arts majors in the 21st century because of their very good analytical skills and technical abilities," Boley said.
But in other instances, the art of resume-writing lies in what is placed on the resume and what is left out.
Wilt emphasized the importance of placing work experience and responsibility on a resume.
"(Employers) are looking for solid work experience where there was responsibility involved and where they helped achieve something," Wilt said.
Both Kempton and Wilt recommend taking resumes to a number of people to get a variety of input.
"Practice, practice, practice - get a variety of perspectives on contents, aesthetics and grammar," Kempton said. "And check out for those typos."
"You want that interviewer to focus on your skills, you don't want to draw any attention to anything outside of your person," Wilt said. "You want how you're dressing to be a nice, neutral backdrop that conveys professionalism so that there is nothing that would take the recruiter's attention from you.
"No three-inch heels, green suits, or short skirts. Don't give them any material to focus on when you want them to focus on you," she said.
The dress code for males should be the traditional grey or navy suit with a tie. For females, solid-colored suits are recommended as well, but are females restricted from wearing pants suits?
"It's not something our office recommends because we want to recommend things we know will work," Wilt said.
Boley said he doesn't think students prepare for interviews well enough.
"They have to understand the company and the questions they ask," Boley said.
Boley said there two types of interviews that engineering students can anticipate: behavioral and case interviewing.
"Behavioral interviewing is finding out about past behaviors and attribute it to the future," he said. "Case interviewing is when a company will give you a case and expect you to come up with a solution."
Jason Wang, recent University alum and recruiter for St. Paul Companies in Minnesota, said he gets butterflies in his stomach when he conducts interviews.
"I get butterflies because I'm the person who is deciding someone's fate in the company," Wang said.
Wang said the interview is the best opportunity to display strong communication skills.
"The best thing for a student (during an interview) is to be as articulate as possible," Wang said. "Communication is key to any company, the better you can verbally express yourself, the better off you will be."
Just ask first-year RC student Natasha Allen was has already jumped head-first into looking for employment.
"I'm really excited about the job hunt," Allen said. "I think it'll say a lot about me as a person and how much I strive."
Kempton said seniors should be visiting the CP&P office now and taking advantage of its resources.
"Starting now makes finding a job much more manageable," Kempton said. "Sometimes I equate finding a job as a part-time job in itself. It is time consuming."
MARGARET MYERS/Daily
LSA sophomore Digna Feliciano talks to EDS representative Saloni Janjeva at last week's CP&P Job Fair at the Michigan Union.