Job Search

In the midst of enjoying your final year of school; completing your thesis, warrior exams, papers, and senior projects; and bidding farewell to your friends, faculty and staff, you might also add to this list: conducting a comprehensive job search. The career services coordinator is here to support you through this transition and partner with you on your job search journey. Through one-on-one advising, you can develop manageable job search strategies and the necessary skills and knowledge to conduct an effective search. Contact the career services coordinator to schedule an appointment. 

In the meantime, the following checklist can ease you into the job search:

• Identify your interests, values, skills and talents as they relate to world of work.  A good place to start is by conducting a self assessment.
• Consider your contemplative education and the many transferrable skills you have developed during your experience at Naropa.
• Explore careers that may be of interest to you.  You can find strategies for career exploration here.  
• After you have identified your interests, values, skills and talents and explored various careers, brainstorm a list of potential careers/occupations you would like to pursue.
• Research geographic areas where you would like to live and identify several organizations of interest to you that align with your self assessment and offer opportunities to pursue the careers/occupations of interest to you. Visit Career Services’ Web Resources for good links to research geographic areas.
• Develop a resume and cover letter(s) and have them reviewed by the career services coordinator. Consult the Resume and Cover Letter Writing Guide for more immediate assistance.
• Identify at least three people who can serve as references on your behalf. Avoid asking family and friends and instead consider professionals and faculty who can speak to your work ethic.
• Practice and develop your interview skills with a friend or with the career services coordinator. Review the Interview and Post-Interview Correspondence Guide for tips and sample questions.
• Make sure your voice message on your phone and your email address are professional. It may be a good idea to open a new email account with your first and last name in the address. This can help you organize the job search as well.
• Start the job search process. Use the Job Search Guide to direct your search.
• Join the students-employment.scholarship listserv. Career Services posts employment and internship opportunities every Tuesday and Friday. We also post positions on the job board outside of the Student Affairs offices in the Administration Building on the Arapahoe Campus.
• To join the students-employment.scholarship listserv, send an email with no subject and no message. and you are finished! To leave the listserv, simply send an email with no subject and no message.
• If you have a few friends who are also looking for a job, make an agreement to forward any opportunities you come across that you think may interest them. By helping each other, you can cover a lot more ground!
• Celebrate the small successes – finding the “ideal” job opening, receiving a phone call or an interview. Job searching takes time.
• Send thank-you notes after every interview. Refer to the Interview and Post-Interview Correspondence Guide for guidance.

Self Assessment

Choosing an Undergraduate Major

Exploring Careers

Graduate School

Career Guides

Web Resources

Sarah Steward, career services coordinator
Arapahoe Campus ~ Allen Ginsberg Library
second floor (6210)
303.245.4863 ~ ssteward@naropa.edu