What is a Career Coach? #CareerToolThursday

Have you been curious as to what that Administrative Responsibility was all about last semester about scheduling a meeting with your Career Coach? If you have never met your Career Coach, your Coach is someone who works in the wonderful Undergraduate Career Services department in LaCava 225 and is specially trained to answer all your career questions and help you with any step in the process, from writing your first resume to deciding between offers. Here are just a few examples of questions they can answer:

1. Major/Minor Selection
   1. How do I figure out what I want to major in?
   2. How many minors can I have?
   3. Can I double major in ________ and ________?
   4. Should I go to grad school if I want to do _______?
2.  Resume
   1. How do I write one?
   2. What sections do I include?
   3. Should I include my major GPA?
   4. How long should it be?
   5. Why does it have to be the “Bentley” way?
   6. If I’m a creative major, when do I make a creative resume? How do I make one?
   7. Where’s the line when it comes to presenting myself well and “stretching the truth” on a resume?
3. Cover Letter
   1. How do I write one?
   2. Do employers actually read cover letters?
   3. Why do all Bentley cover letters have to have the same format?
   4. What if I can’t find the address or name of the hiring manager?
   5. Do I have to put “Attachment: Resume” at the bottom?
4. Applications
   1. When do I start applying?
   2. How do I start applying?
   3. Should I apply just through BentleyLink, or look on other job websites as well?
   4. When it says optional cover letter, should I include one?
   5. If there’s an emergency, can I reschedule an interview that I missed?
   6. I submitted the wrong cover letter to the wrong company, can I rescind it and re-apply?
5. Networking
   1. Is the Career Fair really worth going to?
   2. How do I effective stand out when networking?
   3. Which events are most important to go to?
6. Interview Process
   1. Why am I not getting any interviews?
   2. How do I schedule an interview on BentleyLink?
   3. How should I prepare for an interview?
   4. What do I wear?
   5. How early should I arrive beforehand?
   6. What do I bring with me, if anything?
   7. Is practicing interviewing really necessary?
   8. What questions should I expect from this company?
   9. Is there a “right” answer?
7. Offers
   1. Can I still interview with other companies if I’ve been extended an offer?
   2. Can I ask a company to extend its deadline on an offer?
   3. Can I back out of an offer if a better one comes along?
   4. Is it okay to negotiate an offer (pay, housing, etc.)?
   5. Can I ask a company for a different location after they extend an offer?

…And many more! Be sure to schedule a meeting with your Career Coach, come to drop-in hours, shoot them an email, or explore the CareerEdge website to find the answers to all your questions!