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“My advice is to ‘follow the clues’ in your life—they’re already there. Pay attention to how you spend your time, money, and energy. These can point you toward what you value most and, often, where your passions lie.”
Pauline Bearden Simonowich (’87), Part-Time Faculty, Developmental Education & Academic Support and Social & Human Services at Pitt Community College in Greenville, NC
Whether you’re a current student or alum, we’re here for you in the job search process! Our career coaches are always happy to have a conversation to help you get clear on your goals and move forward with tangible action items to land a job. 🎯
Here’s how to get connected to us:
🎓 Current Students (including Seniors / 2025 graduates) – Schedule an appointment with an OPCD career coach on Handshake🤝 at wfu.joinhandshake.com/edu/appointments/new.
🎩 Alumni – Request a coaching appointment on our website at alumni.opcd.wfu.edu/connect-with-a-career-coach/.
Visit the link in our bio or stories to set up a time to chat to get the support you need. Have questions or need help? Always feel free to send us a message!
Seniors, recent grads, and all @wfualumni – the Wake Forest network is vast and strong! 🎩 As you conduct a job search, networking is key. Most companies value internal referrals for open job roles.
Don’t just apply online for open positions, but combine that with networking. Reach out to fellow Deacs who work in career industries and companies of interest to learn more about their career path and organization. Have informational interviews, tell your contacts when you’ve applied for a job at their company, and work your network!
Here are the 2 best places to access the Wake Forest network:
💛 WFU Alumni Group on LinkedIn – A private, by-request only group of 22,000+ Wake Foresters.
🖤 Wake Network – Online directory to filter and search for other Deacs.
Check out our best practice tips for using the alumni group on LinkedIn and Wake Network in these posts and visit the link in our bio or stories to start using these resources!
https://alumni.opcd.wfu.edu/networking/
We’re back today with more job search advice for Wake Forest seniors and recent grads: CAST YOUR NET WIDE. 🎣
Why do we say this? Ask anyone who has been in the world of work for a while, and we guarantee you they will tell you that your first job is NEVER the “dream job.” And guess what? That’s okay (and honestly, it’s a relief from the pressure to find the most perfect job after graduation, right?)!
Your first work experience after college should give you exposure to the professional world, allow you to build your skill set, show you what interests you most about work, and give you information to inform where you go next in your career. 💡
As you conduct your job search, don’t be too narrow in terms of company, job role, or industry. Be open to a wide range of possibilities! Also, don’t forget that summer internships, short-term graduate or certificate programs, or pursuing a side gig/freelance job for a few months post-grad can be great options too.
We highly recommend reading this Psychology Today blog post from our @lifeafterwake AVP and fellow @wfualumni Allison McWilliams (‘95) called “Why You Shouldn’t ‘Do What You Love.’” Access the full article at the link in our bio or stories and use the tips from this article as you conduct your job search.
https://alumni.opcd.wfu.edu/2019/12/why-you-shouldnt-do-what-you-love/
If you’re a soon-to-be graduating senior 🎓 or recent grad and still searching for a job, you’re not alone! Sometimes the hardest part is just getting started.
As you prepare to make the transition from student ➡️ alumni, we have resources to help you begin your job search. Here are 2 resources that we recommend:
JUMPSTART: A Job Search Strategy Prep Course – this is a free, self-paced online course with 4 quick modules to help you launch a job search. Register now and access immediately!
go.wfu.edu/next
LEARN Model: Step 5 – This is your self-directed framework for managing your career. Step 5: Navigate focuses on how to land your next job role and includes how to set a job target, sample resumes, LinkedIn resources and more.
https://alumni.opcd.wfu.edu/step-5-navigate/
Visit the link in our bio or stories to access these resources. If you have a question or need help, shoot us a message!
It’s a good day to sprinkle some reminders around campus. 🎩💛
🎩NEW DEACON SPOTLIGHT🎩
Mary Daniel Cheek (‘19) works as the Development and Communications Coordinator at Little Lights Urban Ministries which is a faith-based nonprofit that provides compassionate support and practical resources for underserved children, youth, and families in📍Washington, DC. She spent 9 months post-grad in a spiritual formation and vocational discernment cohort which prepared her to enter the full-time world of work.
Here are some fun facts about Mary Daniel:
🖤 Some of her most cherished memories while at Wake Forest include playing intramural basketball, writing for the Old Gold & Black, and going to Cook-Out with friends.
🎩 As a student, Mary Daniel tried out to be the Demon Deacon mascot. Sadly, she didn’t make the cut, but it was a fun experience she’ll never forget!
📚 She has a goal to read one book written by an author from every country in the world. So far, she has read 58 books on the way to her goal.
We’ll leave you with some advice from Mary Daniel for new grads and young alumni:
💡💡💡💡💡💡
“For anyone considering working for a nonprofit, I would emphasize the importance of being flexible. Needs, resources, and the scope of work are ever-changing when you work for a small, mission-driven organization. This means that employees who want to contribute well and succeed need to be okay with change and willing to adapt to that which benefits the organization and those it serves.”
Read more of our Q&A with Mary Daniel at the link in our profile or stories! Plus, you can always check out our past alumni spotlights in the “Deacon Spotlight” highlight reel in our profile.
https://alumni.opcd.wfu.edu/deacon-spotlight/deacon-spotlight-mary-daniel-cheek/
Our final Coffee Chat with Alumni for this spring is coming up in May (last one until the fall)! ☕️ Deadline to sign-up and be included in our pairings for alumni conversations is next week on Friday, May 2nd. 📆
Whether this is your first time participating or you’ve signed up for every coffee chat this past spring, this is an awesome (and easy) way to expand your network. 👥👥👥👥👥👥
*This is an alumni-only event (students – connect with @wfuopcd for student networking opps!)*
[Side note: This is NOT a live, time-specific event! And yes, you have to register for each month in which you want to participate!]
If you’re new around here, this is how it works:
1️⃣ You register.
2️⃣ We pair you up with another 🎩 Wake alum and introduce the two of you via email.
3️⃣ The two of you find a mutually convenient time for a conversation (phone, Zoom, in-person, whatever makes sense for y’all!)
💥And just like that, you’ve grown your network, one conversation at a time!💥
It’s super simple. Sign-up at the 🔗 in our profile or stories to give it a try!
https://wakenetwork.wfu.edu/events/online-coffee-chat-with-alumni-05-06-2025-0011492
Whether you’ve played around with AI to help you brainstorm an idea or write an email, or have stayed away from using AI tools completely, you might want to consider using AI as a resource for your career development!
Did you know that AI can be a great tool to help you figure out next steps in your career or job search process? 🤖
You can use prompts to ask AI to help you:
💡 Assess your current skills and experiences in relation to your career interests
🔎 Identify emerging trends and opportunities in specific career fields or paths
📈 Predict future job market demands
💛 Explore career paths based on your interests and skills
🗒️ Create a learning plan with suggested courses, certificates, or training opportunities to grow your skill set for the job that you want
Read this article from Dice (use the link in our bio or stories) to get sample prompt ideas for using AI to navigate what’s next for you.
https://www.dice.com/career-advice/can-ai-help-you-plan-out-your-career-goals
Have you graduated from Wake Forest within the past 5️⃣ years (Classes of 2020-2024)? 🎓
We have a ⚡️free⚡️open enrollment course to help you develop five key competency areas that we believe all young professionals need to master in their first five years after college.
In our Five For Your First Five online course, we cover topics such as:
💛 Discovering your why – being able to articulate what motivates you to do what you do each day.
📝 Redefining failure and learning from those experiences when you haven’t been successful.
🔁 Building your network and finding your people post-college.
👔 Navigating impostor syndrome, organizational politics, and gathering data on your experiences to figure out what’s next for you.
🏆 Learning how to play the long game in your career.
Register and access this course at any time using the 🔗 in our bio or stories!
https://wakenetwork.wfu.edu/events/online-05-25-2024-0010889