PCA Megan Nesbeth sat down with several Midd seniors to talk about the progress they’ve been making in their plans for after graduation. Employed for next year or not, your peers have some good advice. So straight from your fellow seniors, remember…

1. Know the company or organization you’re applying to.
”Talk to as many people as you can. Talk to the Midd alums. Talk to the representatives. If you can, visit a classroom [or the company or organization that you’re applying to] to see what it’s like.
– Sarah Elkhayat

2. Stay sane. Your jobs search is not the end of the world.
Regarding her current prospect, Teach For America, Sarah Elkhayat says, “I’m okay with not getting it because my philosophy is these students only deserve the best and if they decided that I’m not the best then that’s OK because it fits within the philosophy and then that will give me the opportunity to find something cooler to do so whatever. That’s something I’ve worked out for myself.”

3. Prepare for your interviews. Do practice interviews at CSO.
As Chris Mason learned from a company rep, “You have to spend just as much time prepping for interviews as you do searching for jobs.” How do you practice? Annabelle Fowler responds saying, “What’s really helpful is the practice interviews. Practice makes perfect. They ask me tough questions here and I’m stumbling to answer them, but then I’m prepared for the real deal.”

4. Just start.
“It’s a really nerve-racking thing to deal with because it means so much: you’re done with college, you’re moving on, you’re going to be paying your own bills, but don’t let it get the best of you. Even if it’s in little pieces, start hacking away at it.”
– Shanta’ Lindo

5. Use MOJO.
“MOJO’s been great. Every promising lead I’ve gotten has come from that.” – Chris Mason

6. Use MiddNet
“The alums I spoke to have been so friendly, but making that initial contact was so difficult; I would recommend that other seniors use that resource. The alums are there to help. They give very valuable tips and suggestions. If you’re nervous about reaching out, just identify the people you want to contact, bring [your letter or email] into a [CSO] counselor, the counselor will check it, and it’ll give you the confidence to send it out. And once you’ve done a couple they start to come more naturally.”
– Annabelle Fowler

7. Come to CSO.
Shortly before Sarah Elkhayat went into her final interview, a Teach for America rep contacted her saying, “Here are some tips.” As she relates, “Repeatedly, he said go to CSO because not only do they want to know what you’re up to, but they can give you interview tips, beef up your resume; they can do all these things for you.” “I think it’s just always worth it to check with CSO. Whatever the organization is telling you to do, do it. And if they are familiar with CSO, damn, just go in.”

8. You only have one senior year at Midd. Plan for the future, but don’t forget to make the most of where you are right now.
“Even though you’re spending so much time trying to think about what to do in the future, you don’t want to remember your senior year as you trying to figure out where you’re going to go. If you can, try to enjoy and focus on what you’re doing at Middlebury too.”
– Kelly Bennion

9. You have connections, whether you know it or not. Make use of them.
Finding help from his coaches to be invaluable, Chris Mason says, “Definitely take advantage of any contacts you have or think you might gain.”

10. Keep at it.
“It took a lot of failures to get one success. If you roll the dice enough, you’re going to get your preferred outcome.”
– Chris Mason

Want more pearls of wisdom? Or to just feel like you’re not alone?  Stay tuned for full profiles with the students mentioned above.