The COVE Career Center Know Before You Go

Graduating in 2022 Senior Guidebook

 

Check out the above Guidebook for Graduating Seniors here!

Navigate the job market and utilize these ”life hacks” for life after graduating Westmont.

Life feels uncertain right now. So, lean in to it.

Throughout each day, remind yourself that the Lord understands what's got you troubled. He is mighty to save, and He has gone before you...and that includes your future work. 

Seniors, use your heart to feel, your mind to think, and your body to act. Do the word to prepare yourself, act diligently, and keep moving forward. You will get through this difficult time.

"Do the work." No doubt you've heard this term on campus, and the time to start doing the work is NOW. Don't wait until graduation to get ready to pursue grad school and job opportunities.

In addition to searching for jobs on major job boards (ie: Handshake, Indeed, LinkedIn, etc,), review these local and regional employers who are  seeking, or have sought, Westmont graduates.

360 Behavioral Health (Cal Psychcare) 360 Behavioral Health is the new name for a family of providers that deliver exceptional care – across the entire lifespan – to individuals impacted by autism and other conditions that interfere with daily living. Growing beyond kids and autism – they also offer comprehensive, coordinated, compassionate care for a range of behavioral health conditions that touch infants, kids, adolescents, young adults, adults, and seniors. They also address the needs of parents and siblings whose lives are impacted by the conditions their loved one faces. See current job openings.

Amazon Alexa Knowledge team  If you’ve ever asked Alexa, “What’s the score of the Seahawks game?” or “Who was the sixteenth president?” then the Alexa Knowledge team delivered the answer. Their team is part of Alexa AI Knowledge, whose mission is to make Alexa smarter on fact-based Q&A. They deliver essential, unbiased facts for customers looking for voting information, air quality stats, homework assistance during remote learning, and more. By leveraging a robust understanding engine and one of the largest knowledge graphs in the world, their cross-functional team of software engineers and content creators continuously invent new Alexa experiences to delight customers. Their team—formerly known as Graphiq—was founded in 2009, and acquired by Amazon in May 2017. See current job openings.

Apeel Sciences Apeel Sciences creates products from natural plant extracts that allow growers to reduce reliance on pesticides, increase produce quality, and provide superior shelf life even when optimal temperature control is not possible. Using agricultural byproducts–parts of the plant that are normally discarded–Apeel creates products that fortify the surfaces of fresh fruits and vegetables, forming an ultra-thin barrier that camouflages crops and shields produce from both biotic and abiotic stressors. Made from 100% plant material, Apeel's protective formulas are invisible, tasteless, edible and durable. Apeel was recently ranked #16 in “Best places to work” in the tri-counties according to Pacific Business Times and they are experiencing a tremendous amount of growth right now. See current job openings. 

AppFolio AppFolio (NASDAQ: APPF) was launched over ten years ago to revolutionize the way small and medium-sized businesses grow and compete. Today their software solutions serve the property management and legal industries. At the heart of their products and services is a talented and agile team that understands the importance of a 100% customer focus. With offices in Santa Barbara, Dallas, and San Diego, their business is built for long term success fueled by happy, loyal customers and a team of AppFolians who contribute to their great culture every day. Appfolio was recently ranked #23 in “Best places to work” in the Tri-counties according to Pacific Business Times and they have experienced a tremendous amount of growth in the last few years. See current job openings. 

Ariadne Wealth Management- Boutique wealth management firm providing investment management and financial planning to a select clientele of ultra high net worth individuals and families. Built to serve with the highest level of expertise, integrity, and service. See current job openings.

Barna Group is a visionary research and resource company located in Ventura. Started in 1984, the firm is widely considered to be a leading research organization focused on the intersection of faith and culture. See current job openings.

Channel Islands Marine Wildlife Institute (CIMWI) Channel Islands Marine Wildlife Institute (CIMWI) is an organization filled with dedicated individuals that share the same mission. Their goal is to positively impact conservation through marine mammal rescue, rehabilitation, research and education to promote ocean and human health. They rescue and treat animals along the Ventura and Santa Barbara counties coastline. From sea turtles, to otters, to sea lions, to dolphins, and entangled Whales. Volunteers and interns get experience with animal handling and veterinary care. See current job openings.

Channel Islands YMCA  is a non-profit organization located in Santa Barbara providing programs with a focus on youth development, healthy living and social responsibility, the Y nurtures the potential of every youth and teen, improves the nation’s health and well-being, and provides opportunities to give back and support neighbors. See current job openings.

City Year helps students and schools succeed, while preparing the next generation of civically engaged leaders who can work across lines of difference. Diverse teams of City Year AmeriCorps members provide support to students, classrooms and the whole school. Schools that partner with City Year are up to two to three times more likely to improve in English and math assessments, and the more time students spend with AmeriCorps members, the more they improve on social, emotional and academic skills— skills that help students thrive in school and contribute to their community. A proud member of the AmeriCorps national service network, City Year is supported by AmeriCorps, local school districts and private philanthropy. City Year partners with public schools in 29 communities across the U.S. and through international affiliates in the U.K. and South Africa. See current job openings.

COPE Health Solutions  provides their clients with the tools, services and advice they need to be leaders in the health care industry. Focusing on all aspects of strategy, population health management, CMS demonstrations, DSRIP, and workforce development, they help drive their clients’ success every step of the way. See current job openings.

Cottage Health Systems is the largest hospital system on the central coast. They are a teaching hospital with a trauma center and excellent staffing ratios. They have a variety of jobs and internships across multiple fields of interest.  See current job openings.

Damitz, Brooks, Nightingale, Turner and Morrisset work in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara, DBNTM combines the expertise of a national accounting firm and the personalized service of a local firm. They offer comprehensive tax, auditing, accounting, consulting, and financial advisory services for a variety of entities including estates and trusts, manufacturing, tech, non-profit organizations and real estate. See current job openings.

Deckers Brands is a global leader in designing, marketing and distributing innovative footwear, apparel and accessories developed for both everyday casual lifestyle use and high performance activities. The Company’s portfolio of brands includes UGG®, Koolaburra®, HOKA ONE ONE®, Teva® and Sanuk®. Deckers Brands products are sold in more than 50 countries and territories through select department and specialty stores, Company-owned and operated retail stores, and select online stores, including Company-owned websites. Deckers Brands has a 40-year history of building niche footwear brands into lifestyle market leaders attracting millions of loyal consumers globally. See current job openings.

Department of State Hospitals- (DSH) manages the California state hospital system, which provides mental health services to patients admitted into DSH faciliites. The department strives to provide effective treatment in a safe environment and in a fiscally responsible manner. see current job openings

Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health is one of the largest and most advanced behaviroal heathcare organizations in the country. A national non-profit partner for individuals, families, schools and communities, they serve the most vulnerable members of our society in areas of autisim, intellectual and developmental disabilities, specialty mental health, and child welfare. see current job opening

Enterprise Holdings repeatedly ranks in the top 100 internship programs in the country. Enterprise interns learn what it takes to run a successful business by developing their entrepreneurial skills across fields. Enterprise also hires more interns each summer than almost any other company in the world. They are a portfolio of brands with a global network that spans across more than 90 countries with 100,000 dedicated team members sharing common values. See current job openings.

Family Care Network Family Care Network is a progressive, dynamic, organization with a 30-year history of serving San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties through multiple programs designed to strengthen and preserve families and individuals impacted by trauma. The agency is the Central Coast’s largest private children’s foster family and mental health services provider, with 200 employees and 21 unique programs serving over 22,000 children & families during their 30-year history. They also have excellent advancement opportunities. See current job openings.

Hillstone Restaurant Group  is a privately-held collection of upscale restaurants with 45+ locations in major cities across the country. They are highly selective when considering markets and they operate the Honor Bar in Montecito. See current job openings.

Honey Science was founded in 2012 and headquartered in Downtown Los Angeles, with locations in Santa Barbara, CA, Boulder, CO, London, UK and Sydney, AU, Honey is the easiest way to save when shopping online! They currently have a coupon applying browser extension (available on Google Chrome, Safari, Firefox, etc.), a cash back program called Honey Gold, a price-watching tool called Droplist, and are working on several more features and products to create abundance for all! They are a consumer-facing tech company. They are using the latest technology to create user-friendly shopping tools that save people time and money. They like smart and scrappy creators and inventors who want to use technology to solve problems and like to have impact and influence on the end product. See current job openings.

International Schools Consortium- is an organization that is passionate about influencing the lives of young learners through education. They have positions availble in K-12 schools internationally in China and the United Arab Emirates. Their positions are full time with a salary and furnished housing. see current job openings

Impact is the global leader in Partnership Automation. They work with enterprise and innovative brands like Ticketmaster, Levi’s, Microsoft, Airbnb, and Uber to help them manage all different types of partnerships. From social influencers, B2B, strategic partners, publishers, and traditional affiliates...they  have them covered. Their combined suite of products covers the full life partnership lifecycle including; onboarding, tracking ads and paying partners, recruiting for new partners, data and marketing intelligence, and protection from fraud. Founded in 2008 by the same team that founded Commission Junction, Impact has grown to over 450 employees and eleven offices across the United States, Europe, Africa and Asia. See current job openings.

InterVarsity Christian Fellowship  is an evangelical campus mission serving more than 32,000 students and faculty on more than 550 college and university campuses nationwide. See current job openings.

International Justice Mission is a global team of lawyers, social workers, community activists and other professionals in 33 offices across more than 25 countries who share in the mission of protecting people in poverty from violence. Our vision is to rescue millions, protect half a billion and make justice for marginalized and vulnerable people unstoppable. See current job openings 

Invoca is an AI-powered call tracking and analytics platform that helps marketers get campaign attribution and actionable data from inbound phone calls. Invoca delivers real-time call analytics to help marketers take informed actions based on data generated before and during a phone conversation. As a result, marketers can dramatically improve ROI by driving more revenue-generating calls, increasing conversion rates, personalizing the customer journey, and running more efficient campaigns. With Fortune 500 customers in telecommunications, financial services, insurance, healthcare, and home services, Invoca’s platform integrates with Google Marketing Platform, Facebook, Adobe Experience Cloud, and Salesforce Sales and Marketing Clouds. See current job openings. See current job openings.

JAARS- the mission of JAARS is to make Bible translation and language development possible, especially in the most remote and difficult places on earth. We do that by enabling locally appropriate and sustainable solutions in transportation, technology, media and training. We partner closely with SIL International, the organizations of the Wycliffe Global Alliance, and with other organizations locally and globally. JAARS has a 70-year history of innovation and excellence in supporting Bible translation around the world. See current job openings.

Jodi House Brain Injury Support Center - Did you know a traumatic brain injury occurs every 13 seconds in this country? Jodi House Brain Injury Support Center is a local non-profit that provides support for adults living with brain injury. Their day program includes classes and activities that focus on the cognitive, physical and social rehabilitation of those wanting to not merely survive but to thrive post-injury. Services are also available that help with everything from applying for benefits to assisting a survivor in returning to work. See current job openings.

Language Network, Inc. is a language services company providing professional translation and interpreting solutions to organizations across California. Their clients include government, education, healthcare, insurance, and legal organizations. They help them communicate with their consumers in over 200 languages. Their primary services include document translation, on-site interpreting, and over-the-phone interpreting. Their mission is to positively impact the communities and organizations they serve through quality and dependable translation and interpreting. See current job openings.

Lineage family Trust is a financial planning firm founded on the belief that the true wealth of any family resides within its individual members, and that family financial wealth’s highest calling is to help support the inner wealth of family members. Based on this foundation they structure trust services around human relationships with beneficiaries at the center. See current job openings.

Maven Recruiting Group is a high-impact, targeted, and results-driven boutique recruiting firm located and operating in the San Francisco Bay Area. Founded in 2010 by San Francisco native Jessica Vann, they are a women-owned company specializes in placing both Temporary and Direct Hire roles. A resource to all industries, they pride themselves on partnership and service, quality of candidates, and quick, lasting results. Maven works directly with the people making the hiring decisions. Connecting with senior management enables them to truly understand the company's philosophy and culture and the idiosyncrasies of the search—all the important but intangible elements that can't be found in a job description. With hundreds of clients ranging from disruptive tech start-ups to premier investment management firms to the Fortune 500, Maven stands apart with their ability to find exceptional talent and great opportunities. See current job openings.

MedBridge is a socially responsible company that provides a full suite of development, management, advising and revenue cycle services to surgeons and physicians so they can focus their best energy on healing their patients. See current job openings.

New Beginnings Counseling Center (NBCC) is a nonprofit mental health center that provides psychological counseling and supportive services to low-income families and individuals in the Santa Barbara community. New Beginnings Counseling Center’s mission is to provide quality, affordable counseling, shelter, case management, and education that strengthens our community and provides their clients with the ability to lead healthy and productive lives.  See current job openings.

Nomad saw a 72% growth in 2017, they are an electronics and apparel company. Nomad is much more than a brand name. It’s their philosophy as a company and a team: owning fewer things, being resourceful and working hard together. It is the very core of their product vision: creating minimalist, practical tools that keep the world powered on the go. They develop all of their product concepts from the ground up. Materials selection is core to fulfilling their product promise of true portability, so they select the lightest, thinnest, strongest materials to suit their designs. See current job openings.

NPG of California  – Headquartered today in St. Joseph, Missouri, the company has been owned and operated since the 1950’s by the same family, now in its fourth generation. NPG has extensive holdings in broadcast television and newspapers. Locally it operates KEYT, KCOY, and Fox 11 news channels. They aim to provide accurate and real time news to local communities. See current job openings.

PathPoint  supports people in living the life they choose. They partner with people with disabilities, people with mental health diagnoses, and young adults to pursue their hopes and dreams through strengthening workplace abilities, building life skills, and developing meaningful relationships. They provide services in five counties of Central and Southern California: San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles, and Kern. See current job openings.

Pay Junction was founded in 2000 by three UCSB graduates without a single dollar of outside investment, PayJunction has gone from bootstrapped to billions in processing. Initially profiting only pennies on every dollar, with a team of over 3,000 nationwide, they now transact over $3 billion dollars annually for tens of thousands of clients. As the leading developer of paperless payment software, they have reduced the carbon footprint of an entire industry. PayJunction takes pride in its design and engineering. They think computer science is an art; it just happens to be the brush they use to paint their product with innovation and effectiveness. Their brand was built with a long-term vision, their goal is to be a generational tech company, and integrity is the foundation of their success. PayJunction values long-term relationships over short-term profit. The owners still head day-to-day operations for the company, and are as dedicated to fostering the culture as they are to developing the product. PayJunction is a place where you can find experienced mentors that are committed to your growth.  See current job openings.

Peace Corps take a different approach to making a difference. Their Volunteers are inspired by impact that is hands-on, grassroots-driven, and lasting. By immersing themselves in communities abroad, the Peace Corps works side-by-side with local leaders to tackle the most pressing challenges of our generation. From leading health campaigns to boosting local entrepreneurship to teaching digital literacy, the Peace Corps offers a range of opportunities for their Volunteers to take on new challenges. Since the Peace Corps began in 1961, 240,000 Volunteers who have created change in more than 140 countries. That’s also thousands of lives impacted, and not only those within host communities, but those of the Volunteers themselves, who are able to explore their passions and share their talents. In this way, Peace Corps service can be the first step toward a career or the continuation of a life’s work. Opportunities span six different general specialties, including education, health, community economic development (business), environment, agriculture, and youth in development. See current job openings.

Rincon Catering and Events was established in 1984 and is family owned and operated business specializing in catering services and event planning. Based in Carpinteria, Rincon serves the greater Santa Barbara and Ventura county area. They are always looking for help to assist with their events.  See current job openings.

Sansum Clinic -Sansum Clinic's mission is to provide an excellent healthcare experience, recognizing their first priority is the patients they serve. As a premier integrated delivery system, they provide high-value healthcare to the communities they serve, managing the population's healthcare needs, while also creating a model of care that will thrive in California's rapidly changing healthcare arena. The values that guide them are: Compassion, Accountability, Respect, Excellence, and Stewardship. Simply put, Sansum Clinic CARES. See current job openings.

Santa Barbara Natural History Museum- has state-of-the-art interactive exhibits for all ages, paired with the Central Coast’s only planetarium, on 17 acres of oak woodland along Mission Creek. Guests learn about the Santa Barbara region’s unique and diverse natural history and then go outside to explore nature in the Museum Backyard. Museum education programs serve all ages to promote scientific literacy and instill a passion for nature and learning. In 1987, the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History built the Sea Center on historic Stearns Wharf to communicate the biodiversity and ecological importance of the regional ocean environment. This small aquarium and marine education facility offers guests hands-on encounters with life from the Santa Barbara Channel, including Swell Sharks, rays, sea stars, sea urchins, and anemones. See current job openings.

Santa Barbara Partners In Education  fulfills needs in K-12 schools and youth programs through the coordination of volunteer and business resources. The organization was formed by local business and education leaders in 1977, and is administered by the Santa Barbara County Education Office. Thanks to the power of partnerships, more than 200,000 volunteer hours have been served at K-12 campuses and youth-serving nonprofits across Santa Barbara County, more than 11,000 computers have been delivered to families in need, and 500 plus high school students have received paid job readiness training and internship experience in the workplace. See current job openings.

Santa Barbara Superior Court- is located in the beautiful Central Coast. The Superior Court offers a variety of career opportunities in the Santa Maria, Lompoc, Solvang and Santa Barbara locations. The mission of the our Court is to protect constitutional rights and liberties, apply the law equally, resolve disputes, and reconcile relationships in a fair and timely manner. 
 See current job openings.

Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network: The Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network is a nonprofit organization with a mission to rescue, rehabilitate and return to the wild sick, injured, orphaned, or oil-impaired wild birds and small mammals native to Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. See current job openings.

See International  is a non-profit based in Goleta that provides sustainable medical, surgical, and educational services through volunteer ophthalmic surgeons with the objectives of restoring sight and preventing blindness to disadvantaged individuals worldwide. See current job openings

ShipHawk: Today’s business leaders need the lowest possible shipping rates, but they don’t have time to find and optimize for them. That’s where ShipHawk comes in. Recently honored as one of the fastest growing Transportation and Logistics Companies of 2017 and 2018 by Inc. 500, they continue to grow. See current job openings.

Sonos: In 2002, Sonos set out to reinvent the way people listen at home. The wireless home sound system they created makes it easier than ever to fill any and every room with music, podcasts, TV, and just about anything else you could ever want to hear—all with brilliant, immersive clarity. Since then millions of people in over 60 countries have made Sonos part of their lives. In 2016 this Santa Barbara based company saw a drastic 66.7% increase in growth. They currently rank as #14 in the tri-counties top Publicly Traded companies. They remain focused on innovation, thoughtfully designing products, inventing new technologies, expanding their software platform, crafting the best sound experience and making a positive social impact in the world. They are empowering people to listen better because listening builds understanding and drives change. It even increases happiness and brings people together. Simply put, listening leads to a better life.  See current job openings.

The Santa Barbara Zoo  is home to 146 species of mammals, reptiles, birds and insects. More than 500 animals are exhibited in open, naturalistic habitats. They are dedicated to the preservation, conservation, and enhancement of the natural world and its living treasures through education, research, and recreation. Their values of Integrity, Quality, Respect, Collaboration, and Having Fun are at the heart of what they do daily as a team. They believe in doing a great job for their guests, employees, volunteers, and their community. Their values are put into practice daily and allow them to provide a unique work environment and guest experience. See current job openings.

The Turner Foundation's mission is to create innovative programs and services so we can empower our communities. see current job openings 

Tecolote Research- for over 48 years Tecolote Research has improved our clients ability to make effective strategic and financial decisions. We continue to work extensively with numerous public and private organizations and all levels of management. We are proud to be a 100% employee owned private business with over 680 people in 25 locations nationwide.
See current job openings 

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The Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation was inspired by a three old boy with Ewing Sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer and brain tumor diagnoses. One day his mother broke down in tears as she shared the financial and emotional hardships she and her family faced while caring for her sick child. After this conversation, we realized the great need for a support system for families with children suffering from cancer on the Central Coast. In 2002, with the determination to assist families through their battle with cancer, Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation was born and now provides financial and emotional support to families living in the tri-counties that have a child with cancer.  See current job openings.

TWR International is a non-profit, global, Christian media organization that creates and distributes audio media over the radio (shortwave, AM, and FM) and digital media over the Internet in over 275 languages in order to reach the entire world for Christ so that lasting fruit is produced. TWR is looking for technical, creative and business people who want to serve God and bring a message of hope to the world. Their global media outreach engages billions of people in 190 countries with biblical truth in their heart language. For more than 65 years, God has equipped TWR to lead people from doubt to decision to discipleship. See current job openings.

TM Financial Forensics is a national business and disputes consulting firm specializing in financial, accounting, economic, engineering, scheduling and damages analyses. Their professionals assist businesses and outside counsel resolve complex business and litigation challenges and confront market, contract, operational and regulatory risks. Their strength lies in their deep industry experience, commitment to client service, resourcefulness and ability to quickly and effectively respond to client needs. TM Financial Forensics was founded by a team of professionals who have collaborated for more than 30 years and bring their substantial experience to each new engagement. Their experts have assisted clients in all phases of the litigation process across a broad range of industries and practice areas. They have assisted in some of the country's most significant and complex litigations during the past three decades, providing objective and reliable accounting, financial, economic and damages analyses and expert testimony. See current job openings.

U.S. Department of State is America’s leading foreign affairs agency that works to shape and sustain a peaceful, prosperous, just, and democratic world and fosters conditions for stability and progress for the benefit of the American people and people everywhere. Their employees are champions of American diplomacy, using their knowledge and experience in everything from architecture to engineering and technology to medicine to achieve success as they serve with integrity and professionalism. They contribute different perspectives, life experiences, and innovative thinking to support and advance U.S. interests worldwide.  See current job openings.

United Way of Santa Barbara  (UWSBC) has the unique and positive vision that “in our community, everyone has a hopeful future.” Since 1923, UWSBC has served Santa Barbara County community through funding, volunteer development, and by utilizing its own unique initiatives that involve dozens of local non-profit and public sector agencies. UWSBC’s local community driven Power of Partnership™ priorities help children, families & seniors with a focus on Education, Income and Health.  See current job openings.

World Team specializes in helping people find a place to serve in global missions where their unique skills and passions can be a blessing to others. From short-term to career missions, they help individuals find the right team or form a new one. See current job openings.

Yardi is the 2nd largest IT service provider in the Tri-counties. They are dedicated to the design, development, and support of real estate investment management and property management software. They offer full business solutions for every real estate market, including multifamily, single family, affordable, public, senior and military housing as well as office, industrial, and retail market segments. Yardi continues to develop and deliver software and services with the highest commitment to quality, innovation, responsiveness, and customer focus. Yardi has over 35 offices and 6,500+ employees worldwide. See current job openings.

Even in the best of times, knowing how to articulate your value to an employer is crucial. It's even more important now.

Take the time to understand your strengths and then translate them into your resume and online profiles (LinkedIn, Handshake, and other job boards). Then practice your interview skills over and over until you can quickly and meaningfully "tell your story" to employers.

Not sure what your strengths are? Consider taking a personality assessment such as StrengthsFinder, Type Focus (Myers Briggs), or the Strong Interest Inventory. Then schedule a time to meet with a career professional to unpack the assessments to help you better articulate your strengths. Check out the "recommended steps" link on our career counseling page. Check out the guidebook at the top of this page!

Similarly, don't discount ANY previous employment experience because you think it's not significant. We can help you articulate virtually any experience (job, volunteer, etc.) and highlight those skills in your resume and online profiles. Schedule a time to meet with a career professional via Handshake. 

There are several ways to get around the issue of lacking experience, mainly realizing that you actually DO have experience. Utilizing different types of experience is key, which is what we like to call transferrable skills. Remember volunteer experience, skills, interests, ministry and mission work, awards/accomplishments, leadership, clubs, community service, and so much more that have equipped you with many things to put on a resume.

Resources:

What about a CV (Curriculum Vitae)?

Telling your boss or potential boss that you would like more money can be a tricky thing. However, going about it in a respectable way might just pay off! 

Resources:

On LinkedIn, connect with a professor, family friend, previous supervisor, fellow alumnus, or referral to someone...all of these can be important connections that help when you are looking for a job or internship.  Get your 'foot in the door,' gain advice, obtain new connections and leads, and increase professional network authentically!

Networking and Connections can actually be the most important part of finding a job. Businesses might even be more likely to hire you if you have a connection/relationship to someone within the company. Leveraging meaningful connections and relationships that you have made can help you land your next job - so start connecting!

Quick tip on connecting via LinkedIn. Send you send a connection request, try to include a note in your connection request. Give the person you want to connect with some point of connection or reason you want to connect with them (ie: "Thanks for guest speaking in my class at Westmont...", or "I read your recent article online..."). Taking this extra step will likely improve your response rates.

Networking Resources:

Small talk is a great way to break the ice and get to know someone. As a Liberal Arts student, you have been learning and perfecting communication, emotional intelligence, and people skills since day one on campus! Read more about how to be confident engaging in small talk:

Check out our comprehensive ! Being prepared during an interview is essential when trying to get a job. Research the company before interviewing so you are informed on what they do and how you can be an asset. This will equip you with confidence and the ability to tailor your answers during the interview.

Be able to Tell Your Story (also known as your story statement or elevator pitch). "Tell me about yourself," is a question that can be answered in a brief summary of your education and experience, what you're skilled in and what you're interested in.

Live within your means! Set a budget and stick to it! Use cash or a debit card so you are not saddled with credit card debt. Set up an appointment with a financial advisor to figure out a plan (especially after you land your first job).

Budgeting:

Resources: 

Finding a place to live can be a daunting, time-consuming task, but it's also exciting and exploratory, too! Start with connections (ask around) and research the area that you want to live in

Tips:

Even if your parents have helped you with your taxes,  you may want and need to know how to do them on your own. Different apps and websites can help you make taxes not as scary as it may seem

Still unsure about what the next step is? Considering graduate school but not sure what to study, where to go, or maybe even why!? Find more information about advanced degrees.

Resources:

Paul is hopeful and inspiring and provides strategic insight into how to live a successful and meaningful life. He is the author of 101 Secrets for your Twenties, 101 Questions you need to ask in your Twenties, and 25 Lies Twentysomethings need to stop believing.  Watch his presentation to Westmont students from November 2021, He has also been a guest speaker on the COVE Westmont Works podcast.

 He focuses on helping young people get "unstuck" and his aim is to help students unpack how to get from what they feel like they are supposed to do in life to who they are supposed to be in life. From the Back cover of his most recent book... When you're in your twenties, you're setting the course for the rest of your life. That's exciting, but it's also scary. The quarter-life crisis is real! You don't want to look back later and realize you ended up somewhere you never intended to go in the first place.

How do you block out all the lies, half-truths, and "supposed-to's" constantly assaulting you from articles, social media posts, and well-meaning friends and family? How do you find something real, something true, something infused with purpose and meaning? How do you own your defining decade?