OVERVIEW
Get the Job
After developing a career plan based on self-assessment, research, and goal setting, you should have a better understanding of yourself and your desired career path. With these career goals in mind, you are ready to secure the job you want with a targeted job search approach.
The following sections provide information, tools, and resources to guide you in developing strong marketing materials, implementing strategic job search strategies, leveraging your network, and acing your interview.
Resumes
Your resume is a living document that you will update and share with employers and connections throughout your career. Our goal is to educate you on strategies and best practices in resume development, equipping you with these critical lifelong career skills.
We’ve created several resources to support you as you develop and refine your resume. Each step builds on the knowledge and skill acquired in the previous step, so please follow these steps in order:
*Note for Education Students: For resume resources to apply for a teaching position, visit the Teaching Resources page. To build your clinical experience resume, view the CE Resume Best Practices Workshop or see the Clinical Experience Resume Resources below.
Resources
Cover Letters
The purpose of the cover letter is to briefly expand upon the skills and experiences in your resume and to link them to the position that you are applying for. A cover letter is a one-page document targeted to the specific position you are applying for and directed to the company offering the position. When employers read your cover letter, they will be evaluating your writing ability; therefore, spell-check and proofread the cover letter multiple times to avoid grammar and spelling errors.
The cover letter:
- Showcases your writing style and ability
- Tells the employer why are you uniquely qualified for this position
- Gives you an opportunity to describe related skills and accomplishments in more detail
- Lets the employer know that you are professional and proactive
Creating a Cover Letter
Stand Out with a Cover Letter
View a webinar which walks you through the process of creating a customized cover letter.
Cover Letter Guidelines
A document which provides a step-by-step approach to drafting a cover letter.
Send it for a Review
Once you have utilized the above resources to craft and revise your cover letter, you can send it to our office for a review. To submit your cover letter, send an email with your cover letter attached (in Microsoft Word format) to careers@wgu.edu.
Portfolios
Whether you are a new or experienced professional, you will want to document your professional accomplishments throughout your career journey. Employers are seeking employees who add value and make a difference, so a professional portfolio can help distinguish you from other applicants.
Having your accomplishments, skills, awards, and endorsements in one place can help you to:
- Create and update your resume with specific accomplishments
- Prepare for interviews with confidence
- Show your value during performance evaluations
- Demonstrate measurable successes for the purpose of salary negotiations
- Move forward and feel more prepared in the event of a reorganization or restructure
The Value of a Professional Portfolio Video
View this recording highlighting how building your portfolio can help you stand out with potential employers.
Potential Content
Review the list of potential content to include in your portfolio. Remember that a portfolio is a compilation of your best work as a student and a professional. It will be a little different for each person but it should highlight your growth, your strengths, professional references from peers and managers and provide examples showcasing your career accomplishments and work product.
Interview Preparation
"Never wear a backward baseball cap to an interview unless applying for the job of umpire." -Dan Zevi
WGU Career & Professional Development is pleased to offer WGU students and alumni access to Big Interview, a free and comprehensive interview preparation and practice system.
Big Interview Highlights
Enhance your skills. Utilize Big Interview’s extensive curriculum to help you learn today’s best interviewing techniques!
Anticipate Questions. Visit the Question Library (within the “Practice” tab) and choose from dozens of interview sets sorted by industry and occupation to help you anticipate and prepare for those tough questions.
Practice. Record, review, and share your answers to help you gain feedback and improve your skills before your next interview.
Salary Negotiation
Salary negotiations can feel awkward and scary but don't let fear stand in your way! Negotiating your salary or a raise can have a large impact on your life-time earnings. With a little preparation and shift in perspective, you can remove the awkwardness from the conversation. You are taking control of your financial future, which is an admirable and necessary skill.
Networking
"If you want to go somewhere, it is best to find someone who has already been there."- Robert Kiyosaki
Upwards of 85% of open positions are filled through networking (payscale.com). If you are looking for work, focus your time on building your network rather than pouring through online listings. Networking is simply establishing and leveraging relationships through conversations with people who are and will become your friends and community of colleagues as you go through your career. Developing your network is easy because you know more people than you think you know.
Start developing your network today by following these steps:
Employer Research
"Research is formalized curiosity. It is poking and prying with a purpose." - Zora Neale Hurston
Researching employers can help you identify companies that are a “good fit” for you, network effectively, target your resume, and prepare for an interview. A company’s website is a great place to start your research – but don’t stop there.
The following resources offer additional insights into organizations that will be helpful to your job search:
Webinars
"You can observe a lot by just watching." - Yogi Berra
WGU Career & Professional Development offers ongoing webinars covering career topics such as resumes, LinkedIn, job search, career planning, and more! Check out our complete listing of upcoming Career Events, and sign up today!
Recorded Webinars
- Resumes: Learn about the process of writing a compelling resume that can beat the applicant tracking system and showcase your experiences.
- Writing a Compelling Cover Letter: Learn about the process of writing a compelling cover letter that can introduce yourself and your resume.
- Handshake 101: You've heard the buzz, but what is Handshake all about? In this workshop, you will learn how to get the most out of your Handshake account. We will walk through building a complete profile, using Handshake's job search and networking capabilities, finding information in the resource library, and conducting employer research in the system.
- Interviewing 101: In this webinar, we cover what to do before, during, and after the interview to make a great impression and help you get the job! We also discuss strategies for different types of interviews, such as phone interviews, video interviews, and recorded video interviews (like HireVue). Finally, we walk through the Big Interview practice platform and demonstrate how to use it to prepare for an interview.
- Overcoming Job Search Obstacles: Learn about some strategies to help better understand and overcome potential obstacles with your job search.
- Networking and the LinkedIn Alumni Tool: View this workshop to gain insight into how to bulid your network and how to leverage WGU's student and alumni network to explore career paths, make connections, and uncover employment opportunities.
- Why do I Feel Like a Fraud? Understanding and Working With Imposter Syndrome: Do you find yourself feeling like you don’t deserve to be in your current position or like you will be “found out” any day now? Do you have the tendency to attribute your career success to “luck” instead of true talent, skill, and ability? You may be suffering from imposter syndrome, which is defined as “a collection of feelings of inadequacy that persists despite evident success.” View this webinar, which discusses characteristics of imposter syndrome, ways to identify this challenging phenomenon, ways to mitigate the negative messages that you may reinforce to yourself, and strategies to put to work right away.
- Career & Professional Development Webinar Recordings: Check out our complete listing of available recordings to explore more career-related topics today!
Social Media
LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network with hundreds of millions of members. It is the go-to resource for professional networking and will help you:
Social Media & Branding
Showcasing your "brand” helps set yourself apart for a potential employer, marketing who you are, the skills you bring and the value you add. We encourage you to review the resources below to gain deeper insight into personal branding and marketing yourself.
To access LinkedIn Learning videos, please first login with your WGU credentials.
LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network with hundreds of millions of members. It is the go-to resource for professional networking and will help you:
STEP 1 - Download the LinkedIn User Guide
The LinkedIn User Guide provides clearly defined steps on how to develop a strong LinkedIn profile, develop your network, job search, and brand yourself. The guide will teach you how to:
STEP 2 - Stay Connected
Take advantage of all of the perks that come along with being a student or alum and leverage your WGU network!
STEP 3 - Reach Out to Career & Professional Development
As you complete the activities described in the guide, a career advisor is available to answer questions, provide clarification, and offer support.
To request an appointment: Send your questions, areas for clarification and a copy of your Networking Guide (complete with your own notes and progress) to careers@wgu.edu and a career advisor will be in touch shortly after your email is received.
We look forward to working with you!
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