Most college seniors do not know what they want to do after graduation. Unless you are one of the select few who have not only a deep passion for a certain discipline coming out of college, but experience in that discipline as well, you are most likely considering a number of different paths. But, how do you know which job is “right” for you?

First, apply and interview for as many jobs as you can. The only time you should not apply for a job is if it is one that you would NEVER consider taking. It seems like common sense, but many college seniors only apply to a few positions and end up restricting their options for employment while decreasing their likelihood of landing a job that they will really be happy with. The other benefit of applying for as many jobs as possible is that it will ultimately give you as much practice interviewing as possible. Interviewing is a skill that – like any other – takes time to refine and is very raw in most seniors. While practicing with your friends or career center staff members is helpful, nothing helps you develop your interview skills more quickly than participating in actual interviews.

Make sure you are prepared for your interviews! Going into an interview you should know details about the position you are applying for and the company as well. You will inevitably be asked why you are applying for this position with this company and you should have a response ready – remember, you wouldn’t be applying for this position if you were not a little interested in it. Additionally, have a number of personal experiences ready to speak about in your interview that reflect skills an individual working in the position would need. Think through your extracurricular activities, relevant coursework, difficult situations you have been through, et cetera and be ready to talk about each situation. Specifically, what happened, how you reacted and what the result was. Having these examples ready will ensure that you will not be “stumped” by any questions the interviewer may ask.

For you, the most important part of the interview is the question section. Once they are finished asking you questions, your interviewer will ALWAYS ask you if you have questions for them. You need to have questions ready! Not only is this important for you to be considered for a position – as it shows interest – but this is your opportunity to find out if the position is the right fit for you. Things you should be considering:

• What is the average day like – dig deeper if you get the response “there is no average day?”
• Will you be working on your computer most days or interacting with people?
• What is the company culture like? Do they treat their employees well? What are interactions like?
• What kind of skills has your interviewer seen in successful workers for this position?
• Is the work project focused or daily/weekly task focused?

Any other questions you might have that lend themselves to whether or not you will be happy in this position, you should ask. Remember, while the first job out of college is usually just that, a first job, you do not want to go through finding out the hard way that it is just not the right fit for you. The interview is your chance to ask as many questions as possible in order to make sure a position is the “right” job.

Finally, think about your offers once you hear back! Do not just jump on the most prestigious or the highest paying just for those reasons. Take your time and select the job that fits your skills, passions and long-term plans the best. Remember, selecting a job is a commitment to do a task 5 days a week for a long time. You want to make sure that you are happy doing it.