🧠 Know

While searching for an internship or a job we often want to go faster to reach the finish line, however, there is value in pausing to reflect and adapt your target market, strategy, and documents based on the feedback/advice from trusted sources and self-reflection. Feedback is so valuable in the search process, it is one of the 8 Steps for Search Success for Engineering Master’s students.

It’s important to incorporate input and feedback into your plan so you aren’t operating in a vacuum. Advice from others will help you improve your search strategy, test your assumptions, and help you to avoid or quickly work through struggles others have faced. For example, here is an article that outlines one person’s methodical approach to applying online and automating the process.

📈 Prepare

Grow Your Conversational Skills

✅ Use the Talk to People part of this site to learn how to talk about yourself, make a request, ask questions to connect and learn, and follow-up to keep your network and search alive.

✅ Refine how you make an outreach request using advice and resources in this article.

✅ Receive input and feedback graciously and follow-up when appropriate. It is likely you will receive negative feedback during your job search. Read this Muse article to prepare yourself.

Improve Strategically

✅ Decide on the areas of your search plan you would like input and feedback. Do you want input on if your target market needs to be expanded or re-prioritized? If your skills and qualifications align with your professional objections? These are just two possible input and feedback goals. Write down your own feedback goals to help you determine the people you will ask for input.

✅ Find people to give advice to consider a variety of perspectives.

🖐 Practice

Grow Your Conversational Skills

✅ Keep a record or journal of the input and feedback you receive using a tool that works best for you. (Some examples include Excel , the Interstride meeting tracker , or a simple note.) Reflect on your discussions to pull out themes and adapt your search. Similar to reviewing your class notes, review your feedback and input conversation notes on a bi-weekly, monthly, or bi-monthly schedule.

Improve Strategically

✅ Prepare questions to generate feedback and input that is constructive and actionable. This article includes some suggestions based on three fundamentals of a search plan: target market, one-sentence headline, and the target list.

✅ Ask peers, faculty, industry professionals, alumni, Communications Consultants, and Career Coaches for feedback and input on your search plan, documents, and online presence.