Graduation is coming up fast, and the job search is on. The job market is always evolving, but with the Endicott Experiential Edge and the full support of the Internship & Career Center, you’ve got everything you need to stand out and succeed.
We recently caught up with Dean of Internship & Career Center Dale McLennan and Senior Director of Career Services Kate Chroust to break down what makes Endicott students uniquely prepared for landing that first job, the must-use Internship & Career Center resources that can sharpen Gulls’ interview skills and streamline their job search, and—most importantly—how to tackle the one question every senior hears: “So, what’s next after graduation?”
Answers have been edited for clarity and length.
What are the top tips for students currently searching for a job?
CHROUST: The top tip is to ensure you're not blindly applying on Indeed, LinkedIn, etc. I'd rather a student apply to one job very intentionally with their resume and cover letter, really looking to see if we have a contact at that company, finding connections and what makes sense for them and their interests and experience, versus a more passive search where you just throw your resume out to any open job. You get leads and jobs more quickly when you’re intentional and focused on your search. Employers can tell. I can tell when I read a student’s material.
Approaching graduation is a stressful time for students. People will go up to them and ask, “What do you want to do after graduation?” And the student says, “I don't know.” And that’s fine if you don’t know, but that answer shuts down almost any conversation or help that person could offer. Students have this superpower in that everyone wants to help. Everyone's been in your shoes. And so when you say, “I don't know,” there’s no place to go from there. But if you say, “I’m not quite sure, but I am interested in marketing opportunities,” or, “I like international business,” it gets that person thinking about their network and if they know anyone who can help you. I recommend that students try to have a bit of a pitch, even if they don't know exactly what they want to do. It can help you open more doors instead of shutting down conversations before they start.
When we focus on the Internship & Career Center and the resources available there, which ones are the most important for students to utilize?
CHROUST: We offer typical resources like resume reviews, mock interviews, and job search databases, but what students benefit from most is our one-on-one coaching. We help them reflect on their experiences, package their skills, and create a clear plan for what’s next.
The biggest challenge is when students apply to hundreds of jobs without a strategy. We emphasize an intentional search—the number one thing that's very hard for me is when a student or alumni comes in and says, “I tried to apply to a thousand jobs, and I don't know why am I not hearing anything.”
When we talk about intentional search, we help the students determine which companies they want to work at and find alumni who work at those companies. If they want to be in a particular industry, they should not just be fixated on this one company. What if other companies like that one are in the same space but possibly easier to engage with? We try to make them aware of these opportunities, connect them, and teach them how to reach out authentically to get that first informational interview, which could lead to more connections and bring them a step closer to an interview and a job.
Are there any resources at the Internship & Career Center you feel students don't know about and wish they did?
CHROUST: Yes! We have a magical resource called that gives students access to contact information for alumni and professionals outside our alumni network. When used with LinkedIn, students can write an email and send it directly to the contact’s professional email, unlike a general email address that will likely never get traction. Students have a better response rate than those who try to message contacts on Indeed or LinkedIn Premium.
Another amazing resource is , which asks students questions and records their interviews, so students can then watch themselves in the interview, hear what they sound like, and see how they are perceived by interviewers, which is very helpful. Interviews take practice, so this is a great resource that is not utilized enough.
MCLENNAN: One underutilized resource is Forage, which offers project simulations based on real challenges companies have faced. Students get hands-on experience solving business problems—like a Lululemon marketing project—with feedback on their approach. It also supplies students with language for adding a project to their resume or talking about it in an interview because they can't say, “Oh, I did a project for Lululemon.” But they can say, “I did this project simulation created by Lululemon and can walk you through how I solved a real marketing problem.” Companies use this as a soft recruiting tool, often giving applicants a second look. It’s a great resource, but many students don’t know about it—we’d love to change that.
CHROUST: Last but not least, the Gull2Gull Mentoring Program. In this program, students are matched with alumni in their area of interest for the fall semester. Students who take advantage of it have told us it’s an outstanding extra resource. We have many more alumni who want to be mentors than students who use this program, so we’d love to have more students come to us and take advantage of it.
How big of a role does networking play in finding jobs now?
CHROUST: It's definitely how most people are getting their jobs. When students network and put themselves out there, other people also look for opportunities for them. So while they're reaching out and making connections in the job market, even if they had an informational interview with one person who can't help them at that particular time, that person can connect the student to somebody else who might be able to help or to someone who may have a different experience or another opportunity available. So when we work together with students to help them solidify that strategy and put together resources, it can help them navigate that, and that's where the most magic happens.
What are your thoughts about LinkedIn? Because it seems like a tool that every job seeker uses. Students need to have a presence there. Are there any key insights you can share about how they can optimize their LinkedIn profiles?
CHROUST: There are so many ways to optimize. But I think you’re doing a disservice to yourself when you have a weak profile, which is even worse than having no profile. Students might set up a page, but they have no photo, no profile, or any of the basics explaining what experience they have so far. Eye-tracking studies have shown that people look at the photo, then the tagline, and then go back to the photo again, so it’s important to ensure that they have all of their information updated.
MCLENNAN: Engaging on LinkedIn and posting on it can always help. Many of our students are wonderful at this, so kudos to whoever coached them to do it, but it could be as simple as, at the end of an internship, posting and publicly thanking their internship company and contact and briefly mentioning what they learned from it. It’s such an amazing thing to do. And when a potential employer sees that, it tells them a lot about what kind of person you will be to work with. So, that's just one easy thing students can do.
CHROUST: There is also a lot of value in using the search functionality of LinkedIn to research the types of jobs students seek. For instance, if you want to work for the Celtics, which might be a very hard job to land, what other organizations are like the Celtics?
Or, look at some of the people who currently work there and read about their backgrounds and where they worked before getting their job at the Celtics—maybe one of those companies might be a great stepping stone for students that could eventually lead to a job on the Celtics. So many companies are doing so many things, but students may only think about the leading brand.
LinkedIn does a great job of showing people’s career paths and helping students learn about other options. It’s a great way to connect and look at other organizations that may be a good fit to get you to where you want to go. So, beyond just applying for jobs, research can be done on that platform. You can find all our alumni on LinkedIn and see what they do. A little bit of strategy can go a long way, no matter whether you are looking for your first internship or a full-time job.
We talked about Big Interview. Is that the best way to prepare for an interview, or are there other tips you can recommend for interview prep?
CHROUST: We do mock interviews, which are ideal. Both are good because you can start by using Big Interview and seeing how you come across in an interview, but being in front of someone in a mock situation is very impactful. We spend a lot of time teaching the STAR formula (Situation, Task, Action, Result), which involves talking about examples from your class work and your internships so you can paint a picture for the employer about the experience you’ve had and why you'd be a good fit for them.
MCLENNAN: Trying to anticipate what questions you will be asked in an interview can be daunting. But I think, no matter how the questions are asked, it boils down to three main things:
- Why do you want to work for this company?
- Why do you think you're a good fit for this position?
- Will you work well with the team here, and what are you like to manage?
If students can be thoughtful about those three areas, research the company well to understand the position and how they would be fit for that role, and ultimately show them they want the job, that will help make a great interview. As Kate said, using those concrete STAR examples lends so much credibility. So if students can prepare those three areas, I think they're pretty well set.
CHROUST: And thank you notes! Don’t forget to send thank you notes!
Are there any key deadlines students need to know as they approach graduation and look toward their next opportunity?
CHROUST: It depends on the industry. Some fields like accounting and finance have seasons for hiring the next “class” of graduates. Other fields just fill roles as needed and hire year-round. We host the Internship & Career Fair at the end of February because that’s when companies start to know their hiring needs. I hate to see students so stressed out if they haven’t started their job search by a particular time because there’s no need to panic. Jobs are always out there, and while some companies recruit way in advance, others will fill roles on a rotating basis. There’s always going to be something out there.
MCLENNAN: Sometimes, after our students do their thesis or capstone, they take the summer off, knowing they can come back and get help from us any time because we work with alumni, too. So that support will be available for them even after they graduate. I think it’s important for our students to know that.
CHROUST: We always say our busiest day is the first day of school!
What steps should students take as they prepare for their careers post-Endicott?
CHROUST: Students should ensure they know their resources and that they have support here. I spend a lot of my time helping the seniors reflect on their academic and internship experiences and packaging them into a story that makes sense for what they want to do post-graduation. Instead of just having a running laundry list of their experiences, I help them think about their goal and ensure that their story speaks to it.
MCLENNAN: They don’t have to try to fit the job postings. Instead, they must look for postings that fit them and their experiences and goals. It is an investment of time to figure these things out, but it makes the job search easier. It can be overwhelming to look for a job. It’s stressful.
CHROUST: But reframing this into something exciting and seeing it as a world of opportunities open to you helps.
If you had to list the three most important things a student can do to prepare for and land their dream job, what would they be?
CHROUST: First, I think it would be to be able to answer the question, “What do you want to do after graduation?”
Second, ensure your materials are put together and tell your story most effectively.
More than anything, it is ensuring you're putting yourself out there and networking authentically and positively through career conversations, networking events, and taking advantage of all the resources here.
Is there anything else that you want to share?
CHROUST: I want to make sure that all students know about our resources now and for the future. My saddest day is when an alumnus returns five years later, and they had no idea our office existed. Even if they don't use it, I want them to know we're here for them when needed. If they don't need us now, okay. But know that we're here to help them reach their goals.