Job Search

Get started with Handshake where you’ll find hundreds of internship and part-time job listings. Users can filter results based on their major, or area of interest.

• Current students log in with their Oglethorpe username and password.
• Alumni can request access from the Career Development center.
• Employers can post a job or internship from the employer access points to Handshake.

Follow companies, influencers, and people that you admire. Connect with people you know (classmates, coworkers, professors, people you meet at events). Include a message in your connection request when professionally networking. Use the alumni tool to reach out to Oglethorpe alumni who share your major or work in an industry you want to break into.

Remember, LinkedIn is for professional networking. Keep all photos, posts, and shares professional.

LinkedIn’s mission is to “connect the world’s professionals and make them more productive and successful.”

Use LinkedIn’s student checklist to make sure that you have all the key profile elements. Absolutely include:

• Photo + banner
• Headline
• Summary
• Education, experience, and skills

Many experts now say that about 85% of jobs are found through the “Hidden Market.” Networking helps you open the door to opportunities that never get listed. Make connections through a variety of sources including:

Contact the Oglethorpe Office of Alumni Relations to connect with many of our dedicated alumni who are interested in offering advice to students interested in various fields:

• Your personal relationships- family, friends, professors and members of social and religious organizations.
• Your professional relationships- prior supervisors, faculty/staff members, clients/customers.
• Social Media- LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter give you instant access to a world of contacts.
• Once you create a profile, you can use LinkedIn to search for jobs.
• Set up informational interviews with people in your network in fields you are interested in.

Because most jobs aren’t even advertised, coming up with a target list of employers you are interested in is a better strategy. Identify employers by checking sites like Glass Door or trade magazines. Go to employer sites and look at their job listings. Use LinkedIn to find Petrels to connect with from your target list of employers.

Check out O*NET Online, a free resource created by the Department of Labor that can provide you with occupational information to get your research started. The database, which is available to the public at no cost, is continually updated by surveying a broad range of workers from each occupation. Information from this database forms the heart of O*NET OnLine, an interactive application for exploring and searching occupations. The database also provides the basis for their Career Exploration Tools, a set of valuable assessment instruments for workers and students looking to find or change careers.

All Oglethorpe University students are encouraged to participate in the annual Career and Graduate School Fair hosted each year, as well as look out for employer lunch-and-learns and tabling visits. There is no substitute for talking to recruiters and school representatives and learning about the work their companies do, and what they look for in prospective new hires and applicants.

Visit OU Connect for Career Development events and be sure to connect with Career Development on Instagram and LinkedIn to learn how you can prepare for future fairs, stay in the know about job-seeker best practices/success stories and keep track of upcoming events.

Off-Campus Career Fairs

Each year, Oglethorpe University partners with over 40 colleges and universities across the state of Georgia this year to host the GACE (Georgia Association of Colleges and Employers) Virtual Statewide Career Fair.

A variety of employers will be seeking college students and graduates for internships, part-time jobs, and full-time jobs. If you are seeking an internship or a full-time job, this is an excellent opportunity for students to connect with employers in one location!

Visit our Internship section to learn how you can gain valuable work experience while obtaining academic credit at the same time. Fellowships are also excellent ways of gaining experience and expanding your network and skills.

• Fellowships:
  • are short-term opportunities lasting from a few months to several years
  • focus on the professional development of the fellow
  • are sponsored by a specific association, organization or faculty or staff member
• Fellowship programs can be designed to support a range of activities including:
  • graduate study in a specific field
  • research to advance work on a particular issue
  • developing a new community-based organization or initiative
  • training and reflection to support the fellow’s growth
  • opportunities to further explore a particular field of work

Want to be sure you look your best? Make an appointment to visit the Career Closet to find professional attire.

• Glass Door holds a growing database of 6 million company reviews, CEO approval ratings, salary reports, interview reviews and questions, office photos and more. Unlike other jobs sites, all of this information is entirely shared by those who know a company best — the employees. Add to that the latest jobs and the ability to see Inside Connections at companies via your Facebook network. This access is completely free, and requires no registration process for Oglethorpe students.
• Explore millions of jobs… with just one search. Simply Hired works hard to deliver the most relevant job search results on the web. Their algorithms are optimized for over 500,000 keywords across 1,000 different job categories!
• If you’re interested in working or volunteering at a nonprofit, check out Idealist.org.
• Find nonprofit volunteer opportunities, internships, and jobs at GreatNonprofits.org.
• For students looking for a variety of careers in the entertainment industry, check out EntertainmentCareers.net

• Join the Oglethorpe University LinkedIn group. This is a great way to connect with fellow OU alumni who work in the field in which you are interested.