Though the recent pandemic has pushed students into remote learning environments, graduating seniors and other students are still looking for job and internship opportunities. While the Knox community is physically apart, the Bastian Family Center for Career Success remains available to provide students with advice designed to help them find such opportunities.

To help guide students, Scott Crawford, executive director of career development at Knox’s Bastian Family Center for Career Success, published advice on LinkedIn. Even with the current situation, there is plenty that students can do to better position themselves as candidates for jobs and internships, and Crawford encourages students not to pause their searches. 

“If you’re not actively pursuing opportunities, you clearly won't land a position,” he said. “The Knox Center For Career Success remains fully yet virtually open and ready to help students with their job, internship, graduate/professional school, etc. search, as well as helping you make career-related decisions and connections. Since our services and resources were already available online, access to us has not significantly changed.” 

As of late April 2020, employers have posted more than 900 jobs and internships with the career center, and that number rises hourly. These postings include a full-spectrum of industries, many in science, information technology, healthcare, and non-profits. 

Staff members at the career center encourage students to reach out with their inquiries and challenges. “From a Career Services perspective, ‘If we know you, we can help you; if we don’t, we can’t,’” said Crawford. “Let us know what you’re seeking so we can help you individually.”

In addition to reaching out to students, Crawford recently contacted Knox faculty members to offer insight into how they can help their students. He urged faculty members to promote Handshake and other job search resources and to refer students who might need additional assistance to the career center.

He also asked faculty members to let the career center know about students who've accepted jobs, internships, and graduate school offers. “We would like to help celebrate their success, create an overall picture of what Knox students are doing/accomplishing, [and] share that picture back with you, campus-wide!”

Though many students may have specific plans for themselves, flexibility has become especially important, and they should be prepared to adjust. Crawford detailed some tips for student success in his recent email to faculty, imploring them to remind students to do the following: “Consider your Plan B, C, D. Students may need to be more open to what they’ll consider.”

Additionally, students are encouraged to monitor their emails and check messages on Handshake. “We send out targeted heads-up emails about opportunities based on your major [and other] info in your Handshake profile; read them. Employers will rarely try to contact you more than once.” 

Crawford also noted that this is a great time for students to boost their activity on professional social media sites like LinkedIn. “Post, comment, share, follow. Join our Knox College Bastian Center For Career Success LinkedIn Group. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter. Employers do check out your social media presence,” he advised.

Students are encouraged to connect with the career center via email (careers@knox.edu). Appointments are scheduled via Handshake and conducted by phone, email, GChat, or Hangouts. Additional online resources can be found on the Bastian Family Center for Career Success website.