Search for a Job / Internship

Finding Opportunities with Intention & Confidence

Finding opportunities is a skill that improves with practice. Most jobs and internships are not found by clicking “apply” once.

Effective searching involves:

• Exploration
• Relationships
• Persistence

The goal isn’t perfection – it’s progress. There are multiple places and ways to search.

Where to Search

Campus & Career Center Resources

• Career Central – job board for BJU students and alumni
• Career Fairs and other employer events on campus
• Faculty recommendations
• Alumni connections

Online Platforms

• LinkedIn
• Indeed or ZipRecruiter
• Company career pages

Best practice: Search by role + skill (e.g. “Marketing Intern,” or “Data Analysis Intern”) rather than just your major)

Networking

Who do you know? Who knows you and is recommending you for open positions of which they become aware? If you already have a network, reach out to let them know what you’re looking for. If you don’t have a network, start developing one. (See our Build Your Network resources.) Consider networking with:

• Professors
• Previous work or internship supervisors and coworkers
• Family, church, mentors
• BJU Alumni – connect on LinkedIn
• Find people in your field/industry on LinkedIn to connect with. Apply for a job and then connect with someone who works for the company.

Don’t forget – networking isn’t asking for a job – it’s asking for advice.

Proactive Outreach

• Research and reach out to companies you admire
• Conduct informational interviews – talk to people in various jobs to learn more about what they do and seek advice on how to get started
• Follow-up with employers you meet at a Career Fair and other recruitment/networking events

How to Search Strategically