12 Tips From a Career Advisor (2024)

Whether you are about to start their freshman year or last year of grad school, it’s always the right time to think about what comes after graduation. The Texas A&M University Career Center has a variety of resources to help prepare students to enter the workforce. Career advisors provide one on one career support to both current and former students.

Here are tips from three seasoned career advisors on steps students should take to prepare for the job hunt after graduation.

Amarette Renieri currently leads the Mays Business School Career Services team and in a previous role specialized in working with exploratory, undecided students. Reineri’s advice to undergraduate students is:

1. Maintain your grades – Reineri said doing as much as you can to maintain your grades is important, especially if you have plans to go to graduate school. Taking advantage of resources available on campus can help support your academic pursuits.
2. Get involved – “To me, involvement kind of serves two purposes,” Reineri said. “Community and purpose.” Employers are looking for more than just good grades, they are looking for experience and skills.
3. Go to employer information sessions – The Career Centers employers partners are often on campus wanting to connect with students. Reineri encourages students to attend info sessions put on by employers to get introduced to industry professionals.
4. Attend career fairs with internships in mind – “If a student is looking for a summer 2025 internship, they should start looking in the fall of 2024 to have the most options,” Reineri said. The Career Center has around 12 career fairs each semester across campus.

Paul Rainey joined the Career Center in 2020 and currently serves as associate director for Graduate Student Career Services. He advises masters and doctoral students on all career trajectories and had these tips to share:

1. Evaluate what skills and experiences are being valued in the industry you are interested in – It’s important for graduate students to think about the skill sets and experiences that are valued in the spaces they are interested in Rainey said. “It’s good to then make a plan on how they can acquire their skills,” he said. “Whether that is finding an internship, assistantship or research opportunities.”
2. Network – “The best time to network was yesterday with the second best time to network is today,” Rainey said. People in your network today can become referrals tomorrow.
3. Get in touch with the Career Center as soon as possible – It’s important for all graduate students to get in touch with the Career Center early but especially Master’s students, since their programs run on a pretty short timeline. Rainey says that an individual development plan can help students create a roadmap for what they need to do before graduation.
4. Keep utilizing the resources that are available to you after graduation – Most Career Center services remain available to former students, including one on one advising. “We are really here for you from first day of class, incoming Texas A&M students to retirement and beyond,” Rainey said.

Jasmine Zenn has been with the Career Center for three and a half years. She is the assistant director for arts and humanities and shares these tips with students:

1. Build your network – “Your network is your net worth,” Zenn said. “Even as a freshman, you can start connecting to people in the fields you’re interested in.”
2. Be intentional with your classes – Sometimes it’s better to take a harder class that you will learn from instead of an easy elective. Be intentional with the courses you select to get the most knowledge and skills you can out of your degree.
3. Get connected – Reaching out to Career Center and starting a conversation is a great way to start getting started. Zenn says the best way to get connected to the Career Center is through drop-in advising. “I would say drop-ins are a very good entry point because you can ask quick questions, get your resume reviewed or just referred to other resources,” she said.
4. Think about graduate school – Zenn says keeping graduate school in mind is helpful so you can prep for it early. There is a lot to consider when applying for a grad program, so the sooner you can start prepping for it the better.

Planning for life after graduation can be daunting, but utilizing the resources and advice provided by the Career Center at Texas A&M University can significantly ease the process. From maintaining good grades and getting involved to networking and utilizing Career Center resources, following these tips from experienced career advisors will help you navigate your career journey successfully. Start early, stay proactive, and take full advantage of the support available to you throughout your academic and professional endeavors.