MARCH 26, 2020
Graduating and ready to start your career, but unsure about how to find a job in the time of COVID-19? Check out BYU Connect, a career resource that includes:
- Global mentoring
- Advising
- Job sharing
- Networking
- Discussion boards
BYU Connect allows both BYU students and alumni to make connections to support each other. To learn how using BYU Connect can enhance and inform your job search, check out the following features:
First, become a member
Go to ldsces.org to join and select “Join Our Community.” Choose the option to create an account.
As a member of BYU Connect, you have a personal profile, where you can upload a photo, import your LinkedIn profile, and fill out background and career experience information. You can also upload your resume to help you in your job search.
Create Connections and Informational Interviewing
Did you know that you are 14 times more likely to be hired with a referral than without one? BYU Connect creates networking that is key to your job search. To connect with alumni, click on the “Explore the Community” tab. This feature allows you to:
- Search for connections using certain filters (see image below)
- Use a card or map view when searching for alumni
- Browse through recommended connections who automatically get sent to you based on your profile information
Once you find an alumnus or alumna you would like to reach out to, click on “Let’s Connect” below their name and information, and you will be able to send them a personalized message. This feature offers:
- Message templates for networking advice, career exploration, or choosing a major
- “Request a Meeting” option at the bottom of the message where you can schedule a time to meet with the alumnus/alumna
This makes informational interviewing easy! Informational interviewing will give you a chance to ask alumni about their career, helping you learn more about a particular field and available opportunities while expanding your network with BYU alumni.
Using Handshake
Handshake, another job resource connecting employers to BYU students, offers many useful tools for starting your career. Once on BYU Connect, click the “Handshake” tab, and you will be taken to their website. On this page, go to the “Jobs” tab, and you can conduct a job search tailored to your interest and needs. As the image below shows, you can select different filters as you search jobs, and you can determine which jobs appear first based on relevance and date. Handshake will also tell you if a job is an “Employer Match” based off of your profile.
Other useful resources on Handshake include:
- You can star jobs you find interesting and save them on “My Favorite Jobs” beneath the search engine.
- Track the status of your job applications using the “Applications” tab.
- Search for and follow employers on the “Employers” tab.
- Post your own and view others’ career-related questions using the Q&A tab.
- Message students from BYU and other universities career-related questions using the “Students” tab.
- Check your “Messages” tab often, because recruiters can also contact you via Handshake!
Job Hunt Resources
Like Handshake, BYU Connect also has a jobs tab where you can search for job openings. Go to the “Experienced Jobs” tab and search for jobs based on location, industry, expertise, job type, and experience level. Click on the “Job Referrals tab” to see jobs that were posted by specific people you can add to your network to help you get hired. Another tool you can use during your job hunt is the “Resources” tab, which provides the following features:
- Go to the “Career Resources” page. There you can find a link to the ZipRecruiter job search database.
- Go to the “Student Resources” page. Then click on the “Find a Job or Internship” article, which will send you to a webpage with multiple resources:
This page includes several articles about how to find a job, including how to do a 2-hour job search and how to use your mission experience to get a job.
Use BYU Connect to build your network and find your next job! Click here to join today.
