Continuing Career Services
It's a good idea to stay in touch with your college's career services office, especially if you plan to change jobs or careers several times throughout your life. You may also be able to stay in touch with an advisement office or counselor who guided you through your college career. Sometimes these offices will keep letters of recommendation from professors or other administrators on file for you well into the future.
Your career services staff will probably be willing to review your resume, even if your request comes long after your graduation. This is particularly useful if you are switching career fields, as each career area has its own idiosyncrasies. Your career services office can help present your education and experience in a way that will catch the attention of your target audience. As you gain more experience, you'll have to make decisions about which items to remove, which to keep, and how long to make your resume. Your career services office will help you with such decisions. If you cannot visit the office in person, it's worth asking if a career counselor can help you via e-mail or over the phone. A gathering of alumni in your local area might even choose to request a visit from a career services counselor. The college may be willing to pay for the counselor's travel expenses on such an occasion. Don't be afraid to make suggestions to your alumni council or to other college administrators; you are likely not the only alumnus with such an interest.
Some employers approach specific colleges when recruiting to fill open positions. Your school may list these companies on a career services website. These companies are a good place to start a job search, either right out of college or in the case of a job change. Your continued affiliation with your college gives you an advantage with these companies.
If you find that your first job out of college isn't what you hoped it would be, get in touch with your career services office. If possible, make an appointment and visit in person. Sit down with one of the career counselors and discuss your experiences and your expectations. You will want to discuss why your first job didn't work out as planned and what you have learned about yourself and your goals. A career counselor will help you sort out why things aren't going well and can direct you to the resources you need to search for a new career. Just as when you were an undergraduate, these counselors have a variety of resources available to help you, including surveys and books.
