Congratulations: You’ve just graduated after four (or five) years of college education, studying, cramming and surviving test after test. Now comes the ultimate question: What are you going to do after college?

The answer to this question is easier for some students than it is for others. Often times, the job search begins months before graduation, beginning with the process of interviewing, working in internship positions, writing resumes and making business contacts.

For those just beginning to ponder the “real world,” the idea of finding of job may seem terrifying. What should students do to properly prepare for an interview? What kind of information should students include on their resumes? With the upcoming Job Expo, the answers to these questions prove instrumental.

Kathy Day, director of Saint Louis University’s Career Services, said that the department has much information for students on interview preparation and resume writing. “This information is available in our office, in our Employment Guide, on our website careers.slu.edu, in our Job Search Workshops, and by talking with a staff member,” Day said.

Day added that mock interviews, or practice interviews, are offered. “We strongly encourage job-seeking students to take advantage of our resum? review and mock interview services,” she said.

Career Services offers the following advice in preparing for interviews:

 research the industry/company/job

 talk to friends/family who are in the field of work in which you are applying

 prepare several copies of your resume on good quality paper to have available if there is more than one person interviewing you

 develop a list of references (at least three) on the same type of paper as your resume

 know your rights and be aware of what questions you are not legally obligated to answer

 participate in a mock interview with a career counselor

Appearances count, too, as interviewees should dress tastefully and conservatively. Other tips suggested include: arriving on-time; introducing yourself with a firm handshake; keeping eye contact with the interviewer; maintaining good posture; and thanking the interviewer for his or her time. Students should also ask whom to contact about questions after the interview and when to expect an answer from the company.

Day said that the suggestion that is heard the most from employers is that students should be well prepared for the interview, having researched the organization and job. “They should be knowledgeable about the opportunity and be sincerely interested in pursuing it,” Day stated. “Students who can clearly articulate how their background and experience fit the job will stand out.”

For writing a resume, Career Services suggests that the best way to determine what should be on a resum? is to ask what the potential employer would want to know. Typically, a resum? begins with a heading, complete with your address, telephone number and e-mail address. If you live on campus, list both your permanent address and your campus address. Next, declare a professional objective, including your goals or why you are interested in the job for which you’re applying.

Educational information should be listed next, including your degree and major, date of graduation and your college or university and its location.

Under experience, students should include the job title, employer, location of employer, dates of employment from the month and year you started to the month and year you left, and a brief description of the work you performed. “Experience can be via internships, co-ops, practica, community service, student organizations or part-time jobs,” Day said. “Leadership roles are a big plus.”

Information such as campus activities, community involvement, computer experience, special skills, language proficiency and honors and awards should also be listed.

The center also offers the following tips and guidelines on resum?s:

 Resum?s should be 1-2 pages in length.

 Names should be bolded and printed a couple of sizes larger than the body of the resum?.

 Do not use a small font size (less than 11-point) to squeeze everything onto one page.

 List everything, including jobs, degrees, practica/internships and activities in reverse chronological order.

 Only the name, city and state of your college and employer should be included.

 Use the present tense of verbs to describe duties in your current job or internship; use the past tense when describing duties from previous jobs or internships.

 Do not include personal information such as date of birth, marital status, height or weight.

 List your work as skills and results, not just duties as in a job description.

Career Services also offers a resum? review service for students who have prepared their resum?s and want suggestions on how to enhance them.

Normally, the Career Services staff will review resum?s within one day, although during peak times it may take an extra day.