Your college’s career development center and its website are excellent places to start. For example, the websites of the undergraduate career services center provide lists of career links that can help to focus your job search. Most schools also provide career coaches and career education courses. Also check the National Association of Colleges and Employers website (www.naceweb.org). It publishes a national forecast of hiring intentions of employers as they relate to new college graduates (search: “Job Outlook”).

In addition, find out everything you can about the companies that interest you by consulting company websites, business magazine articles and online sites, annual reports, business reference books, faculty, career counselors, and others. Try to analyze the industry’s and the company’s future growth and profit potential, advancement opportunities, salary levels, entry positions, travel time, and other factors of significance to you.

Career development centers often work with corporate recruiters to organize on-campus job fairs. You might also use the internet to check on upcoming career fairs in your region. For example, visit National Career Fairs at www.nationalcareerfairs.com or Coast to Coast Career Fairs listings at www.coasttocoastcareerfairs.com.

Networking—asking for job leads from friends, family, people in your community, and ­career centers—is one of the best ways to find a marketing job. Studies estimate that 60 to 90 percent of jobs are found through networking. The idea is to spread your net wide, contacting anybody and everybody.

An internship is filled with many benefits, such as gaining experience in a specific field of interest and building up a network of contacts. The biggest benefit: the potential of being offered a job shortly before or soon after graduation. According to a recent survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, employers converted 51.2 percent of last year’s interns into full-time hires. In addition, 63 percent of the seniors who had paid internship experience and applied for a job received at least one job offer. Conversely, only 35.2 percent of seniors without internship experience who applied for a job received an offer. In addition, survey results show that the median accepted salary offer for seniors with a paid internship was 40 percent higher than the median accepted salary offered to non-intern seniors.

Many company internet sites have separate internship areas. For example, check out Internships.com, InternshipPrograms.com, MonsterCollege (college.monster.com/­education), CampusCareerCenter.com, InternJobs.com, and GoAbroad.com (www.goabroad.com/intern-abroad). If you know of a company for which you wish to work, go to that company’s corporate website, enter the human resources area, and check for internships. If none are listed, try emailing the human resources department, asking if internships are offered.

A constantly increasing number of sites on the internet deal with job hunting. You can also use the internet to make contacts with people who can help you gain information on and research companies that interest you. The Riley Guide offers a great introduction to what jobs are available (www.rileyguide.com). CareerBuilder.com, Monster.com, and Beyond.com are good general sites for seeking job listings. Other helpful sites are Disability.gov and Diversity.com, which contain information on opportunities for African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans, and Native Americans.

Most companies have their own online sites on which they post job listings. This may be helpful if you have a specific and fairly limited number of companies that you are keeping your eye on for job opportunities. But if this is not the case, remember that to find out what interesting marketing jobs the companies themselves are posting, you may have to visit hundreds of corporate sites.

Many companies have now begun to take advantage of social networking sites to find talented applicants. From LinkedIn to Facebook to Google+, social networking has become professional networking. For example, companies ranging from P&G to BASF have career pages on LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com/company/procter-&-gamble/careers and www.linkedin.com/company/basf/careers) to find potential candidates for entry-level positions. For job seekers, online professional networking offers more efficient job targeting and reduces associated costs as compared with traditional interaction methods such as traveling to job fairs and interviews, printing résumés, and other expenses.

However, although the internet offers a wealth of resources for searching for the perfect job, be aware that it’s a two-way street. Just as job seekers can search the internet to find job opportunities, employers can search for information on job candidates. Jobs searches can sometimes be derailed by information mined by potential employers from online social networking sites that reveals unintended or embarrassing anecdotes and photos. Internet searches can sometimes also reveal inconsistencies and résumé inflation. A recent study found that more than half of recruiters surveyed have reconsidered a candidate based on their social profile.

The internet is now a widely used job-search environment, so it’s a good idea to have your résumé ready for the online environment. You can forward it to networking contacts or recruiting professionals through email. You can also post it in online databases with the hope that employers and recruiters will find it.

Successful internet-ready résumés require a different strategy than that for paper résumés. For instance, when companies search résumé banks, they search key words and industry buzz words that describe a skill or the core work required for each job, so nouns are much more important than verbs. Two good resources for preparing internet-ready résumés are Goodwill Community Foundation (www.gcflearnfree.org/resumewriting/9/print) and the Riley Guide (www.rileyguide.com/eresume.html).

After you have written your internet-ready résumé, you need to post it. The following sites may be good locations to start: Monster (www.monster.com), LinkedIn (www.­linkedin.com/job/home), and CareerBuilder.com (www.careerbuilder.com/jobseeker/postnewresume.aspx). However, use caution when posting your résumé on various sites. In this era of identity theft, you need to select sites with care so as to protect your privacy. Limit access to your personal contact information, and don’t use sites that offer to “blast” your résumé into cyberspace.

• Communicate your worth to potential employers in a concrete manner, citing examples whenever possible.

• Be concise and direct.

• Use active verbs to show you are a doer.

• Do not skimp on quality or use gimmicks. Spare no expense in presenting a professional résumé.

• Have someone critique your work. A single typo can eliminate you from being considered.

• Customize your résumé for specific employers. Emphasize your strengths as they pertain to your targeted job.

• Keep your résumé compact, usually one page.

• Format the text to be attractive, professional, and readable. Times New Roman is often the font of choice. Avoid too much “design” or gimmicky flourishes.

You should include a cover letter informing the employer that a résumé is enclosed. But a cover letter does more than this. It also serves to summarize in one or two paragraphs the contents of the résumé and explains why you think you are the right person for the position. The goal is to persuade the employer to look at the more detailed résumé. A typical cover letter is organized as follows: (1) the name and position of the person you are contacting; (2) a statement identifying the position you are applying for, how you heard of the vacancy, and the reasons for your interest; (3) a summary of your qualifications for the job; (4) a description of what follow-ups you intend to make, such as phoning in two weeks to see if the résumé has been received; and (5) an expression of gratitude for the opportunity of being a candidate for the job. CareerOneStop (www.careeronestop.org/ResumeGuide/Writeeffectivecoverletters.aspx) offers a step-by-step tutorial on how to create a cover letter, and Susan Ireland’s website contains more than 50 cover letter samples (susanireland.com/letter/cover-letter-examples). Another popular guide is Jeremy Schifeling, Get It Done: Write a Cover Letter (Adams Media, 2016).

Once you send your cover letter and résumé to prospective employers via the method they prefer—email, their website, or regular mail—it’s often a good idea to follow up. In today’s market, job seekers can’t afford to wait for interviews to find them. A quality résumé and an attractive cover letter are crucial, but a proper follow-up may be the key to landing an interview. However, before you engage your potential employer, be sure to research the company. Knowing about the company and understanding its place in the industry will help you shine. When you place a call, send an email, or mail a letter to a company contact, be sure to restate your interest in the position, check on the status of your résumé, and ask employers about any questions they may have.

Letters of recommendation are written references by professors, former and current employers, and others that testify to your character, skills, and abilities. Some companies may request letters of recommendation, to be submitted either with the résumé or at the interview. Even if letters of recommendation aren’t requested, it’s a good idea to bring them with you to the interview. A good reference letter tells why you would be an excellent candidate for the position. In choosing someone to write a letter of recommendation, be confident that the person will give you a good reference. In addition, do not assume the person knows everything about you or the position you are seeking. Rather, provide the person with your résumé and other relevant data. As a courtesy, allow the reference writer at least a month to complete the letter and enclose a stamped, addressed envelope with your materials.

In the packet containing your résumé, cover letter, and letters of recommendation, you may also want to attach other relevant documents that support your candidacy, such as academic transcripts, graphics, portfolios, and samples of writing.

In preparing for your interview, do the following:

1. Understand that interviewers have diverse styles, including the “chitchat,” let’s-get-to-know-each-other style; the interrogation style of question after question; and the tough-probing “why, why, why” style, among others. So be ready for anything.

2. With a friend, practice being interviewed and then ask for a critique. Or videotape yourself in a practice interview so that you can critique your own performance. Your college placement service may also offer “mock” interviews to help you.

3. Prepare at least five good questions whose answers are not easily found in the company literature, such as “What is the future direction of the firm?” “How does the firm differentiate itself from competitors?” or “Do you have a new-media division?”

4. Anticipate possible interview questions, such as “Why do you want to work for this company?” or “Why should we hire you?” Prepare solid answers before the interview. Have a clear idea of why you are interested in joining the company and the industry to which it belongs.

5. Avoid back-to-back interviews—they can be exhausting, and it is unpredictable how long each will last.

6. Prepare relevant documents that support your candidacy, such as academic transcripts, letters of recommendation, graphics, portfolios, and samples of writing. Bring multiple copies to the interview.

7. Dress conservatively and professionally. Be neat and clean.

8. Arrive 10 minutes early to collect your thoughts and review the major points you intend to cover. Check your name on the interview schedule, noting the name of the interviewer and the room number. Be courteous and polite to office staff.

9. Approach the interview enthusiastically. Let your personality shine through.

During the interview, do the following:

1. Shake hands firmly in greeting the interviewer. Introduce yourself, using the same form of address that the interviewer uses. Focus on creating a good initial impression.

2. Keep your poise. Relax, smile when appropriate, and be upbeat throughout.

3. Maintain eye contact and good posture, and speak distinctly. Don’t clasp your hands or fiddle with jewelry, hair, or clothing. Sit comfortably in your chair.

4. Along with the copies of relevant documents that support your candidacy, carry extra copies of your résumé with you.

5. Have your story down pat. Present your selling points. Answer questions directly. Avoid either one-word or too-wordy answers.

6. Let the interviewer take the initiative but don’t be passive. Find an opportunity to direct the conversation to things about yourself that you want the interviewer to hear.

7. To end on a high note, make your most important point or ask your most pertinent question during the last part of the interview.

8. Don’t hesitate to “close.” You might say, “I’m very interested in the position, and I have enjoyed this interview.”

9. Obtain the interviewer’s business card or address and phone number so that you can follow up later.

A tip for acing the interview: Before you open your mouth, find out what it’s like to be a brand manager, sales representative, market researcher, advertising account executive, or other position for which you’re interviewing. See if you can find a “mentor”—someone in a position similar to the one you’re seeking, perhaps with another company. Talk with this mentor about the ins and outs of the job and industry.

After the interview, do the following:

1. Record the key points that arose. Be sure to note who is to follow up and when a decision can be expected.

2. Analyze the interview objectively, including the questions asked, the answers to them, your overall interview presentation, and the interviewer’s responses to specific points.

3. Immediately send a thank-you letter or email, mentioning any additional items and your willingness to supply further information.

4. If you do not hear from the employer within the specified time, call, email, or write the interviewer to determine your status.