Phillips International

Smart Strategies for New Grads

Landing the Entry Level Job. Five words to strike panic into the heart of every graduate on the planet – not to mention the heart of every graduate’s parent. Most universities don’t adequately prepare students to position themselves for career success from the moment they graduate. With our help, you can.

Phillips International’s Smart Strategies for New Grads offers three hours of customized career counseling at a special introductory rate for recent graduates. This may be the most important gift you ever give or receive.

The Big Stressors – And How We Eliminate Them

What should I do with my future?
We help students identify their strengths, weaknesses, aspirations and ambitions, even research potential employers.

But I don’t know anyone important. Students know it’s all about networking. We teach them that everyone has an accessible community, and how to reach the people in it.

What do I say in an interview?
We review frequently asked questions, many of which are open-ended (such as “What was your most difficult work situation and how did you handle it?”), suggest specific ways to prepare potential answers, and practice until students are comfortable. And we teach proper after-interview etiquette.

My resume is boring.
We teach students how to broaden descriptions in interesting ways; to use bright, active language; to explain the ways in which they became assets to previous employers.

Cold calling is torture.
I can’t talk to strangers. I’m not comfortable selling myself. We show students how to start with who they already know. And arm them with personal business cards to ease the way.

How do I talk about money?
Or a boss who never liked me? We specifically address ways to handle delicate subject areas, such as salary or difficult interpersonal relationships. There’s so much competition. And I have no experience. We teach students to highlight their skills, to organize and format visually pleasing, therefore attention-getting, resumes, to quantify and amplify whatever has happened to them.

How can I get everything on a one-page resume?
We focus on which skills, educational and employment experiences, honors and activities to include, where they should appear, and how much detail to include.

Our students are our most credible advocates. They say it best:

"Instead of having a million thoughts and feelings floating around in my head, I felt focused on my future for the first time, and I didn’t feel as nervous about the uncertainty of it. I actually knew what I wanted to do, and what I was looking for in a job and a company. I just needed to be asked the right questions."

"My networking future no longer seems so bleak. I now know that there are people I can call upon for assistance with career advancement, and they will be happy to help me."

"I learned how to respond to difficult questions in ways that do not burn bridges. I have less anxiety about job preparation in general. I feel more comfortable and confident about searching for a job and going into the interview process."

"There are so many graduating college seniors looking for jobs. At first, I was not sure it was possible for me to create a resume that would stand out from the rest. However, I learned that this is not the case."

"Thank you a million times over for encouraging me in this direction of sales – this is where I need to be. And for that text describing how to look for a job, interview for a job, and get the job – I felt completely confident when going on interviews. I am really excited to see where they lead me – whether it be getting the job or maybe opening the door for another interview."

"My resume definitely needed a lot of work. Having revised it a number of times and having had it edited, I now feel I am left with a clean, professional, dynamic resume that will survive the scan of the employer and hopefully get me the interview at the company of my choice."

It is our mission to become personal and professional advocates for young graduates.

Get your graduate started on the road to professional success. Give the gift that will last a lifetime. Call today.