Graduation is more than a month away, but the job search still is weighted with concerns about résumés and salaries.

Students should research their profession’s salary range, Cecil Bentley, director of career services and corporate relations for Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, said.

“[Salaries] range significantly by industry and location,” he said. “Look at trade publications for your industry. Those kinds of things are the homework that people need to be doing.”

Bentley encourages job applicants to be proactive and follow up after they send in their applications.

“Don’t be passive. See if they need more information from you and tell them again how interested you are,” he said.

A common mistake job applicants may make is limiting what they think they can do with their major, Aaron Brown, employment development coordinator at the Career Center, said.

“There are many companies that hire all different types of majors,” he said. “For example, if you were a history major and you didn’t want to teach, you could go into sales or marketing . The employer doesn’t always look at your specific major, just that you have completed your degree and have had some experience working.”

“The biggest mistake is only applying to places where [applicants] have seen a job notice,” Bentley said. “That’s a reactive process. To be proactive, apply directly to companies that interest you. Not every available job will be posted.”

Brown said it is important to anticipate career changes.

“Many seniors and graduating students won’t stay in their first job forever – maybe one or two years,” he said. “Just be prepared to be flexible and make changes down the road.”

Applicants must devote some time to the search, Bentley said.

“Just note that looking for a job is a job,” he said. “You have to really work at it.”

The University’s Career Center offers services to help with the career hunt, Brown said.

“You can use Dawglink [the University's online job postings site] to search for jobs,” he said. “You can also make sure your résumé is in order by getting it reviewed by a career consultant before you apply to any jobs.”

It also is important for job applicants to do research on the companies in which they’re interested, Brown said.