Finding a job right out of college can be quite an intimidating experience for recent graduates. Up to then, they were students who were mostly worried about classes and exams. After they finish their studies, they have to adjust to this new normality of having to join the job market. While it’s completely normal to feel stressed and nervous, you shouldn’t let these emotions get in your way. We believe most of this stress comes from the lack of knowledge and experience of having to seek out jobs.
However, no worries folks, we’re here to help you with our list of ten tips on finding a job after college.
1. Customize Your Resume for Every Application
Most of us can admit that at a certain point in our life, we all made this particular mistake—we submitted the same resume to multiple job applications. We didn’t know at the time that this decision could have cost us our job opportunities. Nowadays, due to the lack of time, many employers use applicant tracking systems to scan the resumes they received. Through these scannings, they’re looking for specific keywords that are relevant to their industry. This means that if your resume doesn’t contain them, it will most probably be tossed away.
To ensure this doesn’t happen to you, your resume should use the industry jargon and write the way the job posting was written.
2. Create a LinkedIn Profile
Technology has created new ways for recruiters to find job candidates. One of them happens to be the social media platform called LinkedIn. While it’s considered a business networking platform, it certainly makes it easier for recruiters to find suitable candidates. Knowing this, it would be a mistake to neglect the impact this platform might have on your professional future.
That’s why you should consider the idea of creating a LinkedIn account where you showcase your education, skills, and experience in the best possible way. After you do that, you should connect with other alumni from your school and potential employers.
3. Check for New Job Postings (Frequently)
It’s common sense that for every job posting, there are thousands of people that apply. There is a belief that the ideal time to apply for a job is within the first 48 hours of it being posted among job seekers. That’s why it would be wise to check for job postings quite frequently. Even make a morning routine of searching for new job vacancies. You can also check out the social media of prospective employers for any information on vacancy.
4. Check With Your Career Center
Theoretically, each university has a career office that is available to all students. You could start your job hunting by putting to use this university resource. Meet with the career advisor and discuss your job options. They can also help you with all the job-seeking processes, from creating the resume and cover letters, preparing you for interviews, and creating a job-seeking plan that suits you best.
Many colleges also hold career fairs, host visits from many recruiters, and sponsor alumni networking programs. Make sure you entirely use most of these opportunities while you’re still a student.
5. Keep Up With Industry News
Even though you’re not part of the job market yet, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t follow what’s happening in your industry. You have to keep up-to-date with the latest developments in your industry. You can do so by reading trade journals, following in social media people that influence that particular industry, and joining professional social media groups.
You can also read books and listen to interviews many industry influencers often give. Regardless of how you choose to keep yourself on the loop with your sector’s latest stuff, know that you’re contributing to your future in that industry.
6. Have Your Elevator Pitch Ready at All Times
One important tip is to summarize your strengths and skills in short sentences that won’t take more than 35 seconds to vocalize. These sentences should contain information that makes you a well-prepared and interesting candidate and, most importantly, grabs the recruiter’s attention.
7. Practice the Interviews to Get Familiar With the Process
We all understand how vital the interview step is to the hiring process. Because of its importance, it would be ideal for you to start preparing for it.
You can start preparing with common questions recruiters make in the interviews. Once you get a handle on them, you should focus on the company or organization you’re applying to. Put your detective hat and find all there is to know about them and what would help you ace that interview. You can easily find all this information on their website and social media. You should also get informed on the hot topics in your industry, so you don’t look clueless in the interview. Knowing more or less how the process goes will definitely help. You’ll be able to control your anxiety and the nervousness a candidate usually feels before an interview.
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8. Consider Doing an Internship
A considerable amount of students that graduate from university don’t have any job experience. This comes as a result of having to focus on academia for so long. On the other hand, employers are on the lookout for experienced graduates. How do students get this experience alongside their busy school schedules? You can start with an internship— you can choose between a paid or unpaid internship.
Whichever you choose, you should know one thing, all that hard work is going to be worth it. You’ll be getting all the experience you need to apply for a job, be compensated financially, as well as getting employed full time from that internship position.
9. Build Your Network
According to Business Insider, roughly 70% of jobs are never advertised. So, how can someone know what job postings are available if they aren’t published? The answer is this, by building a professional network. Some may find this part easier and for some might be easier said than done. However, one should keep in mind that experts say that up to 80% of jobs nowadays are landed through networking. Maybe this detail will motivate you to widen your network.
You could start with your university alumni. Even if they can’t offer you a job position, you’ll at least get some job advice from them. Your network process can go through social media or even just getting out there and having face-to-face meetings with people.
10. Try Out Different Jobs
Each job you choose to do has its value, and they’ll serve you quite much. You’ll learn more and more from every job experience—how to do a certain job, how to deal with people, and most importantly what it takes to achieve professionally.
However, our advice would be for you not to immediately settle for a job, but rather try multiple positions. At the very beginning, you might believe that that one job is your calling, but in most cases, people have to try many more until they find the one they really love and plan to do it their whole lives. That way, you’ll understand what you love to do and what you don’t really love.
Many new graduates think that finding a job after college is hard. And they’re not wrong. Luckily, many guides and tips can help you in this department. Lucky for you, we created this list with ten tips that guide you on how to look for a job after graduation. Make sure to make use of them. However, in case you’re struggling with finding a job, we want you to know that we are one email away. You can reach out to us and we will do our best to assist you.
