Post-Grad Guide – Five Important Job Hunting Tips
You have your diploma in hand, your things are boxed up and crammed into a U-Haul, and you’re ready to go out into the world. Only one problem – you don’t have a job yet.
While it would be ideal to graduate from college with an offer already lined up, the fact is that most people have a period of uncertainty and unemployment after they graduate. The important thing is not to fall into panicking or moping about it. Instead, pick yourself up, write a great resume, and then start your job hunt. Need help starting out? Check out this list of the top five pieces of advice for new graduates on the process of searching for a job.
Time to hang up that cap and get working!
1. Utilize your college’s career center. If possible, check this one out while you’re still on campus, but keep it in mind after you’ve moved on from academia as well. While different career centers offer different services, most will at least be able to give you a list of alumni who have graduated and are working in the field you want to go into. This is important for the next tip…
2. Networking, networking, networking. Most positions are filled by recommendation rather than by answering want ads. If you know anyone who is in the industry in which you want to work, ask them if they’ll take a look at your resume. Even if they don’t know of any open positions they might be willing to give you some feedback. Get your name out there as much as you can by attending professional mixers (if you do a search for “networking [closest city]” at least a couple events or groups should pop up) or starting a website. Ask your friends and relatives if they know anyone who would take a look at your resume and keep your name in mind. It can feel uncomfortable, but most people genuinely enjoy helping someone get started and will be happy to help.
3. Zero in on companies you want to work for. Instead of just browsing online job listing databases go directly to the source. Visit the homepage of every company you can think of in your field and look for their “careers” or “jobs” page. Sometimes open opportunities are not well publicized.
4. Get tweeting. Many companies now have Twitter accounts specifically for publicizing new openings. Make a Twitter account of your own and follow them for up to the minute information about new opportunities. Just make sure you keep that Twitter, and the rest of your social media presence, work-safe and professional.
5. Keep an open mind. Have you known you wanted to be an editor since you were a kid, but are now having a hard time finding any editorial jobs? Check out fields with similar skill sets and expand your search. When I graduated college the job I ended up getting was in marketing, a field I had never really considered, and I ended up loving it so much that it’s what I want to pursue from now on. Besides, if you ever decide you want to move back into your original field, it will be much easier to do that from within a company that’s already hired you and knows your value as an employee.
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Caitlin Sahm is a Marketing Associate, freelance writer, and editor based out of Upstate NY. She believes that just because the economy is not at its best doesn’t mean your dream job isn’t out there waiting to hear from you.
