8 Tips for Graduates Looking for a Job
This is a sponsored post.
Finding a job may be the toughest job you’ll ever have. The failure rate is quite high. You will hear a lot of “no’s” before you get that one “yes”. Looking for your first professional job can be daunting and honestly, it can be a little overwhelming. My middle daughter is currently looking for a job after she graduates and she doesn’t graduate until May. If you’re a recent graduate and still looking for a job, you might not be taking advantage of all the available opportunities and resources. One small change in your approach could allow you to move out of your parent’s home, and let’s face it we all want to move out of our parents’ house sooner rather than later.
Take advantage of these job-search tips:
- Make the most of your university’s services. It’s important to your school that you find a great job. Why? It is a great recruiting tool. Why? Because All colleges and universities advertise their placement rates. Think about it, would you attend a college that had zero placement abilities. You wouldn’t. Plus you would not be thinking about attending college if you weren’t thinking about future employment opportunities. Smart students look at job placement figures when choosing a college to attend. Just because you’re out of school doesn’t mean you can’t still use your school’s career services department.
- Spend the necessary time and money to create an effective resume. While there are many instructional resources dedicated to constructing an effective resume, many graduates still struggle to put their best foot forward. If you are unable to create an impressive resume on your own, get help. Consider paying for a professionally written resume if necessary.
- Create a profile on LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a powerful networking tool. This website is constantly searched by recruiters. Networking activities on LinkedIn fill many of the available jobs. Many of these jobs never even appear in public. But besides LinkedIn, You can also create a profile on ZipRecruiter. Whether you are looking to hire a person for a job or looking for a job, I consider ZipRecruiter a better option vs. LinkedIn.
- Do a little housekeeping on your social media accounts. The photo of you drinking beer while standing on your head might bring a smile to your face, but it won’t bring any job offers. You’re an adult now, so act like one. Many professionals avoid making social media accounts. Or if they do make one, they have very strict privacy standards and settings. And only allow a few people to be their friends. It is not like they are friends with every Tom, Dick, and Harry that sends them a friend request.
- Consider closing your social media accounts. If you choose to keep them, consider what you are willing to show the public. Keep in mind that many potential employers are insisting on seeing your social media accounts from the inside. These requests have been held up in court. I have always warned my girls about watching what they post on social media because I have seen so many people being outed on social media. Where do you think the “Karen” stereotype came from? So if you are going to post about a fight with your family or loved ones – take my advice do not do it. It will do more harm than good.
- Practice your interviewing skills. There is more to preparing for an interview, especially when it comes to critical thinking interview questions, than reviewing common interview questions and contemplating your responses. Find a friend or family member who regularly interviews job candidates to conduct mock interviews with you. Your school’s career placement services department can also provide assistance.
- Build a website. A personal website is another useful tool. You can provide much more information than a typical resume will hold. It also provides positive information if a potential employer searches your background.
- Get on the phone. Many job-search gurus believe that you’re not doing anything to find a job if you’re not making at least 100 phone calls per week. I know that might seem like a lot of calls, but if you are serious about getting a job, you need to go the extra mile to show people how invested you are in finding a job. And think about it: if you were working a 40-hour week, 100 calls amount to less than 3 calls an hour. I mean, seriously, folks, you probably send more text messages in one day.
- Call potential companies and ask the appropriate people for advice on finding a job. Asking for employment will put them on the defensive, but everyone likes to give advice. Look on LinkedIn to find the ones to call. Plus, you will get a point of contact for a future opportunity with the company. It is good to think about future opportunities while you are searching for your current one to pay the bills.
- Contact alumni for advice. It varies from school to school, but some alumni groups are very active and loyal to each other. You never know who will want to help you. Facebook and . are searchable by school attended. Reach out and see what happens.
And most importantly avoid losing hope. I know it can seem discouraging not being employed and add the additional stress of a pandemic– well that is a whole nother ball game. It can take time to find the right employment opportunity. Take responsibility for your job search and spend time searching each day. Don’t just sit back and think the perfect job is going to fall into your lap- because life isn’t like that at all. Until you find a job, consider your job search to be your full-time job, but if you have to take a few odd jobs or smaller parttime jobs to pay the bills don’t feel like the perfect job for you won’t come along. Remember, until you find a job, consider your job search to be your full-time job. The perfect employer is searching for you right now. So make sure they can find you as quickly and easily as possible.
