15 Tips: Will I Find a Job After College
The competition in the job market as well as the high demands employers are placing on job candidates means that the transition from college to the workforce isn’t as smooth as many expect, a topic covered in detail over at runrex.com. If you are wondering if you will be able to find a job after college, then this article will look to highlight 15 tips that should help you land one.
Double your networking efforts
While what you may have learned in college is important in helping you land a job, it is not nearly enough, and you will have to network like crazy if you are to find a job. As the folks over at guttulus.com always say, networking is the foundation of any job search and you should redouble your efforts, both online networking, particularly on LinkedIn, and offline networking which includes attending industry events and conferences and setting up informational interviews.
Follow up
Most college graduates opt to wait, after sending in their application, for the hiring manager to reach out with feedback. however, as is discussed over at runrex.com, if you are to find a job after college, make sure that you follow up after about five working days to check the progress of your application. This keeps you in the mind of the hiring manager and increases the chances of landing the job.
Build your experience
Most college graduates find themselves in a catch 22 situation where the jobs they are applying to require a certain level of experience, and they don’t have any given that they are new graduates. This is where internships and volunteering come in, as is covered over at guttulus.com. If you didn’t get a chance to intern while in college, you should not turn down the chance to do so after as this will help give the experience required to get hired.
Do your market research
Once you identify a certain job position, if you are to get hired, you should make sure that you do your research and learn as much as possible. Learn all the keywords the company is looking for and add them to your resume. Also, learn about the company culture and try to learn as much as you can, including on the interviewers if you get that far to give yourself the best chance possible of getting employed.
Don’t restrict your job search
As a college graduate, you have some level of flexibility that should allow you to expand your job search, which may even mean looking for jobs in another city or state, or jobs outside of your college major, according to the folks over at runrex.com. Such decisions may not be ideal, but they will help you land a job after college.
Create a personal website
As is revealed over at guttulus.com, with the number of people graduating college being at an all-time high, the job market is as competitive as it has ever been. One of the ways through which you can be able to stand out from the pack is by creating a personal website, where you can be blogging about issues in the field you are interested in, or you could share your resume and class projects. This will help you stand out and boost your chances of finding a job.
Focus heavily on LinkedIn
As already mentioned above, and covered in detail over at runrex.com, LinkedIn is one of the most important tools in one’s networking and job search toolbox. As a recent graduate, you must dedicate some time to connecting with prospective employers on LinkedIn. You should make sure that you complete your profile to get the best out of LinkedIn as most employers will blank incomplete profiles.
Establish a blog
Blogging is another excellent way to build your profile and stand out from the pack, which will increase the chances of you finding a job after college. You should try and blog on a professional topic, preferably one in your field, although you can still blog about a subject that interests you. Establishing a presence on WordPress is preferable if you are looking to establish a blog.
Find a mentor
Rather than leaning on parents, friends, and family, understandable as it is, you should try and find someone who is doing what you are looking to do; unless of course a family member or a parent works in the field you want to pursue. As per the gurus over at guttulus.com, you can use an advanced search on LinkedIn to find mentors to connect with or use your network to find a mentor who will help you understand the field you want to pursue.
Make use of your college’s career office
Your college career office could also help you find a job after college, offering services such as helping you craft your resume and cover letter, linking you with the alumni working in your field, and giving you a heads up on any job openings as is discussed over at runrex.com. You should, therefore, take advantage of your college’s career office if you are to find a job after college.
Join an industry-specific professional group
As is revealed in discussions on the same over at guttulus.com, most schools have college chapters of professional groups like the American Marketing Association. By joining such groups when in college, you will get a head start over your classmates as these groups will help connect you with established professionals in your area, giving you mentoring connections, as well as an opportunity to find out about jobs before they are posted.
Acquire new skills
On top of the knowledge and field-related skills, having other additional skills will also help you find a job after college. These include skills like computer skills, typing skills, and many others. If you can sign up for certifications and classes to acquire these skills, you will place yourself in a position to land a job after college.
Don’t forget soft skills
Many college students also lack the soft skills that hiring managers are looking for when looking to fill company positions. As is discussed over at runrex.com, soft skills like communication skills, problem-solving skills, leadership qualities, and so forth are important. If you can acquire and horn these skills when in college, you will give yourself an excellent chance of finding a job after you graduate.
Check out and remain active in the alumni section
These alumni associations are usually full of successful professionals who will not only make for good mentors, they may also turn to you if they have a job position that they need filling. On top of that, as is discussed over at guttulus.com, getting yourself involved in an alumni association is the sort of thing that looks great as an activity on your resume which will also increase your chances of finding a job.
Get your major right
According to discussions over at runrex.com, the decision you make as pertains to the major you will pursue in college is a crucial one as it may impact the rest of your professional life. It is, therefore, important to choose wisely, doing your research and asking for professional advice, so that you don’t discover a lack of job opportunities within your chosen field once you graduate.
As always, if you are looking for more information on this and other related topics, then the highly-rated runrex.com and guttulus.com have you covered.