What If I Still Havent Found A Job
What if your job search takes longer than expected, or all your friends already seem to have found their dream jobs? It can be demoralizing but keep in mind that this happens to most of us at least once or twice in our lives, so youre in good company. Now is the time to stay positive and active, so youre ready with an answer to the question, What have you been doing since graduation?
Here are a few ways to continue boosting your marketability and morale as a job seeker :
Learn if you can use your colleges career services after graduation as an alumnus or alumna. As discussed earlier, this programming can be invaluable in all sorts of ways.
These services are free to North Central alumni other colleges will charge grads. But its worth asking, especially if you dont have experience with online interviews and your alma mater can connect you with software like Big Interview.
Figure Out What You Want To Do
First up, the big question that has no right answer: What do you want to do with your life? Waitbefore you fill in the blank, know this: You dont need to figure out your life right now, just your first job .
If you have no idea where to even start, consider your favorite classes or discussions in college, activities and clubs youre involved in, really anything youve enjoyed in the past few years. What issues get you riled up? What topics bore you to tears? Your initial responses to these should get you close to an industry, if not an actual title. You can refine it even more by asking yourself these questions from Muse writer Lily Zhang: What can I do to help other people? What does my ideal day look like? What do I find intolerable?
Still not sure? Take a look at the company profiles on The Muse and see what sounds interesting to you.
Whats The Quickest Way To Get A Job After College
Landing that first job is a job in itself. It takes endurance and consistent work.
Heres an 8-step job search plan from the JohnLeonard employment agency:
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You Won’t Get The Fun Tasks
You chose your field of study with certain jobs in mind. However, those jobs are probably at the higher end of the pay scale. For your first job out of college, you will find yourself doing things that may seem menial or beneath you. There are a few reasons for this.
First, as an entry-level employee, you’re at the lower end of the pay scale, therefore the lower-end tasks go to you. Secondly, and this is really important for you to realize quickly, you’re being tested.
If you want to get bigger, more exciting tasks to handle at your new job, you need to knock those trivial ones out of the park. Don’t just shuffle through them. Take care of your assignments and maybe even see if there is a better way to do them. When you show that you can handle these little jobs, and handle them well, you’ll earn the opportunity to get cooler assignments.
First Job After College Tips
- Do Your Research
- Be Diverse in Your Search
- Stick With It
After putting in the hard work necessary to get a college degree, its time to find a job that will make all those hours pay off. Landing a position that pays well and utilizes your major requires diligence, but if you put in the time and energy, youll be rewarded with a satisfying career. These tips can help improve your chances of finding the right job.
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How Good Is Nhs For College
The Bottom Line. Is the National Honor Society worth it? For students with the time to take an active role in the organization, the NHS is a great place to build a robust college profile and it provides an excellent outlet for developing important skills like leadership and providing service to the community.
S To Landing That First Job
Landing that first engineering job after graduation may be one of the most difficult things accomplished over the course of a career. Even though a fledgling engineer may have successfully completed internships, attended career fairs, and essentially done all of the right things college career counselors recommended to help find that job, it just might not be there after graduation.
However, there is some good news. A 2012 Student Employment Gap study conducted by Millennial Branding and Experience, Inc. revealed 87% of employers are going to hire more recent graduates this year, and of those, 34% of companies are recruiting engineering and computer information systems majors.
In hiring recent college grads, Jennifer Floren, founder and former CEO of Experience, Inc. noted: “Of all the things employers look for when hiring entry-level talent, it’s the so-called ‘soft skills’ that are valued most: communication, teamwork, flexibility, and positive attitude are by far the most sought-after skills. Employers understand that everything else can be taught, so they look for the most promising raw material to work with.”
So now the job search begins. The first thing to note is that finding the right job is more than simply searching for postings online and emailing a resume. The job search is a process and often times a frustrating one. The process involves research, outreach, follow-up, and dogged determination.
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Your Attitude Matters More Than Ever
In college, you just needed to get your work done and done well. Once you enter the workforce, there’s a lot more to it. It’s not just what you do and how well it’s done it’s how you do it. Do you roll your eyes when given an undesirable task? Do you pay attention in meetings, or are you zoned out or playing with your phone? Once you have a foothold on your career path, it’s not just about getting the work done, it’s about finding better ways to do it. Always be engaged and enthusiastic.
Does this mean you can’t challenge your boss on certain things? Absolutely not. If you believe you’re being treated unfairly or need a change of scenery, you need to speak up for yourself. Get your thoughts together and have a detailed argument for your points. A good boss respects an employee who is willing to speak up when they have a legitimate complaint.
Why You May Be Having Trouble Landing A Job
Finding a job as a recent college graduate can be challenging in the best of circumstances. However, there are some mistakes many novice job seekers make that may be getting in the way of getting hired.
Diana Brush, Associate Director of The Center for Career and Professional Development at Clarion University, and job search coach Dana Manciagli offer the most common mistakes they see recent grads make when looking for work.
College graduates need to select one to two job goals. If they dont know what types of jobs are available, then they should conduct an organized exercise of window shopping for jobs that they are suited for and they will enjoy doing, says Manciagli.
And while securing a college degree is fantastic, the major in college does not define the type of job they can look for. For example, I was a political science major, but went into sales and marketing.
Start early to develop your resume, gather supporting application materials, practice interviewing and acquire interview attire, says Brush. And dont forget to research how to dress for an interview, she adds.
Many recent grads apply for jobs and never follow-up, which can lead to missed opportunities. Too often, they apply to one job and waitand waitand wait. They need to change their game and project-manage their job search and take it much more seriously, says Manciagli.
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Career Resources To Look For On Your Campus:
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Your career services office This should give you access to job listings, seminars or workshops, job-shadowing or internship opportunities, and interview coaching.
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Job fairs Learning about local businesses and meeting different employers can be a valuable chance to explore your options.
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Clubs or honor societies Not only is this a great way to bond with others over something youre all passionate about, but it can also help you sharpen your skills by giving you a place to share your work or bounce around ideas.
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Your professors Its always a good idea to get to know your teachers and work hard in their classesthey could be the ones you list as references on future applications. At the very least, a trusted professor can be a great mentor and friend.
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Peers and alumni You never know where a college acquaintance could lead you in the future, especially if theyre pursuing the same field that you are. Keep those connections when you graduate!
Build Your Network And Get Referrals
Building a network is an important step in the job search. The research youve done into career paths will help guide your networking conversations. Once you have a good idea of the area of the labor market where you want to focus, you can ask informed questions that better enable people to help you.
Start with family and friends. Even if you already know these people very well, you may be surprised by what you learn when you start asking them career-focused questions. Here are some questions to get started:
- What does your day to day work entail?
- How did you get your first job after college? How did that lead to your current job?
- Which skills have been most important in your career?
- Does your current employer have any jobs that you think are a fit for me?
- Based on my interests and background, is there anyone in your network who would be a good contact for me?
Family and friends are likely to be your best resource, but you will still want to network outside of your closest ties. You may also want to consider:
- Joining your college or universitys alumni network
- Looking for and attending networking events
- Attending and making connections at job fairs
Related: Become a Networking Expert in 7 Steps
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Expect To Arrive Early
During college, your professors probably emphasized the importance of arriving on time to class. This is even more applicable in the workplace. For every interview, you should aim to arrive 1015 minutes early.
If being punctual is something you struggle with, start adjusting your schedule to allow for early arrival even when youre meeting friends or going to other appointments. By making it a practice, youll be more likely to arrive with ease for your interviews.
Prepare answers for common questions
Its important to note that interviews are not tests. Even if its a technical interview, employers are not necessarily looking for the right answer. In most cases, they are instead curious about how your qualifications match with the requirements of the jobs and how you problem solve, work with others, take responsibility or show initiative. They ask questions that they hope will give them insights into these traits and behaviors.
Go Find Those Hidden Jobs
Now you can see why employers donât always advertise employment opportunities or post to job boards . If you want to find the hidden job market, follow the tips above! You’ll find the right job for you in no time.
Need help finding a job?
As Pablo Picasso said, âEvery child is an artist the problem is staying an artist when you grow up.” So, are you one of those who thrive to be creative all the time? Like to design the world, fill it with colors, and dedicate all of your hours to out-of-the-box work?
Check out these five career paths if you love to flex your creative muscles.
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I Want To Talk About Quality Jobs Can You Explain What That Means And How Students Can Identify A High
Sure! Often, students enter the workforce, unaware of what the bar is for their first job. There may be a mismatch between what someone is capable of and what they end up with. A quality job is a job that puts a young professional entering the workforce on the path to economic mobility and helps them grow and advance in their career.
There are four dimensions to identifying a quality job.
It must align with your interests. Is this something you see yourself doing for a couple of years? Does the work sound interesting? What would a typical day look like? If youre someone who doesnt enjoy sitting at your desk the entire day, and youre taking on a job that requires crunching data for long hours, would you really enjoy this work?
It must provide scope for learning and development. If you cant learn and improve your skills in a role youre offered, that is a red flag. Learning new skills and upskilling yourself is critical to prepare you for subsequent career moves.
It must pave pathways to promotion. Quality jobs must allow you to advance in your career. Think if there will be opportunities to grow in the role, industry, and company. Even if you arent able to grow within the same company, your experience should prepare you for growth outside that particular company.
Pick A Career That Requires Specialized Skills
Some career paths are overpopulated with candidates, while others have employers begging for qualified candidates. Why? Often because the specialized skills required for one field makes the talent pool smaller.
Major in something that makes you into a specialist and finding a job wont be hard. Even better, youll get paid well from the beginning. Look for jobs where a bachelor’s degree in a highly specialized field is all you need to get started, such as computer and information systems.
Fields such as medicine, education, law, and accounting can pay extremely well, of course, but they require that you have an advanced degree to gain the certification needed to apply for those jobs. These might not be the best choice, at least at first, if you want to get a good-paying job straight out of college.
Other careers, such as many jobs in business, require a college degree, but not a specialized one. The more people eligible to apply for a job, the more people you will need to compete against to get it.
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How To Find And Land An Entry Level Job After College
The time right before and after college graduation should be an exciting one, but most students find themselves in a panic. Winter isnt coming, but real life definitely is. While landing an entry-level job doesnt have to be hard, it does require effort. Students better be ready to network, build their public profiles, and perfect their resumes. Ladders answered some of the major questions that students and recent grads usually have regarding entry-level jobs.
How To Get A Copy Of Diploma From College
You can find online applications for replacement diplomas on the Office of the Registrar page of most school websites. This is typically a PDF that can be printed from your computer, filled out by hand, and then mailed to your alma maters registrar. A typical written request may include: Reason for replacement diploma.
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Spend Time On Your Cv
It might sound like a common-sense tip, but by updating your CV, making sure you have removed any spelling or grammar errors, and by tailoring it every time you apply for a position, you can maximise your chances of getting noticed. Another idea is also to create a graphic resume maker to make sure your resume stands out.
Its a good idea to check that your references are still relevant and contactable at the email addresses and phone numbers listed, and always be sure to include a personal cover letter when applying for a role. A generic to whom it may concern greeting will no longer fly in todays tech-savvy world when all it takes to discover who your application is heading to is a few cursory searches on LinkedIn or Google.
If youre pressed for time and want to have your experience and recommendations in one place we recommend using Adzunas ValueMyCV. It allows you to quickly and easily career recommendations all in one place.