What is your plan after you graduate? Do you have a job lined up as yet? Are you going to grad school? If you are not already, you will soon be bombarded with questions like these. The job hunting process can be tedious and stressful. However, with some guidance, you should find some relief; just remain positive during the process as it can seem hopeless at times. I promise you, if you persist and continue trying, it will work out eventually. Getting a job can take time, it can be immediately after school, 6 months after school, one year after school; just trust the process.

What we are waiting for is not as important as what happens to us while we are waiting. Trust the process.

Mandy Hale

As someone who's recently had a lot of experience in the job hunting process and thankfully succeeded, here are some pieces of advice to help keep your head above water.

Resume

Make sure your resume is up to par and it is easy for recruiters and employers to view your relevant skills for the position. Employers glance through many resumes every day and it has to catch their attention in the first few seconds. Also, make sure it is appropriately formatted as employers also implement algorithms to sort through resumes more “efficiently”. Click here to download a copy of how a resume should look.

Some tips to keep in mind:

• Keep it simple, one page should be enough.
• Have a consistent font throughout the document.
• You do not necessarily have to include your full address; city, state and zip code should be sufficient.
• Include relevant skills and experience.
• Include some of the words listed in The Balance on your resume.
• Ensure you explain how you used all of your skills listed.

You should also try attending resume building workshops, provided by the school or other sources (if necessary). A good idea is to visit your school’s Career Management Services as they have experts to review your resume and people who are willing to help you through your job search. If you have any further questions, feel free to contact me at francisd625@gmail.com

Career Fairs

Attending this event is a great opportunity to network with employers and hiring managers. A lot of the time, students do not take full advantage of this opportunity. What you need to understand is that the more avenues you take to get a job, the higher the chance of landing one! Imagine getting the chance to speak with someone who has a huge role in deciding who gets hired but you turn it down because you did not bother to go, or use having classes as an excuse. Most times, professors are understanding and will allow you the go ahead to attend events like this. Remember, walk with lots of resumes, dress professionally and practice your pitch to sell yourself; you want to leave a lasting impression. You would also want to ask questions, be enthusiastic and do not wait for recruiters to come to you; show initiative.

University Career Management Services

This should be your go to place when job hunting. They are dedicated to helping you look and prepare for job opportunities. The career services include: resume reviews, job search assistance, mock interviews, workshops, webinars, meetups, employer events, etc. Going to my university’s career management department taught me things I did not expect employers to consider; do not pass up this helpful resource. They are devoted to helping you even after you graduate so make sure to check them out!

Job Boards/Websites

These mediums provide thousands of job openings worldwide. Considering that this method is frequently used, it will be very competitive. However, it will give you an idea of the opportunities that exist. Also, these postings provide requirements that the various employers believe will make a candidate a great fit. An advantage of utilizing this approach is being able to search for exactly what you want. For example, you can search for jobs based on location, salary range, experience level, etc. Some of the top job boards/websites include: Glassdoor, Indeed, Monster and CareerBuilder.
Unfortunately, you still need to protect yourself from job scams that are present on these mediums. Some red flags include but are not limited to: offering you a job when you have never interacted with them, a high salary or wage listed for a job that requires minimum skills, the “employer” is requesting a copy of your passport, social security card or confidential information up front, and the company does not have a legitimate website. BE WARNED!

Linkedin Jobs - Premium (Trial)

I consider Linkedin Job as a job board/website but I chose to distinguish it from the rest as it has some amazing features that sets it apart. Specifically, Linkedin has a premium option which gives you additional edge over the competition. The premium plan gives you the ability to directly reach out to recruiters and job posters, move to the top of the recruiters’ applicant list, assess how you compare to other candidates and more. Some other notable features of the premium option are being able to see who viewed your profile in the past 90 days, getting career coaches and being able to learn new skills on the said platform. Linkedin Premium offers a free month then it is $29.99/month for the career path. Check out Linkedin Jobs and I suggest trying out the Premium Plan.

Recommendation/Network

This is the time to put your network to use. Friends working in the same industry as your career path will be able to give you advice on how they got their foot in the door. You should link with them and find out their recipe for landing their job, even find out if there are vacancies with their current employer.
Get a letter of recommendation from your professors who you grew a relationship with – that will require you to make sure you stood out somehow in the class or for them to at least know your name. The more positive recommendations will be better, and your instructors can even refer you to employers who are in their network looking for candidates as yourself. Try to get recommendations from your classmates and people who are already in the professional field.

Previous Experience

One very important lesson that I’ve learned is that, regardless of what position you’re applying for, experience is always desired and or required. Today, even entry level jobs are requiring candidates to have a few years of experience in the field. This is why it is important to make use of your time by trying to land internships, part-time jobs and even volunteering. Ultimately, this is what will set you apart from other candidates. Experience is especially good if you were not the strongest student; you will have years of honing your skills outside of the classroom that you are able to prove to an employer. Personal projects are a plus!

Check Your Spam Mail

Simple as the title, check your spam mail to ensure recruiters are not trying to reach out to you in vain.