How to Find a Job After College? Try These Tips and Land a Dream Employment
It’s not unusual that many young people dream about finding their ideal workplace immediately after graduation and believe that figuring out how to find a job after college is easy. Unfortunately, in reality, that is almost never the case. You might need to go through internships and learn many additional skills before getting your dream position. This takes courage, knowledge, and, most importantly, a lot of patience. Learn all about this process with our guide.
Is It Hard Finding a Job After College?
There is not a strict rule that says getting a job after college has to be hard, but many young people face difficulties after graduation because their first working experience isn’t what they expected. Life isn’t something we can program perfectly – there are some unexpected situations we need to experience to grow and learn from our mistakes. The same thing applies to the process of looking for jobs after graduation.
It is possible to get your dream workplace immediately if you’re lucky, but it is also common to spend some time searching before you hit the jackpot. With our convenient tips, you’ll learn how to overcome potential obstacles on this tricky road and make this search short and efficient.
How Long Does It Take to Find a Job After College?
If you’re lucky, you can get scouted even before graduation. It’s not unusual for many companies to look for new employees among university students. If they notice your effort during some projects, they might offer you to start working with them even before you graduate.
Of course, this means that your income will be lower before you officially graduate, but as soon as you get your diploma, your income will grow, and you’ll get the opportunity to get a higher position.
If You Apply for Different Internships, You'll Gather More Experience
This is an amazing way to skip many unnecessary steps in the search process and start working in a good company as soon as you’re done with your studies. You should focus on staying active in various projects, meeting new people that can show you various interesting possibilities, and being part of different practices in your university’s companies.
Companies Usually Look for Employees With Special Skills That Will Make Them Stand Out
Did you know that the number of people with a college degree grows every year? Research shows that around the year 2020, almost 39 percent of women and 37 percent of men have completed four years of studies which is truly impressive if you check out older statistics.
That means that companies need to use different strategies to recruit new people. It is not enough to make a distinction between those with a university degree and without one – many companies will look for additional courses, languages, previous experience, and good teamwork. This is why hiring interviews are getting more and more complex – it is not unusual that you go through various levels of selection before finally getting at the position you applied for.
Standard Selection Process Has a Few Different Steps - If You Can Handle the Hard Work, You Might Stand Out
The process usually goes like this. Once a company opens a position and starts looking for new employees, you can send your CV, cover letter, and letter of recommendation (from your professors or previous employees). If your CV gets accepted, maybe you’ll be participating in a face-to-face interview where you will be asked some interesting questions.
For example, you could be asked to solve different problematic situations that might occur in your workplace. This helps recruiters to see how you think and how good your problem-solving skills are. If you solve these hypothetical problems easily, the chances you’ll get accepted for this position will grow.
Don't Overestimate Yourself in Your Resume
You just need to show that you have some skills that are required, for example, teamwork and functioning under pressure or following project deadlines. You don’t have to show yourself as the most perfect and capable person out there. It’s one thing to write about your skills in the resume and another thing to show them in practice. This is why showing up to interviews after your CV is taken into consideration is another important step.
If you weren’t honest about your knowledge, someone with experience will notice this in person. These are only some things to consider, but the whole process is a little more complex. With that said, here are some tips that will help you learn how to get a job after college.
Make a Good Strategy and Narrow Down Your Search
If you had many reasons to move and decided to move for studies, you usually need to choose what area you want to live in. Many people choose to start working in the city where they graduated. If you decide to move out of your parents’ home for good with no intention to go back, you’ll need a budget to move to another state alone. You can also decide to move for love and start living with a significant other in another city.
No matter the case, you should narrow down your search depending on the area you want to stay in, while keeping in mind the current job market. If you don’t have any precise ideas, you can do the reverse math and try the following thing. For example, you graduated in the IT sector, so you’re looking for a good position in companies that hire employees with your educational background.
It’s not unusual that many young people decide to move to Seattle, LA, or San Francisco because it’s easier to find a good position there. On the other hand, house-hunting for affordable places in areas such as Los Angeles might be more challenging. You need to go through many different steps before you decide where to move and start working there, so narrowing your search once you include all the mentioned factors will help you get organized to move and find a better working opportunity.
You Can Easily Move With Professional Assistance If Needed
Even if you get a great position in another state and need to move there at the last minute, this can be easily settled if you hire a professional long-distance moving company. Once you decide where to move, you can get professional cross-country moving services, so you’ll only worry about what to buy for a new apartment.
This can also be convenient if you want to plan your moving budget and see if the relocation actually pays off. Most professional companies will offer you a free quote, so you’ll know how much you’ll need to spend on relocation, even before making any final deals.
Make Sure Your Resume Stands Out
If you want to draw employers’ attention, you need to learn how to make your resume stand out and make it different and more interesting from others. A boring resume won’t get you a position in a new city and an exciting career. This is why you need to include information that is:
- Covering everything that’s required for the specific position you’re applying for,
- Generally good skills for any career (teamwork, creativity, will learn new skills),
- Something that will make you seem like an interesting person,
- Any internships or experience you can think of that is relevant for the desired position.
People usually make a common mistake and send the same CV to every company without making it suitable for the specific position. This is why they often get refused, even if they might be an ideal person for that position. Employees usually don’t have time to call everyone in a face-to-face interview.
This is why making a good impression over a CV might be your best chance to get you to your dream workplace. Even if it doesn’t show your complete personality and set of skills perfectly, it is important to intrigue the employer by showing them exactly what they are hoping to find.
This video might help you get the best ideas and learn how to make your resume a pure perfection and ensure you’ll find many great jobs after college.
Use the Power of Social Media Networks and Make a LinkedIn Profile to Expand Your Contact List
Social media has an incredible influence on every aspect of our life, so the situation is not very different when it comes to business networking. Folks nowadays find partners, potential coworkers, and new business ideas over social media, so you definitely shouldn’t stay out of this field once you start with your search.
Make sure that you have a LinkedIn profile since that is the most popular platform for networking in the business sector, and we’re sure you’ll find a lot of interesting information and opportunities there.
Make Your Bio Interesting and Unique
The rules are the same as when making a CV – try not to blend in with the others, make your biography interesting, and be open to different options. Don’t involve yourself only in one precise circle of profiles and companies because your dream position might be waiting for you at the place you least expect it.
It’s not unusual to get various offers through this social network, so use this as an opportunity to explore your possibilities and learn more about your preferences. You will notice that the same position can come with different work hours or salary. For example, if you need a bigger moving budget, you might as well want to look for a position with more working hours but also the one that comes with a higher salary.
On the other hand, if you’re moving with pets and you can’t leave them on their own for a long period, looking for a position where you can work remotely can be a perfect solution. This video can help you learn how to make a great LinkedIn profile for networking and find some amazing business opportunities.
Entry Level Employees Can Give You Great Tips, So Reach Out to Them for Advice
One of the amazing tips we can give you is to reach out to persons that are close to or at entry-level jobs. They will usually have a lot of great advice to give – for example, what a usual day at work would be like or what qualities are needed to succeed in this position.
It will also be much easier to reach out to them than to some senior leaders. Also, people in higher positions usually do different things, so they might not give you the best advice as entry-level employees who can tell you what’s directly related to your future career.
Always Ask Good Questions and Listen Carefully if You Want to Find Out How to Find a Job Out of College
Once you reach out to someone who can give you relevant answers, always be prepared with questions to ask. For example:
- What project are they current working on,
- What is the general atmosphere in their company,
- Are they working remotely or from the office, and is there a specific time when you need to show up and leave,
- What are the working hours, lunch breaks, holiday terms and so on,
- Do they interact with their boss directly or indirectly,
- What skills should you have for growing your career in the desired position,
- Do they have any specific rules or organizational culture?
After they start talking and giving you the answers, make sure not to zone out and listen carefully. Take notes if necessary. Just make sure to remember every detail because it can be essential for your employment and future success.
Feel free to ask additional questions if, after their answer, you still feel confused or don’t know what exactly they are talking about. If you understand everything clearly, it will be much easier for you to understand how to get a job out of college.
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Read moreOnce You Learn How to Find a Job After College, Make Sure to Hire Professional Cross Country Movers if You Need to Move
Hiring long-distance movers might be a great idea for those who want to move efficiently and ensure they don’t experience relocation stress. If you hire a car shipping company, you can also easily relocate your vehicle to any location. Hiring the best auto transport company is a great solution if you find a home that’s not really close to your future workplace.
For example, if you’re relocating to the suburbs and need to travel downtown for work, you’ll need your car there. If you decide to hire professional long-distance movers, you can count on many amazing long-distance moving services such as packing service, storage, and relocation insurance.