Just this morning, I got a Facebook message from a student at my Alma Mater. His question was simple – ‘How can I find a job and what should I expect.’
I don’t know if you know me, but a i saw (you) graduated from Mercyhurst not long ago, so I thought maybe you can give me some tips on how to find a job in todays market or what should I expect after graduation.
I am sure you’ll agree – these aren’t the best times to graduate college… Not with student loans due and bills to pay.
So, I’m putting together this little list, which is an expanded version of my comment to my Facebook friend:
- Start with your friends
Start checking in with the people you went to school with who work in the field you want to be in. This could be close friends, roommates, or friends of friends.
These people can get you in the door farther than your resume will. In fact, they might even be able to get word to the person directly in charge of you, should you get the job.
- Polish your resume
Your resume should include all kinds of things, not just your previous work history. It should include projects, skills, awards and accomplishments, and anything else of note.
A prospective employer isn’t going to care that you worked at Burger King for two years during you sophomore and junior year. They are going to care that you are a brilliant strategic planner, though.
- Submit to online job boards
Online job boards, notably Yahoo Hot Jobs, are of particular importance. Just recently, I had my resume pulled by 3 people, two of which were headhunters looking for more information about what I did for a living and whether I would fit into various projects they were looking to fill.
- Pick Up Some Freelance Work
This might seem counterintuitive, but look for a couple freelance gigs. First of all, you need money to survive. Freelancing will give you a bit of a cushion until you pick up steady work. And secondly, sometimes, those freelance jobs will lead into steady work.
There are several times that I hired a person after I was so impressed with their freelancing. It’s a no risk way for employers to find good people, and it puts money in the your pocket.
- Clean Up Your Social Networking Profile
Over 60% of potential employers will google an applicants name before they ever sit them down in a chair to interview them. If you have stuff in your publicly available profiles that would shame your mother, chances are you need to delete it before you even think about submitting an application anywhere!
The bottom line is you need to start with your friends and contacts. These people will be able to get you much farther in the hiring process than a simple resume or application will. But please make sure your social networks and your resume are up to snuff. I would hate to see you embarrass your friends and acquaintances with something terribly subpar…
Do you have any job hunting tips to add? What has worked for you?
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{ 1 comment }
good solid advice and well worth listening too, especially the advice on cleaning up your social networking profile, the world is all too keen to show off the bad things we get up to on the weekend, employers are hot on the case of online profiles as a great way of learning more about employees.
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