5 Tips For Entering The Job Market After University
You’ve spent the last four (probably) years working on your degree, but now the time is coming to finally walk across that stage and grab your diploma. Everything is going right for now, but there’s something else to start thinking about when your time on a college campus is finished: finding a job. Almost right away after you leave campus, the student loans are going to be due, and you need to make sure you’re getting the ball rolling on your career. To do that, follow these five tips for entering the job market after university.
5. Don’t Stress
First and foremost, you shouldn’t panic if you don’t find a job immediately. Sure, there are some majors that offer internships that allow students to have a job. Some of these majors have recruiters coming to college campuses quite frequently, but it’s not vital to have something right away. Instead, it’s better to line up something that you feel is a good fit instead of just diving head first into the first job offer that you get. It may be something that you don’t like and you can find yourself stuck before you even get started. Take some time to recharge your batteries if you need to.
4. Make More Than One Resume
Resumes are perhaps the most important thing that you can have with you when applying for jobs. However, there’s not just one catch-all resume that you should have for every application. Instead, tailor multiple resumes, one for each field that you’re considering. You wouldn’t want to spend too much time on your resume talking about your experience on campus in the science lab when you’re applying to be a sportswriter. The same can also be said for your cover letter as it needs to be as job specific as possible.
3. Alumni Are Key
Hopefully you spent your time on campus connecting with the alumni network of your school. Even if you didn’t, it’s not too late. You can always connect with fellow alumni to help hook you up with a job. Online, you’ll be able to find your school’s database of alumni and see which ones could potentially be your boss or at least give you a good recommendation. After all, it never hurts to simply ask.
2. Go Premium
No other platform has been as good as LinkedIn when it comes to finding the right people for the right job, and this is especially true for recent college graduates. While still on campus, fill out a LinkedIn profile and make sure that it’s well polished. Set yourself to ‘looking for work’ and you’ll be contacted by recruiters while also allowing you to connect with people through networking (especially if you have a premium account).
1. Work on Interview Skills
There are so many people that are worried about the application process itself that they don’t consider what happens when they get an invitation for an interview. Try some mock interviews while you’re still on campus with a career advisor and hone your skills. The resume is what unlocks the door, but the interview is what really lands you the job. Even if you have to practice in a mirror or with your friends, simply knowing what to say during an interview is vital and can make or break your career.