Employment After College
It’s going to take a lot more than your personal motivation and a college degree in hand to find employment after college. In fact, finding a job may seem like a job in itself, with applications to fill out, searches to sift through, and references to collect. Fortunately, there’s a lot you can do to take matters into your own hands, and improve your chances of finding a job that will not only pay the bills, but that you’ll enjoy waking up for each morning. It’s up to you to follow through and put the effort in to get the job search rolling, and land that first interview. Browse through this section for tips on things you should do to prepare yourself for not only the job search process, but what you should expect on the job as a recent graduate.
Getting Started
You won’t be invited to interview anywhere if you don’t send your resume out to hiring companies. It’s best then to start looking as soon as possible, even before you walk across that stage at graduation. Building a resume in college is even easier when you have a good idea of what you want to be doing after college and if you know you won’t be changing your mind any time soon on your intended field of study. Befriend your college career counselors and other faculty and staff who may have tips to share on internships and volunteer experiences to apply for that would be a good fit for you and your future career. If your wallet can’t handle an unpaid gig, consider part- or even full-time work while still in school that gives you some leadership and problem-solving experience, two things that will certainly come up in a job interview.
If you’re out of school, fret not. There’s still a lot you can do to improve your chances of landing a great job. The most important part is getting started. Put yourself out there, whether that’s through job search engines, word of mouth, or alumni listservs. Sometimes it is all about who you know, but it’s also about the effort you put into the process. For even more information, check out what we’ve come up with as far as tips on finding those elusive jobs and applying to them in this employment after college section.
Where to Apply
Where you apply and the jobs you choose to focus your energy on will depend on your personal priorities and ambitions. Are you looking for a job that may not be ideal, but comes with the salary and benefits that will help you get on your feet? Would you rather wait and hold out for a job you know will be challenging and beneficial to your career? Take some time out in the beginning to determine your goals in the job search process, rather than applying for everything that comes your way. You don’t want to burn any bridges by applying to a job you have little interest in, and then rescinding your application once you’ve had some time to think about it. It’s not too difficult to apply for jobs, but it does take some time to figure out exactly what is that you want to do with your life after college.
At the Job
Your hard work isn’t over once you ace your interview and get that job offer. In fact, it’s just beginning. You’ll now be expected to deliver on those promises suggested by your resume and one-on-one session, and to act like the young professional you are. It’s normal to be nervous about the first day — even the first few weeks — at a new job, especially if this is your first foray into the "real world" of full-time employment. But there’s also a lot you can do to prepare for that first real job out of college, and go into that office confident and ready for whatever tasks your new employer has for you. For more tips, check out what we’ve come up with on how you can prepare for your first job out of college.