Learning the most effective ways to land that first job is one of the most difficult things for new college graduates. They are still determining how the job search process works. Knowing which career path and job option to pursue can be daunting for many. Then, when they start to apply, some get no results. This is so discouraging that their dream of getting hired soon fades.
After many years of helping career counseling clients launch their careers, I have noticed some specific problems that a great number of new graduates encounter.
Dylan had a business degree which offered a lot of career paths and different job options. He found out that using a broad, non-targeted approach doesn’t work. A conversation with a hiring manager seeking a salesperson didn’t last very long. Dylan had no sales experience and could not sell himself effectively to overcome that concern, so the employer moved on.
Jen graduated with a liberal arts degree but had no clue what kind of job she wanted. She was lost on how to figure that out. She got differing advice, but still, she floundered, unable to make a career decision for fear she’d make the wrong one.
Cameron was a computer science major and wanted a position as a software engineer. Everyone was surprised he hadn’t landed a job before he graduated. That fact had a paralyzing effect on him since he couldn’t identify what he was doing wrong.
Madison, a communications major, took advantage of an opportunity to meet with a friend of her father’s. He was a VP at a prominent financial services company. She didn’t realize this VP was too far removed from the entry-level roles she sought. Her conversation led nowhere since she wasn’t clear on how he could help her.
“New grads just don’t understand how to navigate the job search,” said Ben Grant, Head of Growth at the startup Ramped. “They get overwhelmed looking at all the openings on Indeed or LinkedIn and make a critical mistake. They just mass apply, meaning they simply send in their resume to any opening they see. But this approach does not work,” he stated. “Just submitting 100 applications online often yields no results, no recruiter calls, no interviews. It’s discouraging because it leads to more rejection. These grads need to make a shift and change their approach to get better results.”
Grant pointed out that hiring is stressful. “It’s a messy process, complicated, and it is also challenging on the employer side too. Employers are focused on how likely you will succeed in the role. They worry about making a ‘bad hire’ since that typically costs a company 50% of your salary to replace you.”
These seven strategies will help you speed up the success of your job search.
Know what you want to do. No employer will figure this out for you. Do some self-assessment or take a vocational aptitude test, like Johnson O’Conner, to gain decision-making insight. For help selecting the right career, read the Forbes article “Best Career Test to Select Your Next Career.”
Target Your Search. Select 20 companies you’d like to work for. Go to their websites to find relevant openings and apply there. Be sure your skills and experience align with what they want in that entry-level job. Be selective. Only apply if it’s a good fit to avoid unnecessary rejections.
Use a referral correctly. Anytime an internal employee refers someone to their employer, that person receives a solid review. Jobvite, a talent acquisition system, reported that employee referrals only make up about 7% of potential candidates, but 44% of those candidates get hired. This referral-getting process is explained in detail in my Forbes article “Here is A LinkedIn Secret Weapon to Land a Job.”
A cover letter can make a difference. With more competition, a cover letter can be an influential way to emphasize some extra details and related expertise that will capture an employer’s attention. Analyze the job opening carefully, reviewing the stated requirements. Not all things have the same importance, so determine the essential skills and background the employer seeks. Then, immediately address those in your letter, stating exactly how you will meet the employer’s needs. For an example of an effective, well-written cover letter, read “Cover Letters Are Now Essential To Standout to Employers—Here’s an Example.”
NETWORK! This effort can open doors that would be closed if you only applied for the role online. Be strategic and spend half your time networking. Check with your relatives, friends, alums, and colleagues to see if they know someone who works inside the desired company. During your conversation, you want to get some insider information to better sell yourself to their employer. And always ask if they can assist you in meeting a recruiter or a hiring manager, or if they are willing to pass your resume on for a specific job opening.
Offer value. Grant notes that it’s essential to highlight the value the employer can expect you to bring to their company. You influence this during the application process by demonstrating expertise, skills, a new degree, certificates, relevant experience, and industry knowledge. Having had an internship in the same or similar role at a previous company helps. You must become good at self-marketing when there is a crowd of other new grads vying for the same job. Personalize your application for the role by updating the keywords and quickly covering some of the essential requirements.
Add to your qualifications. There are many specialized certificates you can pursue that enhance your resume. Grant noted that completing one will add to your industry knowledge and give you some new skills that will appeal to an employer. To get this kind of training, check out Coursera’s highly regarded and inexpensive programs.
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