They say that college is the best time of your life, but what happens after those four years of independence, memories and parties? While we may hope our lives will turn out to resemble Anna Wintourâs, getting a job is difficult, especially right after college. With the competitive job market and the slumping economy, âitâs very difficult to stand out in the crowd,â says Chelsea Pech, a recent Boston University graduate. But fear not collegiettes, although we canât guarantee you a job on a silver platter, our top 10 tips will point you in the right direction for snagging an awesome job.
1. Attend job fairs
Obviously, job fairs are an incredible way to meet potential employers. Since job fairs are more relaxed than a formal interview, itâs the perfect opportunity to take a breath and network, network, network! Like many other schools, Boston Collegeâs Career Services Center provides students with career fairs and preparation meetings for job fairs. If your schoolâs helping you meet professionals, donât pass it up! At a job fair, itâs an absolute-must to be outgoing: employers canât do all of the work themselves! Check out how you can make the most out of your college career fairs.
2. Follow up with former internship supervisors
There are so many perks to scoring an internship during college: work experience, the occasional free swag, and most importantly, the connections. Whether you sporadically email your boss or ask her out for a cup of coffee, hold on to these connections. Your former bosses not only know you, but they understand how difficult it is to find a job after graduation. Since they know you on a more personal level, your old boss will be happy to help and glad you came to them for guidance. Not only might they have a position for you, but they can write you a stellar letter of recommendation.Â
Before Talie Tebbi became a Web Editorial Assistant for Oprah.com, she was a full-time intern for O, The Oprah Magazine. âOne thing that was really important then and still is now is keeping track of every assignment,â says Tebbi. âBosses want to know that they can count on you.â In addition to being on your intern A-Game, itâs important to do it with a smile. âI think itâs easy to forget, but weâre lucky to have the chance to work at these wonderful places in any capacity.â Internships arenât the most glamorous, but they do pay off, especially if you keep in touch!
3. Set up a meeting with career services counselors
Thereâs no need to feel like youâre being intrusive at your collegeâs career services center: itâs their job to help you! Career services offices are a wealth of knowledge when it comes to scoring a job. Boston Universityâs College of Communication has its own Career Services Center that helps students connect with professionals where they hold weekly workshops, edit resumes, do individual counseling, and host biannual networking events. âWe also have three employer relations people that work to get companies on campus to do recruiting and info sessions,â says Kelly Forde, counselor at Boston Universityâs COM Career Services. Every school has different things to offer, so stop by your collegeâs career servicesâthe sooner the better! âWe hope that the first time we meet you is not when youâre a senior,â says Forde.
4. Post-Grad Intern
Being an intern is so undergrad, right? Wrong! While some people take the summer after graduation to travel, you should apply for an internship. More and more people are looking for internships after graduation. âWeâre seeing a lot more graduating seniors doings internships after graduating. With this economy, a lot of people are looking for internships that could hopefully turn into a job,â says Forde. While getting an internship, especially unpaid, as a post-grad isnât ideal, your hard work and genuine interest in the field wonât go unnoticed. Many internships can lead to a job within the company and the obvious networking opportunities.
5. Utilize LinkedIn
Over the summer, my boss/mentor ordered me to âspiff upâ my LinkedIn because âitâs a great tool.â If youâre anything like me, you created a LinkedIn and completely forgot about it. But nowâs the time to give your LinkedIn account a facelift! Your profile is essentially a virtual resume so definitely add all of your work experience and interests. You can also ask former bosses to endorse you, which is a virtual letter of recommendation, on LinkedIn, which will look great when employers are checking out your profile. âItâs dynamic and it should be used that way,â says Forde. âJoin groups, ask questions, and post on discussion boards. Use it, donât just create a profile.â A maintained LinkedIn profile will show potential employers that you care about your career and are active in finding a job. Creating connections with people you know and people you want to work with will help you learn about upcoming job opportunities. If you donât have a LinkedIn account, set one up ASAP! But just remember that LinkedIn is for business purposes only. âLinkedIn is not Facebookâdonât use it that way,â warns Forde.
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6. Create a Twitter account… and tweet your way to a job
Believe it or not, Twitter can be a career-building tool. Over the past few years, Forbes, TIME, and The Wall Street Journal have endorsed Twitter as a way to find a job. Now, itâs Her Campusâs turn! While you may be tweeting funny pictures and the play-by play of your life, following potential employers and professionals that you admire is a great first step. âI would reference and tweet something relevant about the company; something current that they are doing,â suggests Forde. âThen say something like, âThe new XXX company commercial is so cleverâwould LOVE to work with them someday.ââ Since Twitter is such a fast-paced form of social media, you may get a reply quicker than you think! âMake sure what youâre tweeting is professional,â warns Forde. Remember to keep your tweets appropriateâor your next boss may be reading all about your scandalous weekend!
7. Set up informational interviews
One of the best ways to show your genuine interest in a certain field is having informational interviews, or informal conversations with a professional from your desired industry. The best part about an informational interview is that itâs very low pressure: youâre only there to hear more about the industry. âInformational interviews are great because sometimes people are more willing to do that if they feel like youâre not asking them for something,â notes Forde. Although youâre not competing for a job, donât think that these people wonât remember you. Showing interest in a job is key, in addition to good interview skills. If the professionals you talk to hear of any career opportunities, theyâll be sure to let you know if the informational interview was a success. Just remember to keep the conversation professional and keep in touch!
8. Talk to your professors
Your professors arenât just people who grade your term papers: theyâre experts in their fields with a plethora of connections. âProfessors are a really valuable resource and theyâre someone students should have a relationship with. If not, start building one. They come from the field and theyâve been in the field,â says Forde. Getting to know your professor is not only good during the semester, but itâs an excellent resource for post-graduation, so be sure to utilize your professorsâ office hours or email them! If your professors know what youâre interested in, theyâll be sure to look out for job openings.
9. Surf the Web
Okay, I saw The Craigâs List Killer movie on Lifetime and it was scary; however, the Internet does have some great- and not creepy- websites to find stellar jobs. Simply hired is a website that you can use to search job opportunities; they even send emails updating you about new postings. Other websites are more industry-specific. Ed2010 is a website that helps people get jobs in the magazine industry. And listen up magazine-obsessed collegiettes, there are even Ed2010 chapters on college campuses! âWe aim to prepare students with the necessary education, resources and contacts they need to get an internship or job at their dream magazine,â says Sierra Piland, President of Ed2010 at University of North Carolina. Finding a website that fits your desired industry can be as quick as a Google search! âLooking at companiesâ sites directly works too,â suggests Chelsea. You can also find job and internship listings in Her Campusâs Careerette section. Whoever said the Internet was counterproductive clearly hasnât checked out these sites.
10. Connect with alumni
School pride doesnât just go away after graduation: employers love to help out collegiettes from their former university. âI have networked with alumni from BU that I know personally,â says Chelsea. âI sent them my resume, hoping they could pass it along at their company and asked them if they had any advice about finding a job.â While sororities also provide some great connections, what if Greek Lifeâs not your thing or you donât know any alums? Many colleges have alumni databases that can help you score a job. For example, Connecticut College has events and seminars where alumni can offer career advice to students. One of their events is called âSundays with Alumni,â which is an alumni panel discussion. Most colleges have some kind of alumni program, so check out the programs made available by your school.
While senior year should be filled with great memories, itâs crucial to start prepping for the future. âMake sure youâre ready to go with networking, cover letters, and resumes. Lay the groundwork now,â Forde says. Preparing and being proactive now will make you that much closer to starting the job search and living a glamorous post-collegiette life.
Sources:
Kelly Forde, Counselor at Boston Universityâs COM Career Services
Chelsea Pech, Boston University graduate
Sierra Piland, President of Ed2010 at University of North Carolina
Talie Tebbi, Web Editorial Assistant for Oprah.com
http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1903083,00.html
http://www.forbes.com/2009/04/07/twitter-tweet-jobs-leadership-careers-e…
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123103484826451655.html
http://www.bc.edu/offices/careers/events/careerfair.html
http://www.ed2010.com
http://www.simplyhired.com
http://www.conncoll.edu/parents/10262.htm