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Congratulations On Graduating! Now What?

Aol Jobs — Thu, 19 May 2011 21:00:19 +0000

With college graduation season in full swing, now’s the time when many young adults are tossing aside the cap and gown and lifting a briefcase as they face the reality of entering the workforce full-time.

While some graduate with a job lined up, those situations are unfortunately fewer and farther between. For many, the hunt for a job doesn’t begin until after graduation — and that can make any graduate’s transition to the “real world” especially daunting.

In fact, if you ask recent graduates what they regret most, you’ll likely hear that they didn’t pay enough attention to their job search before graduation. According to a survey by Adecco Staffing U.S., 70 percent of recent graduates, ages 22 to 26, wish they had done more to prepare for the job market.

While the economy certainly has improved since the Great Recession, many employers still are cautiously optimistic about hiring full-time support. This creates a great deal of competition among current college graduates for full-time jobs. In fact, the survey also found that only 57 percent of recent graduates are working full-time and 43 percent of those employed are in a job that doesn’t require a four-year degree.

Those numbers may sound discouraging to today’s grads, but it’s important to remember that however daunting looking for a job in today’s environment may be, graduates have quite a bit of control over their destiny. The key is going after it in a big way. Even with an economic market that’s slowly recovering, graduates can still improve their chances of landing their dream job — even if they are beginning the search a bit late. Here are ways to boost the odds:

1. Pound the pavement (with your resume).

It goes without saying that the more jobs you apply for, the better your chances are of getting hired. Yet not all graduates are as aggressive in or passionate about their job search as they should be. Adecco’s survey found that over half (69 percent) of recent graduates only applied for 10 jobs or less since graduation. Makefinding a job, your new full-time job. Set a goal for yourself each day that you need to apply for seven jobs before 5 p.m.

2. Mix and mingle with the industry.

Networking is still one of the best ways to find real job leads. In-person meetings at social and networking events provide you with the opportunity to give a personality to your resume. It also multiplies your job search “net,” because it’s no longer just you looking for job openings. Instead, you have an entire network of friends, family members and colleagues informing you of different job opportunities and vouching for your experience and work ethic.

If you don’t already have an online professional profile (such as on LinkedIn), create and populate one. You’d be surprised at the valuable connections that even your friends and family members might have. Get involved in industry-specific groups because these groups are often conduits for new job opportunities and leads. Lastly, join or actively volunteer with professional organizations (most have student or young professional chapters).

These groups hold a number of in-person networking events throughout the year, as well as professional development courses. Offer to lead a committee or help plan an event; it will keep you busy and actively engaged with people in your field, increasing your chances of exposure to opportunities.

3. Go back to school.

No, not literally. But nearly all universities have an alumni career services center which helps connect graduates, recent or otherwise, with potential employers — and each other. Many colleges also offer online and in-person career fairs, resume workshops and mentoring programs to help graduates find their desired position.

4. Seek out experience.

One of the most important things that employers look for on resumes is actual on-the-job experience. You may think that internships are only for students, but plenty of recent graduates use them as a way to further develop their skills in a particular area, and develop a relationship with a potential employer. And while grads are often quick to dismiss low-paying opportunities, don’t let dollar signs deter you from pursuing an opportunity that you’re passionate about.

Line up a side job to supplement your income and help you stay afloat while you’re gaining experience and increasing your “net worth” in the job market. You may also want to consider a temporary job, which provides an opportunity to gain valuable on-the-job experience as well as the potential to possibly lead to a full-time job offer.

If you’ve waited until now to start your job search, don’t get hung up on what you should’ve or could’ve done; instead, focus on the future. Though it may be challenging, finding a job that excites you is one of the most rewarding experiences after graduation. You have your whole life and career ahead. Make no mistake: Finding a job takes a lot of hard work. But the end result can be well worth the effort. – By Joyce Russell

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Congratulations On Graduating! Now What? is a post from: Glassdoor Blog

Job & Interview Tips for College Grads

Glassdoor Team — Fri, 22 May 2009 16:20:10 +0000

Unemployment is at a 25-year high and the class of 2009 is faced with a puzzling question of ‘now what?’

According to a survey from National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), the class of 2009 is leaving campus with fewer jobs in hand than their 2008 counterparts. The group’s 2009 Student Survey found that just 19.7 percent of 2009 graduates who applied for a job actually have one.

And based on the NACE report issued last week, engineering and accounting grads are the most likely to garner and accept a job offer. Interestingly, liberal arts graduates are more likely to turn down the job offers they are receiving. And to add on top of it, even after students indicate that they plan to enter the job market, many students have not begun their job searches. In fact, just 59 percent of this year’s class has started the job search. This compares to approximately 64 percent of the Class of 2007 and two-thirds of the Class of 2008 had started looking for a job by this time.

Since this class is facing unique challenges due to the economic climate, and rather than us talk about the difficulties students face we wanted to give here are tips and resources to those college students getting ready to enter the workforce:

Take Advantage of your .edu Account: Don’t let your .edu email account slip away without using all of its benefits. With Glassdoor, students can get access to information about salaries, as well as information about company culture and interviews at specific companies for free. If you’re a student and have never had a “real” job, don’t worry – we’ve been there. Simply send an email from your school’s .edu account to students@glassdoor.com and we’ll set up an account for you with full access to all the salaries, reviews, and interviews shared by our community. We just ask that when you get that interview or job, you “pay it forward” and share your own experiences with others in the community.
Create a Study Guide for your Job Interviews: Use the information within Glassdoor to know what type of questions a company may ask and what the interview experience is like altogether. For example, if you are an engineer or accountant check out these interview reviews and questions from previous job applicants:
- Engineer Interview Reviews
- Accounting Interview Reviews
Know Your Earning Potential: Now that you have a chance to make some money and pay off those student loans, it’s time to get smart about what your salary can or should be. Before you walk in the door, do some research on Glassdoor and look you are likely to earn for a specific position at a specific company. It’s also a good idea to cross reference this with what someone in that same position is likely to earn at a competitive company in the same industry. For example, if you are an accounting graduate, take a look at what Ernst & Young pays versus PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Develop a List of Questions to Ask During the Interview: Check out company reviews to know what the culture is like within a specific company or industry and develop a list of informed questions that show you know about the company beyond what’s on their website. For example, see what some current employees at Deloitte and Cisco Systems have to advise:

Good luck to this year’s grads! And keep us posted on your interview and job experiences. Also what’s been working and what hasn’t for those of you who have been starting to interview for the first job post college?

Job & Interview Tips for College Grads is a post from: Glassdoor Blog