As a young, soon-to-be college graduate, I have been facing the many of the same anxieties other soon-to-be grads are facing: Where am I going to work after graduation? How will I land my dream job? How am I going to pay off this mortgage-sized loan that built up for a degree? These are just some of the questions that swarmed my head on a daily basis throughout college.
Related:5 Tips For Recent Grads Entering The Workforce
Although uncertainty is something that makes us most nervous, it shouldn’t. Undergrads should be excited that they do not have the rest of their life mapped out because it’s never a straight line to your dream job.
What can you do?
If there is one piece of advice I can give, it would be to never settle. Too often, I have seen friends in college graduate and throw themselves into a job that they hate, simply to make money. Be ambitious and chase after what you want. In order to do that, you must formulate a plan and figure out a way to execute it.
I have chosen a career of a Talent Agent (for those of you who are unsure of what that is, think of Ari Gold from HBO’s hit series Entourage). Although, the projected number of openings from 2012-2022 is only 5,800, according to onetonline.org, I am certain that this will be the career I hold because I followed a five step plan to ensure that I become it.
So, what are my tips for getting your dream job after college?
1. Pick your job and do your research.
I mentioned Entourage above, and I will do the same in this section. Watching the fictional super agent, Ari Gold, sign clients, close million dollar deals, and name himself the king of Hollywood, I knew that an agent is a career I wanted to have. Obviously, for entertainment purposes, the job on the show was exaggerated and glorified, so I did my research.
2. Apply your research to your courses.
Most students pay top dollar for an education, so why waste your money on courses that provide no benefit to your overall goal? Take courses that will develop your skills in your selected field of interest. Even more important, be sure to take many writing intensive courses. Strong written and oral communication skills are necessity for any high paying job in the world.
3. Develop your network.
In any industry, it is imperative that you have a strong and large network. Shake every hand you can, collect business cards, and always - I repeat ALWAYS - follow up with people you meet. You’d be surprised at how many people do not follow up and are forgotten about. LinkedIn makes it easy for us to communicate with our network these days. It also allows you to network with people outside your area, which is a strong advantage we have as millennials.
4. Set up interviews.
Not every interview has to lead to a job. This is a perfect extension to developing your network. Informational interviews are a great way to get to know an business professional without all the pressures of wondering if you’ll get the job or not. Look them up, give them a call, or shoot them an email. The worst thing they can say is "No."
5. Have side projects.
Doing side projects on the regular shows that you are an ambitious individual who is always looking for the next opportunity to showcase their skills and get involved. Companies want employees who are involved and always looking to be a part of something bigger. If you have some great projects on your resume, it shows just that.
6. Be resilient and persistent.
Whatever job you may be going for, more than likely, you will face adversity in obtaining that job. Don’t let others dictate your future. If someone tells you that you aren’t a good fit for a position, identify WHY they think you're not a good fit and figure out how to become the perfect fit for it. No one has ever become successful by settling for second best.
With this guide, there is no doubt that any young professional can obtain the career of his/her dreams. Follow every step, and prove yourself to be the best candidate for any position you may look to acquire.
This post was originally published at an earlier date
Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
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Make a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
How did I learn about this job?
How did I apply for the job?
Did I earn an interview?
What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
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Are you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
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Your job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.
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