If you are one of many who either recently graduated or are set to graduate after the next semester or two, you are inevitably trying to decide your approach to get a job. At this point you may be second guessing the major you’ve chosen to conqueror in the past 4-ish years or, at the very least, wondering what you are now going to do with this said knowledge. Below are a few tips that can apply to any industry that certainly will broaden your spectrum in terms of availability and obtaining a job successfully.
1. If you have not yet graduated, get a job…now. If you can obtain an (paid) internship in a related industry (to your major) then grab that ASAP, otherwise just find a part time job somewhere doing something. If you can save any money you’ve earned previous to graduation it will give you a bit of breathing room while looking for that job that is the payoff of the past 4 years. If all else fails and you can only find a non-paid internship, make sure it is with a decent company that is VERY related to your field of study. Employers will see this as a bonus since your competitors (other college grads) may not have any experience at all which, in turn, will give you a ‘leg up’ in obtaining that job.
2. Find several areas across the country you are willing to live (at least for a while). Since you are most likely just watching out for yourself at this point in your life, it makes it very easy for you to pick up and go..anywhere. This makes you very versatile in having the ability to obtain a job anywhere. Find a few cities that you would give a whirl and apply to every job even slightly related to your education. Mention that you are moving to the area and trying to obtain a job.
3. Dig into your contacts and find anyone who may have a lead for you on the job front. Especially for bigger companies it is a HUGE advantage to get in to a Fortune 500 if you have someone to open the door for you.
4. Use Craigslist to hunt for jobs. The advantage here is that Craigslist often has individuals posting the job positions that actually offer the job in question (not just a recruiter all the time). Your response rate is typically much higher on this regard and with a little charisma you may be able to grab the job over a well written email or two. Always open with your best cover letter (specifically applied to the job in question and addressed to the person if possible) and attach your resume. As a precaution, I would avoid putting the street address and use a email address that is specifically for job inquiries. Don’t apply to listings that say “Wanna earn big bucks, apply here”. Try to find only listings that actually present the Employer’s information.
5. Don’t get too hung up on salary. At this point, you just need an ‘in’ so just find something close to reasonable and suck it up for a year. Once you have obtained that year and have a job under your belt you can comfortable look for your second job while still earning a paycheck.