Don't Let a Slow Job Market Slow Your Efforts
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For new college graduates, reality tends to settle in awfully soon. After the final four years of living off of Mom and Dad, graduation officially releases you into the world, where finding a job can be like finding a needle in a haystack.
Sometimes, such as when the economy is thriving, that haystack can be a lot easier to navigate. However, in slower job markets, grads often take the hardest hit, as their lack of experience tends to leave them on the outside looking in. Some graduates choose to take their first summer as college grads off, figuring the job hunt will be easier once the school year begins anew and the market isn't flooded with resumes. For such grads, there are steps to take once the time comes to rejoin the job hunt.
* Attend local career days. Most college campuses sponsor career days in early fall. While these are designed to put December graduates in touch with prospective employers, nothing is stopping those who have already graduated from attending as well -- even if the career fair is not at your alma mater. There may or may not be a small fee. Since this is the first impression you'll be able to make, dress appropriately and bring plenty of copies of your resume. Most schools now list the businesses that plan to attend these days on their Web site, so you might even want to tailor cover letters and resumes to companies that are of particular interest to you.
* Utilize your alma mater's programs. The school you attended wants its graduates to find work as soon as possible. Therefore, many career services are offered to recent graduates and those who are on the verge of graduating. Interview coaching, how to write cover letters and resumes, and a host of other techniques are discussed. If you currently live close to your school, take advantage of these services. After all, your tuition paid for them.
* Accept internships. While internships are generally viewed as opportunities for current students, it never hurts to look for internships available to recent graduates as well. Some internships prefer only graduates. In such cases, these non-paying internships are offered because the company is experiencing a hiring freeze but could still use additional personnel. Accepting an internship with a company doesn't necessarily mean you'll automatically be hired once that hiring freeze is lifted, but it definitely puts you in a far better position than if you weren't to go the internship route.
* Visit your school's alumni Web site. Whereas a school's graduates used to remain largely within the immediate vicinity of the school, more and more schools are seeing their graduates accept positions across the country. This is a wonderful opportunity for recent graduates, as you likely have "friends" in places you never dreamed of. Allow your school's alumni Web site to provide you the first step to start your networking. Just because you went to school 500 miles from where you currently live doesn't mean there isn't a human resources person in your area who went to your school, too. While this won't get you the job alone, it likely will get you an interview.
Some companies even prefer to post jobs specifically through certain institutions. Larger universities often have job boards where you might find job postings that aren't listed anywhere else. This can be for a number of reasons, such as a company's success in the past hiring graduates from your university. If this is available, take full advantage.