So you’ve just received your diploma. Congrats. Graduating from college is an achievement that should be celebrated. It doesn’t mean the road to hard work has ended.
If you were like me, relatives and friends would ask, so what are you going to do now? Well, my response was, I’m going to get a job in my major. What I failed to realize was that in order to even land an interview, I’d have to work overtime.
Let’s face it; it’s hard to get a job. I don’t play in to the all the talk about the job market being in a lull. Every few months we get a report, the job market is back! Small businesses are hiring again only to be disappointed the next month when we read,SMBs are on a hiring freeze. So reports can give you macro level picture of why you haven’t found a job out of college, but don’t play into it. Your name hasn’t been called to bat, don’t sweat it, you can do 4 things to help your chances of getting your foot in the door.
1. Make 2 Resumes
Making two separate resumes helps you widen your scope, allowing you to apply to more jobs. Your first resume should emphasize your primary skills (communication, persuasion, work ethic) and be rather conservative. Your second resume should be a bit more confident. Boast your chest in this resume, redesign it to suit the needs of your ideal employer. If your dream is to work for Sony, find out what kind of resume Sony would be looking for. When you find jobs that seem a bit of your reach, sending them your confident resume could never hurt. Take a chance, it sometimes pays off.
2. Keep Your Digital Life and Resume Consistent
We all know that some people fib on their CV’s but what is the point? Your life is practically transparent on the web. If somebody wanted to find out exclusive information about you, they could. The worst mistake is fabricating job titles and responsibilities on sites such as LinkedIn. Say you send out a resume to a potential employer with a job title of Marketing Manager however, a simple Google search brings the employer to your LinkedIn page where it goes on to explain that you only interned there for 2 months. Don’t lie on your resume.
3. Cover Letter, Cover Letter, Cover Letter
I said it 3 times because it is that important. The cover letter is your chance to fill the gaps between what the employer perceives you as, and what the job entails. Make sure keep it clear and concise, while illustrating what you can bring to the table. The hardest part of drafting a cover letter is determining is the primary necessities of the job.
If you are looking for some insight on a potential job, go to Google. Google the open position and find people who are currently working in that job. Go to LinkedIn and find out what the current employee in your position worked as before their job. Some people even put their resumeâ online, take from their skills and apply their framework to your cover letter. Emphasize the main points they made, and be sure to keep it consistent, tell them how your experience translates; painting a picture so they can see the light.
4. Network
Your grandparents said, your parents said, your teacher said it, heck even your sister said it Network! Searching for a job alone is difficult, if not impossible. Getting friends, family, and even friends of friends to pull strings for you will mean a world of difference. Unless you are applying for an intern position, or you have an absolutely stellar resume, it’s very hard to get even an interview without some form of networking or social networking. Never underestimate the value of an acquaintance.
Good luck. The road to your dream job isn’t far away. Make sure you are well prepared to send out resumes and cover letters. The job world is harsh, but it’s not something you have to face alone. Once you learn to network, perfect your cover letters and connect your digital and real life you will be on your way to six figures. Okay, maybe not, but wouldn’t that be nice?