How to land your dream job after college: What to keep in mind when approaching potential employers while also self promoting yourself across different forums.
A kind of vicious circle, which often frightens university students and graduates. Where do I start looking for my first job?
Contact the businesses associated with your university
Where should a student look for a job? At your uni, of course! It’s not about getting a job in the dean’s office or as a lab technician, but at cooperating firms. Think back to where you did your internship, where your advisors came from, where graduate students in your department moonlight. If you contact the dean’s office, they will share all the available information with you. Contact these firms directly: send resumes, tell them about your internship experience. Often students who have studied at a friendly university are hired after their internship and graduate work.
Respond to jobs
Don’t wait by the sea. When you post your resume on specialized sites, regularly check the ads posted there and respond to suitable vacancies. On average, before finding a job, a graduate with no experience responds to 20-40 jobs. Try to apply to all of the job postings that are related to you. Don’t be afraid if you don’t meet all the requirements. After all, responding to a job doesn’t commit you to anything. The first few times will probably be a little scary, but then finding the right ads will become routine.
Take advantage your connections
Don’t forget to use your connections. Perhaps someone you know just needs a worker in your specialty, or a friend of your parents had a temporary vacancy in the department. Do not expect that you, as a “friend”, will be accepted without a serious interview, but word of mouth significantly expands the choice of places to apply for a job after college.
Use social networking sites
Not a bad option, especially if you have a broad profile or in-demand specialty. Make a short post about your job search on your page, ask your friends to distribute it. Before you do that don’t forget to tidy up the page, clean it from unwanted content, and open the possibility to correspond with users, not on your friends’ list.
Get the conversation right
Include a cover letter in any job posting, even if it’s just a few lines. Employers appreciate such responses because it shows that the person is not just automatically sending out his resume, but is carefully reading all ads of interest. Be polite, write in plain language. It happens that between two candidates, all other things being equal, they will choose the friendlier or wittier one.
Don’t be tempted by scammers
Unfortunately, the job market is full of scammers. When you are looking for a job, remember – no employer has the right to demand a monetary contribution from prospective employees. If you are offered a job without official registration, or at least a civil contract, likely, you will not receive your first salary. Well, and at the suggestion of illegal activities, and even better to immediately send a complaint to the administration of the site.
Do not be afraid to work out of your specialty
Previously it was thought that you could work only in one specialty (and preferably not less than five years in one place). But modern HR specialists look at it much more lenient. Temporary part-time jobs, such as a promoter or waiter, are no longer considered “spoiling” the employment record. HR managers may be confused by two situations – too frequent job changes (a couple of months at each place), or the gap of several years between graduation and finding your first job.
Keep learning
Even after you find your first job, don’t stop developing professionally. It’s great if your employer encourages training, gives vacations, and sponsors professional courses. However, you will probably have to take care of these things yourself. Training is especially important if you decide to get a temporary job and learn a new specialty. Only by constantly improving your skills can you be truly in demand as a professional. This is especially true for new and rapidly developing specialties.
In addition to continuous professional development, obtaining relevant certifications can significantly enhance your career prospects and demonstrate your expertise in a specific field. While some employers may support and sponsor certification programs, taking the initiative and pursuing certifications independently is often essential. To ensure you are well-prepared for the certification exam, it is advisable to practice extensively beforehand. You can find valuable resources, such as full-length free Series 7 practice exams here, which will allow you to assess your understanding of the exam content, identify areas for improvement, and ultimately enhance your chances of success. Remember, consistently honing your skills and acquiring relevant certifications will position you as a highly sought-after professional in today’s rapidly evolving job market.
The modern situation on the labor market is perfectly illustrated by the phrase of Lewis Carroll from “Alice”: “You have to run as fast as you can to stay in place but to get somewhere, you have to run at least twice as fast.” Remember the more effort you put into your skills and knowledge now, the more prospects and opportunities will open up before you in the future.
