Job Search Tips for Recent College Graduates
Searching for that first job after graduating? You have accomplished so much and now one ending leads to another beginning! If you are feeling daunted by the prospect of securing your first job, you are not alone. The world of work is at once an exciting and confusing place, full of opportunities and obstacles. Here are a few tips to help you prepare for your job search:
Build a strong resume
The important sections of your resume include education, work experience, internships, leadership, and service. But also think about other ways that you have been involved in your school and community, awards and honors you have received, training you’ve completed, languages you speak, etc. Including this information can help support a “master resume,” that you can customize or target — for instance, you might focus your resume around one particular position by utilizing keywords and qualifications from the job description. LinkedIn is another useful platform for showcasing your experiences and skills, and also helps you stay connected and find new opportunities.
Reach out to networks
Informational interviews are a very helpful, though often under-utilized, practice in the networking process. So, reach out to professionals in fields or jobs you’re interested in to gather valuable information, gain perspective and establish relationships. Also, attend networking events and career fairs to practice your “elevator pitch,” and check in with past employers, professors, coaches, clergy and others who have observed you in a productive capacity. These activities and conversations build a supportive community around you during your job search and may even lead to offers of employment.
Prepare for job interviews
There are a few important steps of preparation for that interview with a potential employer. Begin by thoroughly researching the company or organization to learn its mission, vision and values. Next, prepare answers to common interview questions, including specific examples for those behavioral questions that often begin with “tell me about a time...”
Show up prepared with at least three or four questions of your own. And then practice, practice, practice with friends, family or a career counselor. It’s completely normal to be nervous before and during an interview — consider deep belly breathing or other contemplative techniques to calm your nerves before your interview. You can also consult a career counselor about calming techniques or tips for appearing confident during your interview.
Reach out for support
While tips like these can serve as guidelines as you develop your career, seeking support as you begin or continue the job search may lead to a more fruitful and smooth transition from college to your chosen profession. Regis’ Center for Career and Professional Development (CCPD) can be a starting point for finding work, or a place to return to during a career transition.
As a Regis graduate, you have been asked to grapple with questions of vocational discernment throughout your education, setting up a foundation for a lifelong conversation about what work and career mean to you. CCPD supports clients on topics related to determining the right career for you and then managing that career. Other areas of counseling include career assessments, support in strengthening job-search strategies, resume and cover letter writing, interviewing, networking and salary negotiation training.
Center for Career and Professional Development services are free and available to Regis students and alumni. To make an appointment, search for jobs or attend upcoming career events, activate your Handshake account at regis.joinhandshake.com.
