This Outdated Advice Is HURTING Recent Graduates Chances Of Getting Hired!
J.T. O'Donnell
Founder & CEO, Work It DAILY | Board of Directors, McCoy | Career & Professional Development | Job Search | HR & Recruiting | Employer Branding | Recruitment Marketing | Talent Management | Executive Coaching
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If you know a soon-to-be college graduate, it’s likely they may look to you for advice as they navigate the post-college world. After years in the workforce and in the ‘adult world’; you probably feel confident in knowing what it takes to land that first job.
Before you offer any advice, I urge you to remember what might have worked 20, 10, 5, or 2 years ago (heck, even 2 months ago!), won’t work today.
Now more than ever, it’s important to ensure graduates are entering the workforce armed with relevant knowledge.
Quality Over Quantity Is Key
One of the worst pieces of advice given to graduates is telling them to apply to as many jobs as possible. The thought process behind this is if you keep applying, you’ll eventually get lucky - right?
Wrong.
You may think quantity is key, but studies show only 3 percent of applicants to online job postings get contacted for an interview - and that's in a good economy.
Not only is it a waste of time for new grads to be spending hours applying to jobs they might not even want; it’s a blow to their career confidence.
2020 graduates are already dealing with a global pandemic, massive layoffs, and the sobering reality that the degree they worked so hard to get (and, likely went into debt to earn), means nothing to employers.
Setting them up to fail in their job search only serves to set them back mentally in their quest for employment.
College Graduates Need To Learn How To Conduct A ‘Disruptive Job Search’.
Just because they may have earned their degree doesn’t mean their studying days are over. In fact, the 2020 graduates who study this job search technique will be the ones who will stand out from the 3 million other recent college grads this year.
Conducting a successful disruptive job search means your recent graduate knows how to:
- Create a bucket list of companies they admire and that hire their skill sets.
- Research these companies. This will allow them to network their way in.
As professionals, our network is our net worth. As a new grad, that net worth is pretty low. Over 85% of jobs are gotten via referral, which is why it’s important for them to learn how to build a job search strategy that will get them connected to the right people.
Here's How You Can Help Your New Graduate...
If you really want to help, set up an informational interview on their behalf. This is one of the best things you can do for anyone just starting out in their career.
Info interviews aren't job interviews. They're opportunities for new grads to get insider information that can help them improve how they present themselves to potential employers.
Check your current network. Who are you connected with that works in the industry or even the company your graduate is interested in? Offer to make an introduction between the two of them.
This simple gesture will allow the new graduate to feel more confident and excited about this amazing new chapter in their life.
Bonus Way To Help: Introduce Them To Free Resources
Looking for more ways to help your graduate get a leg-up on the competition? Make sure they prepare for their job search now.
School teaches students everything except how to get the job.
Here are some FREE resources my team and I created to conduct a successful 2020 job search:
- Cover Letter Samples
- Common Resume Mistakes Cheatsheet
- 18 Common Interview Questions
- Disruptive Job Search Checklist
- Free Online Training: The #1 Job Search Killer
P.S. - Be sure to use the hashtags #JTTalkJobs & #HigherEd so we can all join in the conversation.
Head Customer Service Supervisor, Safety Captain 3/2021. #265. Manager On Duty On Designated Days. Love Our Customers! Burlington Stores Inc.
4 年Great information and advice! On the new normal for education and job searches. My son is a recent graduate from a accredited community college with his Bachelor's degree in Convered Communications. He was also laid off from his part time job due to Covid- 19. After 2 weeks he landed a job! There is opportunities still out there! ?? He also is planning on getting more certification in Technology. I am so proud of him!??????
Credit Card Processing Tech Support -Clover Wizard-
4 年Literacy is the first step to success. In the 20th century, literacy was the ability to read. In the 21st century; literacy is the ability to learn, unlearn and relearn everything you know.
Master of Science - MS at University of California, Los Angeles
4 年Awesome
I Help Shy Introverts Build Confidence to Get New Opportunities! | Former Shy Engineer ?? ?? Confident Public Speaker, Career Coach, and ?? Program Manager | PMP
4 年I agree JT! The shotgun approach of spraying resumes everywhere DOES NOT work!
Founder at De Airys, deals in Fine Jewelries | HR Assistant | People Management | Recruitment Consultant | Talent Acquisition
4 年This is truly helpful, thank you so much