Recent Grads...Be Creative

This is a very exciting time of your life. You’ve earned your degree and now you’re ready to get paid for what you do, by landing an excellent job. The question is where do you start and how to you stand out from all the other recent grads with the same goal?

Start out by writing a resume or CV that is keyword rich. Research words that are commonly used to describe the job you want and make sure those words are included in your Career Summary and Core Competency sections of your resume. If the top 1/3 of the first page of your resume or CV is not keyword rich, you might get screened out by a computer.

An important fact is that most companies use LinkedIn as a resource to hire. Your LinkedIn Profile is your professional brand that anyone can access 24/7. Potential employers will GOOGLE your name and LinkedIn is where you want to be found.

Understand that most people find their job through networking. Don’t let pride stop you from taking advantage of any contacts someone can provide – even if it is one of your parents. Many individuals can open a door for you – but you need to impress the hiring authority to get a job offer. 

Conduct as many informational interviews as possible. Research people who have your dream job and ask them for a 15-minute meeting to discuss the steps they took to get where they are in their career. Most successful people are willing to “tell their story.” If the discussion goes well and they are impressed by you, they will often provide referrals to people in their network who might be interested in talking to you. Learn the dos and don'ts of informational interviewing—what you must do and what to avoid, if you want to be successful: https://www.dhirubhai.net/learning/informational-interviewing/dos-and-don-ts?trk=insiders_5031502_Learning

My final piece of advice is dream big and don’t let other’s opinions become your reality. When you’re told what you can’t do – instantly think “watch me.” You have a degree, you are talented, you are ambitious, now you just need to find the job and company that is the best fit!

#ClassOf2018 #JobSearch #Recruiters #Interviewing