What I noticed in my job search in 2021

For those of you who don’t know, it’s a candidate’s market right now. The market is going crazy and has been for a while. With this comes a lot of noise. If you’re a college student who’s in your last year of college and looking for full-time employment, that’s great news for you because you have the opportunity to block out that noise by doing what everyone else isn’t doing. For college students, many of them are chomping at the bit to get that shot at working with the FAANGs, Big 4s, or F100s of the world. Add graduation to the equation and pressure gets added on to get that job. The question is, what opportunity will be right for YOU? I don’t know about you, but I didn’t feel like answering that dreaded question from my relatives: “What do you want to do after you graduate?” Fortunately, you don’t have to feel that pressure if you do this one thing:

Start early.

Although starting early is the biggest step, here are some additional steps you can take to give yourself the best chance at landing the opportunity YOU TRULY want:

DON’T FIT IN THE WINDOW

Don’t try to fit into “The Window.” What is ‘The Window’ exactly? The window is the period where recruiting for full-time roles is the hottest: August to February. Many college students graduating in the winter and spring are typically on the hunt this time of the year. Depending on the industry you’re interested in, it’s best to search for roles before August. For example, if you’re going into the finance industry it’s best to project where in the industry you want to work a year or two ahead rather than months in advance. Even if you’re not interested in breaking into that specific industry, starting in August is a little too late. Think of the job search like this:

Start before August and you’re competing with yourself, but if you start in August, you’re competing with everyone else.

Starting early gives you the opportunity to learn about yourself and what your career path can be. For example, if you’re in your spring semester and you finish next winter, it’s best to figure out where you want to land before the summer, preferably in the spring period when recruiting isn’t as hot. You have time to prepare and have one less thing to worry about when you start school in the fall. This can allow you to make time for other responsibilities in your life. For example, I figured out my career path last winter, so when the fall came and I had some experiences under my belt, I spent the fall figuring out what type of company I get to work for, saving A LOT of time and making my job search less stressful.

Starting as early as the spring, or even before, gives you ample time to look ahead and plan for a full-time role. Students who aren’t graduating yet are focusing on school, while students who are about to graduate soon are preparing for their FT roles. Recruiters are planning how they’re going to bring in their next cohort. Think of this time of the year as a ‘reset’ period for companies. They’re trying to add headcount, figure out their budget, and well……breathe! Putting yourself on their radar now rather than during ‘The Window’ will allow you to establish relationships. Establishing relationships early with the companies you’re interested in will help you in the near future. You do this through projects, intro calls, and internships. Who says a college student can’t help out a FT employee with a project??

DON’T DISCOUNT YOUR EXPERIENCES

NEVER EVER EVER discount your experiences, especially if they translate well to your first role. No matter how odd they are, record those experiences. At the very least, they can make for good conversation. Some experiences, however, can change the trajectory of your career. Before summer 2020, I had ZERO internship experience. However, I was fortunate to have access to Parker Dewey, a platform where companies can assess and hire college students to do paid projects in the form of Micro-internships. I was also fortunate to talk with the founder & CEO Jeffrey Moss during that summer. From that point on, I applied to opportunities that I would be interested in. Over the next year, I completed multiple Micro-internships and met great people along the way. Gaining these experiences helped me figure out what I wanted to do post-graduation. I also got to speak with a very supportive team who was, and still is, willing to help me. If you have a supportive team in this stage of your life, consider that a win because that can be the difference between chasing someone else’s career and being fulfilled in your own career.

TALK TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE

Talk to different people. It’s as simple as that. Don’t just talk to people at companies you want to work at, but those who work in your profession in general. Seek different ideas and perspectives. To get the most out of your conversations, reach out to people who you’ll more likely be more interested to talk to. If you’re stuck with this step, I have a personal framework I mentioned in a previous article. This is what has helped me connect with many people over the last year. Also, personalized emails were my friend. By putting yourself out there early, you’re already giving yourself a great shot.?

UNDERSTAND YOUR POWER

This is rarely talked about but can’t be overlooked. As young people, we tend to think about what people can do for us, but never what we can do for them. I know what you’re thinking: “Legend, I barely have any work experience.” “Why should they take a chance on me?” “How can I convince them that I’m qualified?” I get it. There was a point in time where I didn’t have much work experience before my senior year, until I did. I realized one thing: I have complete control of my process. How I carry myself, how I handle rejection, and how I handle my accomplishments are indicators on how well I’ll navigate my career.?

?As much as the company is vetting you, you should be vetting them too. Vet the team, founders, your manager, and what others say about them if you come across those people as well. Think about how many grads ask an employee why THEY should work for XYZ company. How well you pitch to me about your company tells me how committed you are to the mission. It's a candidate's market. Act like a free agent because you’re being sought after, and you may not even realize it.

ESTABLISH YOUR JOB SEARCH CRITERIA

Your criteria are your guides. Hold the companies you’re looking at to these criteria. Take some time, whether it’s a day or a week to yourself and write what exactly you’re looking for in a company.? Sit in silence and assess what you’re looking for in your first role and ultimately your career. Your network can even help you with this. To clarify, that doesn’t mean you stop the relationships you may have developed at the other companies. If anything, I would advise you to maintain those relationships. Just understand that by having these criteria, you make your job search MUCH easier.

EVERYONE SHOULD BE UNCOMFORTABLE

Also, be uncomfortable. I wouldn’t even say “don’t be afraid” because whatever you’re trying to understand should be fair game. Ask them questions that may make them uncomfortable. Get below the surface. For example, many SaaS companies with growing sales teams tend to throw around terms like “90-100k OTE” and “rocketship” without much context. I’ve asked people how much of their sales team has hit quota. If they answer, “not sure”, I’d ask why and see if they can get back to me about that information if they can. You should hold your potential colleagues accountable by asking them the tough questions and see how they respond. How they react to your questions will reveal a lot.?

The bottom line is the job search shouldn’t be intimidating. Treat it as something that you get to do, not have to do. Start early to get the feel for what you want to do for your career. Once you gain direction in what you want to do, document your experiences so that you can reflect on this part of your development and leverage it for future opportunities. Don’t overlook this step of your development. This allows you to understand what exactly you bring to the table. Even though this can be a long process, give yourself grace because this is one of the first big decisions you’re making in your life. This is only the beginning, so take every moment, good or not-so-good, and use them to make a well-planned decision because your first role could be the springboard for a fulfilling life-long career.