Young professionals are paving their own career paths. Here's how they landed jobs at Top Companies

Welcome to a special edition of Keeping the Balance, featuring employers on LinkedIn's 2022 Top Companies list who are hiring entry-level talent this year.

For many young professionals, landing a job at a top company is considered the golden ticket. Whether they’re recent graduates looking for their first jobs or individuals starting their careers later in life, landing an entry-level role at a large, established company can put an employee on the fast-track to a successful career.

Last week, LinkedIn News published its 2022 Top Companies list — an annual ranking of the 50 best workplaces to build and grow your career. We reached out to companies on this year’s list to see who is hiring entry-level talent. While many indicated they have open roles for those early in their careers, a few are taking their efforts to the next level.?

• Cognizant is planning to more than double its entry-level hiring this year. The IT services firm said it will bring in nearly 1,000 campus hires in the U.S., including full-stack developers, software engineers and business analysts.?

• Dell Technologies is ramping up its early-career hiring with 6,000 entry-level openings across a range of functions, including product marketing, technical support and retail account sales.?
• Lockheed Martin, a defense and space manufacturing company, welcomes a new cohort of recent graduates each year, largely through its Leadership Development Programs. Some 20% of its workforce is made up of entry-level employees, according to the company.?

So, what does it take to land a job at one of these companies? I reached out to early-career employees at Lockheed, Cognizant and Dell for an inside look. They shared advice on how to get hired, navigate a new role and get ahead.

Landing the job

During her junior year as an engineering student at the University of Central Florida, Alexis Lamb was in search of a summer internship. She first learned of Lockheed from her classmates — all of whom spoke highly of the company’s work environment.

“Lockheed was definitely one of the leading companies at the time trying to diversify and make it as inclusive of an environment as possible,” she said. “That was definitely a gravitation for me as a Black female engineer.”

After attending an informational session and interviewing on campus, Lamb landed an offer. She didn’t know it at the time, but the internship would extend into her senior year and eventually lead to her first full-time job when she graduated in May 2020.?

How did she successfully make the transition? Toward the end of her internship, Lamb applied to the Engineering Leadership Development Program and built a rapport with the team she wanted to be placed on for her first of three rotations. She quickly learned that networking was the key to opening professional doors.?

“Through networking on site, I was able to land that first rotation,” she said. “I was a fresh-off-the-boat college graduate trying to navigate the waters, so it was really nice to have a relationship with the team going in.”???

Joseph Khoury, a senior manager in alumni relations at Cognizant, said he learned a similar lesson. During his sophomore year at the University of Arizona, Khoury was introduced to Cognizant at a campus career fair. He then returned the following year with a mission: To build relationships with the company’s recruiters.?

“In talking to some of those experts, I figured out which role made the most sense for me,” he said. “I figured out that analytics was the space I wanted to enter into the job market in.”

After applying to a senior associate role and going through multiple rounds of interviews, Khoury landed the job at Cognizant — which he started after graduating in 2018. By connecting with recruiters, Khoury said he not only became more comfortable talking about himself, he was also able to identify his target role.

Similar to Khoury, Bansari Patel, a software engineer at Dell, found her opportunity at a career fair. Only this fair wasn’t at her school but at the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) National Conference, where she connected with a Dell recruiter and was offered an interview. What made her stand out among the rest — and ultimately land the job? At the time, Patel was the president of Penn State’s local SWE chapter.

“I believe this extracurricular activity along with other side projects and activities showed my interests outside of the tech world,” she said.

Tip #1: When applying for roles at top companies, networking and narrowing down your job search are important, said Kyle Elliott, who is a career and interview coach. Elliott recommends making a list of what you do and don’t want in your next job to help find a role that aligns with your needs and interests. Then, he suggests reaching out to current employees who are in your target role for insight into what it’s like to work at the company.?

Learning the ropes

When Lamb joined Lockheed full time, she was matched with a “buddy” to help guide her as a new hire. She said having this dedicated contact was “the best thing ever.”?

“It allowed me to form a relationship with a singular person that I was able to use as a mentor until I was comfortable enough to start branching out,” she said.

Aside from working with her buddy, Lamb learned the ropes by simply asking questions. Although it can be intimidating to raise your hand as the new kid, she said being curious helped her learn quickly.?

Khoury can relate. After starting at Cognizant, he said he learned the value of asking questions — but not without doing research first. He said trying to find answers on his own helped him identify his own solutions and ask more thoughtful questions.

“When you come in at the entry level, there are a lot of folks that have put the time and effort in that aren't going to necessarily just give you all that secret sauce,” he said. “If you ask the right questions, they will be more than happy to help you out.”?

Patel said she also approached her role at Dell with curiosity, despite some initial hesitation. Although she was nervous to speak up in meetings, she did it anyway. And her efforts yielded valuable feedback from her teammates and helped her build confidence.?

In addition, Patel enrolled in Dell's two-year IT Development Program, which is designed to help campus hires transition into the workforce. She said the program helped her grow her skills and her network.?

“The networking helped me find mentors, meet Dell’s leaders and, most importantly, it gave me a way to connect with my peers who are also early in their careers,” she said. “I value this peer support a great deal, as it allows me to have a support system with others who are going through the exact experiences as me.”

Tip #2: To help ease the anxieties of speaking up as a new hire, Elliott recommends showing up to meetings early as a low-pressure way to engage in conversation. Once you feel more comfortable participating in meetings, Elliot said to do so at least once per day. Setting a goal like this — and sticking to it — can help boost your confidence.?

Leveling up?

Since joining Lockheed two years ago, Lamb has been focused on growing in her role, signing up for the firm’s mentorship program and attending annual conferences. And rather than waiting for opportunities to come to her, Lamb said she is opting to create them herself. One way she’s doing this is by participating on panels for prospective interns.?

“I’m always seeking out opportunities to elevate others, to educate others,” she said. “Especially as a Gen Z, [I’m] definitely trying to find ways to not just fill cultural gaps, but the virtual cultural gap.”

In his three years at Cognizant, Khoury has already earned two promotions. How has he quickly climbed the ranks? Khoury said he has jumped at the chance to take on new responsibilities, which has exposed him to different sides of the business, as well as top leadership.

“Don't be afraid to take on a little bit extra and don’t be afraid to vouch for yourself,” he said. “If you have visibility to leadership, when it comes time to launch a new initiative, your name is going to come to their head before someone who they've never met.”??

Tip #3: When you join a new company, Elliot said it’s important to take initiative and be intentional about getting time with your colleagues. “Recognize that colleagues, managers, higher ups, they’re not going to see everything you're doing. Sometimes you will have to communicate a little extra,” he said. One way to do this? Elliot suggests sharing daily updates with your manager.

Editor's note: Some quotes may have been edited for clarity and readability. Bansari Patel’s responses were provided via email.

Check out the full list to see what other companies are hiring entry-level talent and join the conversation using #LinkedInTopCompanies. Also, watch LinkedIn News' special edition of Rapid Fire where change makers and thought leaders share their advice for career starters.