For those about to graduate college, it’s time to get serious about your job search. Gone are the days where someone possessing a degree could easily land a job; today’s graduates need to put a good amount to effort looking for a job. The good news is that a little bit of planning will go a long way when you are about to hit the job market. Here are four tips you can utilize:
Don’t Be Afraid of Entry-Level Positions
So you are about to get a degree in your field, and you have several years of interning experience that will serve you well on the job market. Of course, just because you have this type of training and experience doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t highly consider an entry-level job. Sure, everyone would love to start out making $50 an hour with full benefits, but you shouldn’t discount a $15 an hour job with partial benefits if it will get your foot in the door. Don’t hold out for the “perfect” job right off the bat when you can work your way up the ranks starting entry-level.
Network, Network, Network
As Lily Zhang of the website The Muse stated in a recent article, “Bottom line: There’s no excuse to not be networking. You stand to benefit from it no matter what stage of your career you’re in.” While there are a variety of websites that can help you with networking, the one site you need to be on is LinkedIn. Even if you don’t have a lot of professional experience, you can still put together an impressive-looking page with a lot of good information that will entice hiring professionals. Furthermore, getting on a site like LinkedIn will allow you to start networking, which is vital to your long-term success. You can network with people in your field, get information on new jobs, and, most importantly, find mentors that can send you in the right direction. Many companies search LinkedIn for hiring as well.
Don’t Procrastinate
It’s tempting to put off your job search just one more day, especially if you are enjoying your last days of college life. The thing is, don’t put off things that you could do today, especially if you have the time to do it. Chances are, you have a couple of hours TODAY to start your job search. Have a few hours that you have been dedicating to online gaming or clothes shopping? You could, and should, spend that time looking for a job, or working on your LinkedIn page. Most college graduates aren’t going to invest heavily in looking for a job until they graduate; doing so gives you a head start, and a better shot at getting the job.
Consider Temporary Assignments to Get Your Foot in the Door
Temporary employment is a great way to get your foot in the door with a company in your field. An employment company like AppleOne will help you use your degree to get Temporary or Temp-to-Hire jobs at companies that need individuals like yourself. Many of these Temporary jobs can lead to long-term employment. Even if the job ends after a couple of months, you’ll have precious experience that will help you in your subsequent searches.
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