Starting life after college can seem overwhelming. You just got your degree, and you’re ready to launch your career. But where do you start? Here are some tips on how put yourself out there and land the job/internship you want.
1. Perfect your resume. No matter what you’re applying for, most positions will require a resume in the application. A resume shows all of your experience and achievements in work and school and allows you to differentiate yourself from other candidates. Work on strengthening your resume and keeping it updated throughout your time at school. Here are the top 3 do’s and don’ts of building your resume.
2. Perfect your cover letter. Usually paired with your resume, many companies want to see a cover letter in your applications. A cover letter is a way to introduce yourself to the employer outside of your resume, and explain why your experience makes you a great fit for the position. To craft your cover letter, use our 6 easy steps to writing an effective cover letter!
3. Practice your interviewing skills. The best way to get better at interviewing is to practice. The more you practice, the more confident you will be selling yourself in an interview and talking about your achievements. Make an effort to practice your interview answers with a friend or alone, and use some of these helpful interview resources:
Here are some tips for success for video interviews!
Practice the STAR response method for interviewing.
Use our ultimate guide to a successful phone interview.
4. Be active on job boards. When it comes to a job or internship search, you should know what you’re looking for and be actively searching on job boards like Indeed or ZipRecruiter. When logging into job search engines, be sure to sign up for notifications so that you can be emailed when new jobs get posted that are relevant to you! Here are the top job search engines to use in 2020.
5. Have a LinkedIn presence. More and more employers are reaching out to students on LinkedIn to connect and discuss potential opportunities. It’s important to have a professional social media presence so that you can more easily network with other contacts and have more opportunities. While LinkedIn is the most used social media for career opportunities, recruiters use all sorts of social media to gain insight on your candidacy. Here’s how to perfect your LinkedIn Profile!
6. Network! Take advantage of every networking opportunity your school offers you, whether that be career fairs or small events hosted by your major department. The more people you know, the more opportunities you have! If you’re new to networking and need a boost in confidence, check out how you can overcome fear in networking.
