By following some very simple strategies and techniques, the process of finding a full-time job can become quicker and easier and also increase your chances for success. It is highly recommended that you take advantages of your Career Development Office at your college while still enrolled as a student while also checking with the office to see if it provides services to alumni after graduation. College career offices often have alumni databases that students can use to connect with alumni in their field of interest in addition to subscriptions to career resources that are unavailable just by searching on the internet. Listed below are the Top 5 Strategies for Finding a Job.
Top 5 Strategies for Finding a Job:
- Research career options.
Plan ahead and set some concrete goals to get you started. Understanding your strengths, interests, values, and personality can help in the decision-making process when trying to decide on what type of career you will want to pursue immediately after college. Doing a thorough self-assessment will help point you in the right direction when selecting careers you might want to pursue.
You may get a better understanding of what you want to do if you reflect on why you selected your college major and by reflecting on which courses you enjoyed most along with what activities did you most enjoy while still going to college. You will also want to decide what location you want to work in and identify the ideal work environment where you can meet your goals.
Some places to learn more about career options include:
- Network with professionals in the field.
Reaching out to family, friends, faculty, previous teachers and employers can be very helpful in finding job opportunities that you might not find otherwise. Checking with your college’s Career Development Office to see if they have a database of alumni willing to speak to students is an excellent option as well.
Since networking is considered the #1 job search strategy, it’s important to incorporate it as one of the strategies you use to find a job. You may begin by doing an informational interview to find out more about specific careers of interest.
- Create a resume and cover letter that gets results.
Resumes are basically designed to help job candidates get an interview. A well thought out resume can be the ticket to making it to the first round of interviews. A good cover letter will compliment a resume by letting an employer know more about you based on personal interests, goals and expectations. When embarking on a job search it’s key to understand the value of an excellently crafted resume and cover letter to hopefully put you in the running for the first round of interviews.
- Find leads and job postings and begin applying for jobs.
Networking, online job postings, and prospecting are the three ways to look for a job. Networking with everyone you know along with faculty and alumni from your college is an excellent first step in the job search process. In addition, you will want to continually be checking online postings for new positions opening up as well as prospecting for employers in a location and industry that's of most interest to you.
In addition to seeking jobs with big corporations and organizations, you will also want to check out the smaller employer where it may be easier to get started. There are times when employers choose not to post open positions due to the high cost of advertising and the high number of resumes they’ll receive if they do. Oftentimes finding these employers on your own can be the best of both worlds since you will not have to compete with other applicants who are looking for similar jobs.
Newspaper listings, the local Chamber of Commerce, professional associations, and employment services are other ways you can go about looking for a job. Checking out company websites can provide a wealth of knowledge about a company and the type of employees it looks for when hiring for a job.
- Set yourself apart from other candidates.
Touching base with an employer after submitting your application documents via email or online will indicate to the employer that you’re very interested in working for them and that you're not looking for just any job. Hopefully it will encourage the employer to take another look at your documents and even decide to call you back to schedule a phone or in-person interview.
Immediately following an informational or regular interview it’s key to follow up with a thank you note. It’s important in the application process to set yourself apart from the other applicants. To do this you will need to follow up with employers and be sure to send a thank you note after each informational, phone, or in-person interview.
One of the key strategies for success is to be sure you set yourself apart from other candidates by following up with each employers and sending thank you notes when applicable
