Land your First Job

12 Tips to Score Your Dream Job After College

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College is one of the greatest, most exciting times of a youth’s life. Many experiences are achieved during the college years that cannot be obtained anywhere else. It is the opportunity of meeting different people from different countries with different backgrounds. These histories give different perspectives and practices of doing the same work that can expand each student’s views.  

College experiences and education are an investment that is great for adventures of working. However, there are still many obstacles that have not been faced by graduates that will arise when looking for a dream job. It can take different steps to land that dream job that has been the goal strived for in college.

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1. Graduate Sites

There are websites and job recruiters that are specifically looking for recent college graduates. These recruiters have the postings of recent openings for positions that are related to college majors and are entry-level. Take the time to search for these college recruiting agencies online and in the local area specifically. Take the time to answer all of their questions.  

2. Internships

Many majors require an internship as part of the graduation requirements. This is so that the student can have some references and experience upon graduation. Some internships that are during the school year are available over the summer for recent graduates. Look around and see about getting experience in the different areas of the major to make sure the job or profession in the career is the right fit.

3. Build a Network

Even after graduation, keep networking. Always be open to social media, friends, and family to increase the size of the network for your career. Go to conferences, speeches, and demonstrations. Always listen intently and ask questions when there is advice available. See about getting email addresses for future encounters and to ask questions. The more enthusiastic now, the more knowledge later.

4. Contact List

Keep the names and information of the people that you know and meet now and in the future. These people can be classmates, coaches, mentors, and employment-related. They may not be someone that is in the goal career, but they may be someone who knows someone later. Keep in contact with them now and in the future and be ready to do the same for them.

5. Resume

Resumes hold power, so specify what skills are your best at the top, but don’t be afraid to include the ones that aren’t. Employers know that graduates have strengths and weaknesses. The weakness may be what they are looking for to shape the way they want, so it makes it a strength for them. When writing, make sure to induce keywords to mirror what they are looking for so the application is noticed.

6. Be True

The saying honesty is the best policy works here too. Although it may seem appealing to sound better or more like their perfect candidate, it can be costly. Interviewers go based on answers and inflated answers from the interviewee can lead to questions beyond their realm.

7. Continue to study

Even after graduation, continue to study and research the industry or major to keep up with the changes and evolutions that continue to happen. There are social groups, publications, and companies that have websites that post new and up-to-date information, changes, and trends. The more background knowledge the interviewer sees, the more they know the interest in the job.

8. Interview Practice

There are job placement locations that have practice interviews. They can present the loaded questions for preparation to be ready on how to answer. Online interviews are common today, so these interviews can and also should be practiced. These online video interviews allow a chance to receive input on the chosen backgrounds, body language, and voice control.

9. Letter of interest 

Many job sites say it is optional to send a letter of interest. Do it! Take the time to write it and make it directly related to the job and the person or position mentioned. Do some research and if possible write a letter to the application receiver and interviewers relevant to their background.

10. Questions

Read the description of the company and the job. Do some research and make out a list of questions relevant to the job. These questions will help with the preparation of the letter of interest and for the interview. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. The interviewers will know you are interested and knowledgeable.

11. Interview Thank you 

After the interview and while the interview is still fresh in your mind, write a thank you for the interview letter. Thank them for their time and review the highlights of the job and interview. This is also the opportunity to throw in that statement that was thought of after the interview and to provide contact information in writing.

 12. Follow up

Follow-ups are important to show job interest. Some interviews give an amount of time for a decision and after the amount of time given, make contact to see if they have made a decision. If there wasn’t a specific decision time state, a week is a good amount of time to contact for an update.  

Landing Your Dream Job

There are different ways that employers search for and hire new employees, including recent graduates. Some businesses hire agencies to get the fitting applicant information for them. Other businesses will get the hiring agencies to narrow the list of applicants down to a specific quantity of certain qualifications and do the first round of interviews. The business is then provided a list of the remaining potential candidates for them to choose from.  

The dream job is out there for everyone. Recent college graduates have to take the time to apply and keep up with the changes and advances that technology offers. Take the time to individualize the skills, qualifications, and interests that will be beneficial to the business and the interviewer. Be ready for the unexpected by practicing interviews and reviewing with others. Show them a wise decision was interviewed recently, you!

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03/17/2024 05:11 pm GMT

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