It's been two months since graduating ... now what?
It's been about two months since classes ended for this year's graduating class. Despite all the pomp and circumstance of writing last exams, receiving the final marks, which will determine your cumulative grade point average (CGPA), and walking across a stage to accept that very expensive piece of paper, many of you new grads are still sitting at home trying to land your dream job.
Maybe job hunting has become your full-time job, or you're working a part-time job or two to pass the time and pay the bills. Either way, you're probably feeling frustrated and a little hopeless about your post-graduation career.
In January, when I started my last semester of school and economic doomsday forecasts about the upcoming year had hit a fever pitch, I was fully prepared to be unemployed and wallowing in my own self-pity by mid-June. I'd started applying for summer jobs in November and I hadn't even received a call back - neither had most of my peers.
I got lucky (through hard work and perseverance, I'm not going to sell myself short here) and knew I'd be working for TalentEgg by February. But many of my fellow grads are still unemployed and uncertain about how and when their first job will appear.
But there is hope on the horizon. There's an important timeline to be aware of: Employers, especially those with strong new-grad recruitment programs, typically start their recruitment campaigns in September.
Let's assume what you unemployed new grads have been doing in the "off season" isn't working and you could potentially continue pounding out resumes every day for the next few months with the same result: no meaningful job.
By the time September rolls around, nearly six months of doing absolutely nothing doesn't look good to employers. So what can you do to ensure you're well positioned for the next recruitment season?
Maintain a close relationship with your school
Have you checked your school e-mail since classes ended? Most departments receive work opportunities ranging from one-day volunteer events to summer internships to full-time jobs, and they often forward those opportunities to current students and recent graduates. If you're not on such a mailing list already, phone or e-mail your departmental secretary to ask about it.
While you're at it, send a quick note to any professors you were particularly close with. Let them know you're looking for a job - without directly asking for a job - and they may keep you in mind for any opportunities they hear about in the future.
Finally, investigate your school's career services website and, if you live close enough, go in for an appointment with a career counsellor. Most institutions offer free access to their career services to new grads for about a year.
Find work using skills you can showcase to potential employers
It doesn't matter if it's paid or unpaid; full-time, part-time, freelance or contract - just work in your field. If they can't hire you as a full-time, permanent employee, they may have room in their budget for a small project. If not, they could definitely benefit from an unpaid intern. Pitch yourself directly to a department or project manager, and don't be afraid to be up-front about why you're contacting them.
This kind of work, even if unpaid, will showcase your skills and passion for your field to future employers in a way your part-time job folding clothes or serving drinks can't (unless you want to work in retail or food services, of course).
Join the conversation
In every industry, there are discussions about history, trends, standards, big players and up-and-comers. The easiest way to get involved in those discussions while you're not actually working in your field is to find relevant communities, message boards and blogs online and starting posting.
Starting your own blog is also an excellent way to develop your writing skills, and show you're knowledgeable and passionate about your industry.
There's a little more than two months left until the recruitment season kicks off (more on this later), so there's plenty of time to make yourself stand out.
Editor: More information on the value of unpaid internships
Tagged with
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Comments
Nice article and very good advice.
"It doesn't matter if it's paid or unpaid; full-time, part-time, freelance or contract - just work in your field."
Best advice of the article. Gaps in the resume show a lack of initiative; young grads should be doing everything they can to develop and demonstrate skills. Heck, run your own projects if you can't find an employer.
"The easiest way to get involved in those discussions while you're not actually working in your field is to find relevant communities, message boards and blogs online and starting posting."
More excellent advice. Stay informed of what is happening in your industry. Do you need to develop new skills? How is the job market? Make friends and network.
Excellent article.
Nice.
Interesting article, which includes several helpful suggestions for new grads looking for employment.
My concern with the article is that you reference landing your "dream job" upon graduation.
As the author of the article are you promoting the idea that one should be able to find their dream job as soon as they enter the workforce as a young professional?
I think you can have many dream jobs as your experience grows and your expectations change?
A recent grad shouldn't expect to land a dream job upon graduation.
They have to start somewhere in an organization and put in a lot of sweat equity in order to make a name for themselves. This will ultimately lead to better opportunities.
Depends how you define your dream job. A dream job for many grads might be the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, where they had to do nothing but sip martinis and plan how to steal even more money from the shareholders.
However, I think "dream job" for most grads is a position in their chosen industry that set their feet on the right career path.
I completely agree, D.
There are an infinite number of ways to get to the "top," but I think most new grads -- who often see their peers working jobs they're completely uninterested in and overqualified for -- just want a job that's challenging and interesting that will set them on the right path.
I see my career as a journey, not a destination, so I was writing from that perspective I suppose.
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