Higher education promises its seekers wider job opportunities and better salaries, however, its advocates do not always mention the challenges that the fresh graduate might encounter on the job market straight after the graduation. Many people start wondering about what they are going to do after college only during the last year or even last semester of the last year of studies. Even if one starts looking for a job when it is too late to find something right after the graduation, he or she will land being employed on condition that the student follows basic rules and strategies of looking for a job.
There are thousands of job opportunities on the market, and it is important to fully realize that the first job the students usually end up doing might be very far from their dreams. It might not even coincide with what they have been studying during the college years, but for most of the recent graduates it will be better than nothing. It is first and foremost dictated by the necessity to be able to lead an independent and sound existence, pay the bills, pay student loans if any, pay the rent, buy food, socialize, and generally be a full member of the society. So the first rule one needs to follow while looking for a job after college is to maturely admit the consequences of the unemployed status the graduate has, and to dedicate a lot of daily hours to seeking employment.
The next step might apply to both those who are still in college and those who have already graduated. The rule is to get additional training, a part-time job or internship. Having one of these activities in the resume will increase the student’s chances of getting a full-time job after graduation, as the future employer will see the clear evidence that the student was not idling during the college years, but was actually interested in gaining experience or broadening the knowledge. While the internships can be unpaid, the student will need to either get a loan or find a part-time job to provide decent living conditions.
The third step can be skipped by those, who truly know what they want to do after college. On the other hand, those who do not have a clear vision of the future can consider going abroad and participate in either volunteer programs or teaching English as a second language. The programs for such activities are widely accessible online, and the search engines can help find the most suitable, interesting and affordable program. From my personal experience I can add that some of my friends have enrolled into the Peace Corps programs, and while some of them are still teaching English and developing the local communities in various countries, the others have succeeded in creating a network of useful connections between the fellow volunteers, which, in turned, helped them get interesting jobs back in the United States or in the countries where they served. At the same time it would be fair to mention that some of the volunteers got back disappointed and without any progress in understanding of their next step in life, but this might be due to their unwillingness to look for opportunities everything they end up living.
The fourth step is universal. The recent graduates need to create a solid resume, register on the networking websites, such as Linkedin, engage in networking and inquire about the possible job opportunities from friends, peers, and everyone you have a connection with. Here it is important to not be too pushy, as one can end up losing the connection, instead of strengthening it.
After a student or a former student has finished networking, he or she can visit the career center of the college and look for the opportunities there. The career center/office can not only help you to meet the alum, who has some offers for you, but they can also massively help you in one of the very important and underestimated parts of the job application process: writing a good resume and cover letter.
The sixth step will get the student on the headhunting websites, where employers post vacancies on the daily basis. At first the graduate might start applying only to the jobs he/she is interested in, but at the end of the day most of the future employees end up sending applications in response to all vacancies that are anywhere close to what they can do. On this stage it is important to remember that landing on the first job that one does not fully like will provide the person with a source for living, and taking on such job in no case means giving up on the future that the person wants to have. The doors to a dream job do not shut forever after failing to get it on the first try. It is crucial to have an optimistic and strong dedicated spirit, without which a person can never accomplish the intermediate and ultimate life goals.
The final step is to organize a meeting with a career expert, who will guide the graduate through the process and help him/her to find a job on a professional level. It might cost some money, but after all if you succeed, you will be happy to have spent it in a right way. If not, then you have given it a shot instead of missing a chance to find an interesting job you would like to have.
All in all, although most of us do not have a well-written plan for our lives, it is important to keep on setting goals. Without them and with an attitude of a person, who expects to fail in any endeavor, one will never be able to fulfill the dreams and find a place in life he/she wants. If the first, second and third jobs did not turn out to be as planned, it is important to keep the focus on the positive side. Every job is an experience, which will be a benefit and an asset in the future. According to the Business Insider’s Lydia Dallett (2014), “Don't limit yourself to one company, one position, or even one industry, because you never know what opportunities you might miss by closing off your options too soon. In other words, "Make a plan from which to deviate” (Dallett, 2014). And it is very important to also not limit oneself to one particular method of looking for a job. There are numerous job opportunities that are not advertised, and many that have not been published on the popular web-sites. The main feature that will help the graduate student to get a dream job now or in future, and to get any job now is the proactivity, a non-stop attempt to find a job you want, like or need, and giving up is never a good choice or the next step.
References
Dallett, L. (2014, January 30). 5 Things You Should Do In Your Last Semester Of College To Prepare For The Real World. Business Insider. Retrieved May 23, 2014, from http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-get-a-job-after-college-2014-1
