Finishing school, like so many things, can be bittersweet. After hours of nothing but studying and worrying about passing your exams, a burden lifts off your heart momentarily. Then it hits you: instead of going to school all the time, your next step in life is starting your career.
Have your well-deserved post-graduation break before life drags you to reality. When that happens, it’s time to set a time during the day to sit down and find a job.
Job Hunting Tips:
- Figure out what position you want.
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- What industry do you want to enter?
- What’s your ultimate career aspiration?
- What are the entry level positions that lead to that aspiration in that industry?
- Which department do you belong in?
You can make most of the online quizzes and job suggestion generators to help you answer these questions. This will help you find the right job postings rather than blindly searching through general listings.
- Polish up that resume.
When you find the right position for you, it’s time to update your resume from your last retail job.
Use the job descriptions you found online and use the same words in your skills and experience. This will help your resume stick out from the others to potential employers.
- Prepare a generic cover letter.
Yes, everyone knows that a personalized cover letter works better than one that follows a generic template, but realistically, there’s not enough time. This letter’s purpose is to highlight just how you have applied your experience and education to completing projects. This will help give employers a better background of what skills you already have.
- Apply, apply, apply and wait.
Many job sites allow you to upload your resume so you can apply with a quick click of a button. It’s easy to just press apply to all relevant job postings, but it is important to read through the entire posting. Many times, employers put specific instructions near the end of the post to weed out anyone who didn’t bother reading through.
Then you wait. This could take days or weeks – don’t expect your phone to be ringing off the hook, but if it is, then congratulations! You’re a hot commodity.
- Go to all of your interviews.
When potential employers reach out for an interview, make sure that you keep note of the time and place and always send a confirmation e-mail to avoid any potential confusion. Always read the company’s website and look over any of their social media. If any questions come up about the company’s current projects, you can be well aware of them and add how you can use your skills to improve them.
Try to go to every interview so that you can practice your interview skills for your next one.
- Follow-up and wait again.
After an interview that you think went well, wait a few days for a response and then send a follow-up to inquire about your application status.
- If you don’t get a response, go back to step one!
Happy job hunting!