New grads – Make your job hunt more effective

When you’re fresh out of school you generally have a lot on your plate and a lot of plans for the future. A long, protracted job search probably isn’t a part of your plans and can be extremely frustrating.

As a new graduate it’s important you take some extra steps to stand out among candidates especially if you have no experience.

With some creativity, research and perseverance you can put yourself in a position to find gainful employment. This article will cover 3 things you can do in your job hunt to make the search and interview a little easier.

Analyze your target job

Study your field and look for the appropriate positions to apply for. Every field has different names for different positions; make sure you are applying for the correct level and type of positions in your field. This saves you time and effort and allows you to target jobs you are more qualified for.

Conduct in depth research on these positions. Keep in mind the key responsibilities and issues people face while doing the job. You want to align your skills with these things to show employers how you can be of value to them. Or show them how your skills are well aligned to learn quickly.

Prepare concrete examples of the important attributes

When going in to the interview make sure you arm yourself adequately with appropriate examples.

Take the research you have done to gain the advantage. For example if leadership is a desired quality of the position, be prepared with 2 or 3 examples of leadership from your student life.

Make sure you take the technical aspects of the job and align them with your skills as well. Again show how you can perform the task at a high level or how you are prepared to quickly learn.

Employers are interested in how you can help them. Don’t let it be a mystery or be shy; be prepared go in and show them how. The more specific you can be the more you can impress them.

Use your network

Keep in touch with fellow students and past professors. Use them as a resource to give you information about your industry. They can also be sources of potential employment opportunities for you.

Keep an open mind and your ears open when speaking with these people. Internships or volunteer positions can be extremely valuable and worst case scenario they still look good on your resume.

Keeping contacts in your industry is a key part of lasting success. The more people that know you, the more opportunities you have access to. Simple things like thank you letters and occasional phone calls can strengthen professional relationships.

Remember to be unique in your job hunt. Show companies how you can help them in the near future. Try and give them a glimpse of the type of person they’ll have on their team. Enthusiasm and confidence are infectious and can help you win employers over. Tap in to all the resources available to you in order to be effective and creative in your job hunt.

Jung Viera is an avid blogger, a serial media specialist and always here to provide you with quality job hunting information!