Make Yourself More Employable Upon Graduation – 6 Things You Can Do Right Now

Portrait of two happy graduating students. Isolated over white background. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

Yes, it’s a tough job market; yes, the statistics say that the jobs are just not there the way they used to be. But a certain percentage of college grads do land jobs in their career areas. Sometimes it is because they are in high-demand, low-supply fields; in a few cases, they have contacts through a parent or other relative. But there are grads who land those jobs because they have taken some critical steps before graduation that just make them more attractive to employers. Here are 6 steps for you.

1. Spend at least the last two years of college researching positions and companies that relate to your major. You need to follow companies and organizations and learn all that you can about them. How and where are they expanding? What kinds of position opportunities do they have? On any corporate or organizational website, there will be a link to careers. Follow those carefully!

2. Join a professional organization in your chosen career field – either a physical one if available in your area, or online. Engage in conversations and discussions; find a mentor; do some networking. So much of getting a job is about making the right contacts and then maintaining those contacts over a period of time.

3. Do whatever you can to get an internship – in the summers, in the evenings, even right after graduation. One college student who majored in broadcast journalism walked herself into a local radio station and offered to volunteer two evenings a week and on weekends doing anything – filing, answering phones, cleaning. When the station was planning events in malls and at car dealerships, etc., she offered to go help set up. Gradually, over a one-year period, she began to get more job-related tasks, and her volunteering turned into a real internship. That internship led to a part-time and then a full-time job.

4. Get a LinkedIn profile: It does not matter that you have not professional career experience at this point. You are attending college; you have a major; you have activities; you may even have some honors or awards to include. Add to that profile every chance you get. And don’t forget to put in volunteer work and part-time jobs you have held – it doesn’t matter if they have no relationship to your potential career. They demonstrate responsibility and willingness to support yourself, at least partially.

5. Get a domain name, install WordPress, and set up a blog. Start posting about your future career field; show that you are well-read and knowledgeable; post about other interests and activities. Show that you are well-rounded and personable. You can refer to that blog on your LinkedIn profile; you can insert it strategically in your cover letters and resumes.

6. Establish really good relationships with a few professors in your department. When you need professional references, and you have had not a job or internship in your field, these are the people who can speak to your diligence, your knowledge and skills, and to your commitment to the field in general.

About the author: Julie Ellis is working as the writer for http://www.premieressay.net/, finds her inspiration in the educational assistance to gifted students. Master’s degree in Journalism allows her to follow her vocation and help English-speaking students around the world.

You can find her on Twitter – @premieressaynet.