Have you been applying For Jobs Before Graduation? If you’re about to graduate from college, congratulations! Now it’s time to land your first real job. Since it takes the average college graduate three to six months to secure employment after graduation, it’s essential to get started as soon as possible.
However, the biggest problem that graduates face is that they don’t have any experience in the field that interests them. Plus, no one seems to be hiring anyone right now. But, don’t worry – there are still plenty of ways for recent grads to find a job before getting their diploma!
Applying for jobs before graduation can be overwhelming, especially when you might feel that your qualifications don’t line up. So we’ve compiled a list of tips that will help you pitch yourself to any recruiter and get hired. Here are the 12 tips for finding employment before graduation – read on for more information!
Don’t Overlook Internships, Even If You’ve Already Had a Few
An internship lets you familiarize yourself with other industries that interest you. This is a great experience, even if they’re not relevant to this specific position. Plus, many companies are open to hiring people who have less experience in their industry for an internship. The best part? A study found that 57.5% of students who worked an internship received a job offer after they completed it!
Make sure when applying to internships to include any classes you’ve taken that may apply to the duties of the position. Even better, ask if an instructor from one of those courses can be included as a reference! Very few employers would say no to someone with loaded experience before their first real day of work!
Don’t Forget to Follow Your School’s Job Board
Often, companies aren’t open about hiring until closer to graduation. So now’s your chance to network with alumni who are working in the field of interest!
Be sure to familiarize yourself with other industries that may be interested in your skills prior to graduation. You can do this by browsing through your school’s job board and connecting with employers. Many employers look for passion above all else when considering employees.
Plus, your school job board is full of employers looking for entry-level talent. Most positions don’t require ten years of experience, making it easy for new graduates to get ahead.
Continue Honing the Skills That Will Make You Valuable on the Job
Even before graduation, students can begin to make themselves stand out from other applicants by demonstrating their career-related skills. If you’ve interned at a company in the past or have held leadership roles on campus, be sure to include these things when applying for jobs before graduation!
Be sure that any relevant classes which might help you get ahead also end up on your resume if possible. It never hurts to list all of these opportunities beforehand just in case they’re needed later down the road!
Network!
Did you know that networking alone is responsible for filling as many as 85% of all jobs?
Don’t neglect to take advantage of all the networking opportunities available at your current university. If there’s a chance to meet anyone who may have an influence on your career or know connections, do it! Your network truly is one of the most valuable resources when it comes to finding employment after graduation.
Networking is a surefire way to learn about new opportunities and meet influential people in your fields of study! See if any alumni from your school are already working at the place you want to work. Ask them for advice, guidance, practice interviews, or even to speak with their in-house recruiters.
Alumni from your school may be more willing to help out and create a connection to you. Plus, if you impress them, they might even try to help you score an interview. Remember to respect their time, ask genuine questions, and be respectful with each of your connections.
Approach Companies Directly When They’re Not Hiring
Don’t be afraid to email companies directly if they aren’t advertising open positions. Often, a company will need an extra set of hands before they know it. You just have to find out how best to go about doing so!
Sometimes employers wait until closer to graduation day or even post-graduation before actively seeking new employees. In the meantime, don’t hesitate to reach out to companies you love and let them know how much you would enjoy working for them. Include a resume, cover letter, and show genuine curiously for the position.
Don’t get discouraged if you don’t hear back – sometimes these things take time, and who knows what might happen later down the road!
Try Taking on Extra Responsibilities
Even if an employer isn’t open about hiring before graduation, there may be other ways to get your foot in the door. While you might not have a job to use as your experience, you can get involved with other responsibilities such as clubs or volunteering services.
Instead of waiting around, hoping someone will call with new employment opportunities, use this opportunity to take on more workload and develop new skills. If you have a chance to be involved in any professional development opportunities or other high-profile roles offered by an employer through either work or school, do not hesitate to sign up for them when they become available!
Start Practicing For Your Interview
Before applying for jobs before graduation you’ll want to ensure that you’re ready when you get the call for your next interview. There are many ways you can go about this, from studying popular interview questions, like “Why are you applying for this job?” to asking an actual company to provide a mock interview for you to practice.
You can even use your network of connections to ask questions about the interview process or gain valuable insight into what companies are looking for when they conduct interviews. Building up your interview skills will help you be prepared for any opportunity that comes your way!
Don’t Be Shy About Following Up with Employers Later On
It’s okay to follow up later when it comes to applying for jobs before graduation. However, don’t do so too frequently, or you may appear desperate. If you haven’t heard back from employers you’ve reached out to, you can follow up to see if there’s another possibility to connect.
It never hurts to get in touch again if you haven’t heard back from someone that you’ve already contacted. Sometimes employers can miss messages sent by email while they’re busy working within their own day-to-day tasks. When sending a follow-up email or call, remember to be respectful, polite, and to the point. You don’t want to waste their time or bombard them with too much information.
Make Sure You Go For What You Want
Choosing a job to work can seem like an overwhelming process. However, don’t just blindly apply for any job you see pop up on the job board. Instead, you want to take the time to ensure that you’re contacting the right companies. Make sure you genuinely believe you would be a good fit for their open position.
Setting yourself up in the early stages of your potential career will help get you out there and build relationships within your fields of interest quickly. This will not only help you advance your career but ensure that you’re learning the skills you need to succeed in your area of interest.
Be Prepared for the Possibility of No Response
It never hurts to be proactive and look ahead towards what might happen after graduation day. If all else fails, don’t hesitate to reach out once again at a later date rather than wasting too much time worrying about potential outcomes.
During your job hunt, there will be many jobs that might not respond to you or tell you that you’re not qualified for the position. This is completely natural, and everyone experiences this at some point in their career.
However, don’t give up hope just yet, even though it may seem like employers aren’t hiring! Just make sure you do everything possible beforehand to avoid wasting any more valuable time when searching for employment afterward, including sharpening up your resume and being prepared for rejection.
Don’t Be Afraid of Applying to Smaller Companies.
Since larger companies may seem like the most obvious choice for employment after graduation, don’t be afraid to branch out and consider some smaller ones, too, especially because LinkedIn Insights shows that 80% of small businesses hire graduates.
Not only can it sometimes feel more rewarding to work at a place that’s not as difficult to get into, but also there are plenty of opportunities available with these employers even if they aren’t entirely on par with more prominent brands!
Many big corporations started out as small businesses and grew over time, thanks in large part due to intelligent hiring choices.
Do Not Stress Out. This Is Only The Beginning!
While there are some things that you can’t control when it comes to finding a good job after graduation, remember that you always have the power to influence certain aspects of your own employment future. This includes stopping yourself from feeling stressed out. It can feel overwhelming when you apply to hundreds of applications. In order to help yourself feel less stressed, make sure to give yourself time to breathe, move around, work out and step away from the job hunt.
When our bodies are stressed out, it may be challenging to look at our job hunt process with a clear mind, meaning we might not make the best decisions or write the best cover letters. However, when we’re at our best, unstressed self, we’re able to produce incredible results!
Ready To Find The Job Of Your Dreams?
If you need to find a job before graduation, we’ve here to help. Click here to submit your resume today, or browse through our current job openings.