From Classroom to Boardroom: 4 Steps to Score Your First Job
Seniors, if you dread the question “What are your plans for after graduation?”, keep reading! While you’ve made it to your senior year (congratulations!) and this is your last ‘hoorah,’ there are still a few things you need to worry about – passing your classes, planning spring break and getting a job post-graduation.
While we don’t have insight into tutoring services or travel planning, we can provide you with some tricks and tips on how to land your first gig.
- Prep your resume with relevant experience. If you’ve managed to complete several internships in your field of study over the last few years, you’re ahead of the game. If not, have no fear. You can fill in some of the white space on your resume by adding in relevant courses or projects you’ve completed that directly align with the industry you are interested in. Business Insider has an example of what an excellent resume should look like for a recent college grad.
- Tap into your network. Dig deep, this is one of the most powerful job search tools that you have. Invest your time in both your work and in people. Those free evening ‘industry meet ups’ may have an extremely high ROI if you run into the right person. You can also expand your network by visiting your career services department and attending career fairs that will place you in front of professionals in your industry. LinkedIn has also become the ultimate social networking tool. Interested in a specific company? Look them up on LinkedIn and you will be able to see who you know that works there.
- Apply to positions regularly and prepare for your interviews. Here are some ways you can prepare:
- Read the company’s website
- Practice your 90-second pitch and highlight your experience most relevant to the position
- Dress to impress
- Be yourself
- Ask your interviewers smart and thoughtful questions
- And don’t forget about the follow-up and thank you, it matters! Here’s a few tips on how to write a perfect post-interview note
- Be honest with yourself. What are you passionate about? What can you use your degree to do? What are you ready for? Have you thought of exploring post-graduate programs that will help train you to be a successful entry level employee? This is a great way to build a strong foundation for your career and get hands on experience in your industry. Check out what Prosek does for post-graduates here.
If you follow these steps, I mean really follow these steps, you are on the path to landing your first gig and a one-way ticket out of your parent’s basement. 