Before you can land your ideal post-college job, you need to do some serious work. The job hunt is a trying, emotional, challenging, and time-consuming process. But don’t fret; we can help.
Here is your all inclusive job search guide. We’ll tell you everything you need to know about the process.
Best Blogs for College Students during the Job Search
You might be relieved that your college career is finally coming to a close. However, the education portion of your life is never-ending. While you are job searching, you’ll want to follow the tips and suggestions of people who have been-there and done-that. Check out…
- Lindsey Pollak – A millennial workplace expert, Lindsey is an author, corporate consultant, keynote speaker and career expert. Follow her blog and get tips on just about every aspect of the job hunt.
- Fast Company – One of the most important aspects of the interview process is showing you are knowledgeable and well-versed on a variety of topics. Fast Company can help you educate you on everything from economics and business innovations to technology and design.
- Office Politics – Once you land the job, you’ll need to know how to play nicely with your co-workers. Learn from the mistakes of others and avoid the office drama!
- Job Market Blog at New York Times – Not only does the Job Market page of the New York Times help you hunt for jobs, it also offers valuable tips, tricks, and office-place insight. Read up!
Using Social Media as a Job Search Tool
Up until now, you’ve probably used social media as a way to stay connected with family and friends. As a college graduate, it is time to switch gears. Now, your social media profiles are all about job prospecting.
First, you must heed a word of warning. Read this article: 6 Reasons Social Media Got People Fired. Don’t lose your first job before it begins!
Now, let’s break it down into specific social networks.
LinkedIn
Facebook
Twitter
- This article, 20 Twitter Resources for Job Hunters, is jam-packed with useful tips. It includes links to organizations publicizing job postings, people offering career advice, influencers and advisors, and more.
How to Write a Resume
While you are editing, purging and beefing up your social profiles, you also need to start working on your resume.
Most college students have very little career experience. That can leave your resume feeling a little flat. Here are some articles that will help your resume shine.
If those aren’t helpful enough, here is something quite unique: The Damn Good Resume Guide. This fill-in-the-blank guide is a resume workbook for college students and recent grads. It includes ten easy steps for writing a G-R-R-REAT resume (their words, not ours!).
Finding the Perfect Job
Once you start looking for jobs, you’ll quickly become overwhelmed by the amount of job boards available.
Some of the most popular include:
If you think freelancing is the way to go, you can check these 17 Job Boards for Freelancers. If you studied well and wrote college papers by yourself (surprise, surprise!), you have the opportunity to try yourself as a researcher or a writer/editor for a college paper writing service. This is how I’ve got my first job actually.
As we mentioned before, social media is a great resource for job hunters. To take that idea one step further, there are several websites that help turn Twitter into a job board.
- Tweet My Jobs – After entering a bit of information regarding your ideal job, Tweet My Jobs will send you personalized job listings.
If you are still in college, looking for a part-time job, you’ll want to check out Snag a Job. This site is also good for finding a temporary job for the summer to hold you over until something “better” comes along.
In addition to the major job boards, you’ll definitely need to check out the sites specifically designed with the college student in mind. These job boards feature opportunities that are perfect for entry-level positions.
Prepping for the Interview
Once you’ve gone through all the trouble of searching and applying for a job, you’ll want to be extra certain the interview process goes as smoothly as possible. Here are some tips for navigating your first post-college job interview.
How you look is nearly as important as what you say during the interview process. Here are some great articles that will help ensure your appearance is as impressive as your resume:
The Final Step
Ultimately, the job search process leads up to one thing – a job! Here are some end-of-the-road things to consider.
Sometimes, the job search starts before graduation. If you are a college student who is looking for a job while classes are still in session, here are 10 Resume-Boosting College Jobs to consider. Not only will these look good on your resume, they are usually pretty flexible with scheduling.
When it is all said and done, you’ll want to follow the steps outlined in this article: How to Accept a Job Offer for a College Graduate.
Landing the ideal employment opportunity might seem like a job in and of itself! Hopefully, these resources will make the process more bearable – and fruitful!
Do you have any resources we left off the list? Let us know!
