Hey College Grad, are You Ready for the Job Market?

You've worked hard for all these years and the time is soon approaching when you will graduate from college. You're excited, anticipating the ceremony that documents another transition in your life. But, are you ready for what awaits you? Even now, 3 months away from graduation, you should be taking steps to ensure you will find employment after the graduation glow has faded.

Some lucky grads, know exactly what they want to do when they graduate, like my sister. She knew she wanted to go into medicine, so she studied hard, took appropriate summer jobs, and entered med school, graduating with a successful career. No bumps along the way. I was not so lucky. I had no idea what I "wanted to be when I grew up". Looking back, I wish I'd had someone to provide sound advice, assess my skills and attributes, and steer me on a straight course. Instead, I meandered, twisted and turned, and ultimately landed at a great spot. But, oh, where might I be now had I had some help back then?

So, here are some thoughts to ponder as you begin your career post-graduation.

1. Seek out a career coach. If you don't know "what you want to be when you grow up", a career coach can guide you through assessments and questionnaires to help you figure out what career you might want to pursue.

2. Resumes, Cover Letters, and a Plan. These are three essential documents that you will use over and over again as you seek employment. Does your resume reflect all the skills and experience you have developed? Do you know how to speak to those skills? I recently worked with a High School student who had some sound experience, but failed to see how it was relevant, and had therefore left it off his resume. 

3. LinkedIn. Yes, it is paramount anyone seeking employment have a LinkedIn profile. This is your public resume, where recruiters look for talent. Make sure you have a strong profile that represents all you bring with you. Here's a blog I wrote last year about LinkedIn.

4. Networking Skills. The days of applying online for jobs are dwindling. It's your network that will speed up your landing a job. Who do you know? College classmates, High School friends, parents of friends, friends of your parents, teachers professors, the list goes on. Essentially, anyone you know is part of your network and you should be connected to them in Linkedin. You also want to reach out to those people for informational interviews and advice.

5. Interviewing Skills. All of the previous items will get you and interview. Now, you need to know how to look, behave and answer questions when you're on your own in that room. Dress the part. Ask the recruiter for recommendations, or an internal source if you know one. My rule of thumb is to dress just slightly nicer than those who are interviewing you. When I interviewed at Microsoft before landing my job, I dressed in a business casual outfit even though I knew people there were very, very casual. Knowing how to present yourself; professional and open, is important. Be prepared. Have questions to ask, and most importantly, practice answering questions. I love to conduct mock interviews with my clients. It's a safe way for them to practice answering likely questions and receive feedback to improve.

6. And finally, don't put off the job hunt until after graduation! Now is the time to be looking. By May, that ideal job may well have been snatched up by someone else. Start putting your materials together, identify where you want to go, and start networking. In a perfect world, you can graduate from college with a job already in hand. I followed these steps when in college, and by this time of my senior year, I knew a job at Microsoft was waiting for me.

I wish you all the best in your final days at college and the career that awaits you!