Try these proven methods for landing that first job after college
Kaylee McGlynn doesn’t know the meaning of the word “wait.” After finishing high school in three years, she’s on-target to finish college a year early as well. During that time, she’s pursued jobs and an internship that have helped her quickly zero in on her professional goals, while also finding time to volunteer in her community. Heading into her senior year at Southern New Hampshire University, she’s working on her EMT certification and planning for graduate school.
Kaylee’s pedal-to-the-metal work ethic may give her an edge as she prepares to graduate into a slowing job market. But that’s not the only strategy at her disposal. Here are some other tips for new and upcoming graduates.
Speak up
Like it or not, real people are still an important resource – maybe more so than ever in our technology-saturated world. As she considered different professions, Kaylee found part-time jobs that would give her access to people in those fields. While working at a family pet store, she picked the brains of veterinarians. As a pharmacy technician, she chatted with pharmacists. In both cases, her conversations steered her away from those professions. “Many of them told me they wouldn’t do it again,” said Kaylee, who’s now majoring in biology with a minor in justice studies. “While that’s a tough thing to hear, it was important information.”
Of course, conversations with people in your field of study can also lead to opportunities. And contrary to what you might think, research shows that asking for help actually endears you to people. It’s called the Ben Franklin effect.
Don’t just focus on professional connections, either. Lean on people you know and other available resources – like us! — to map out a plan that sets you up for success. When Kaylee started applying to colleges, she consulted with Granite Edvance to construct a strategy for completing school debt-free, giving her a little peace of mind as she prepares for the next step.
Keep an open mind
If the job market for your chosen field isn’t rosy at the moment, you may have to get creative or even re-think your plans.
Remember, a large percentage of college graduates are working in a different field than the one they majored in. To be clear, they’re using their education, just in different ways than they might have planned. Take Matt Wallace, Vice President of Education and Career Pathways here at Granite Edvance. Graduating with a history major, he ended up working in restaurants for a while after college. Eventually, he was able to translate that experience into a job as an admissions event coordinator at Plymouth State University, then work his way up the ladder in admissions before landing here.
For Kaylee, volunteer work held the key to her future ambitions. Getting involved with the Raymond Coalition for Youth during high school, she began testifying about substance abuse issues at the State House and found a passion for public speaking, while also developing connections with law-enforcement organizations around the state. She was able to land an internship with a federal agency and hopes to pursue a career there.
Take the long view
This is not the first time new graduates have faced a tough job market, and it won’t be the last. And regardless of the overall unemployment rate, graduates in some fields will have a tougher time than others finding work. Eventually, most of us find our way.
When Sarah Earle, Director of Communications at Granite Edvance, graduated from college with an English major, she was unable to find any job back in her hometown, much less one related to her major. She remembers responding to a “help wanted” ad at a restaurant only to have the staff instruct her to write her information on a napkin because they’d run out of paper applications. She decided to write an essay about the disillusionment she was experiencing and send it to the local paper. The editor published it – and offered her a job. Ever since then, she’s been doing work that utilizes her communication skills, including writing stories like this one.
Finding a job may take some patience, but waiting doesn’t have to mean sitting around. Reflect on where you want to be in five years or 10 years and take steps toward those goals, whether that’s networking, sharpening key skills, seeking out opportunities such as volunteer work, or something else.
John Flanders, Chief Strategy and Lending Officer at Granite Edvance, got his first job out of college by going to door-to-door at local banks until he persuaded someone to give him a job as a credit analyst.
Kaylee plans to take a similar approach. She has her sights set on a particular agency and plans to check in with them often. “I want to make a strong impression and be persistent,” she said. “And I want to be consistently bettering myself and career for greater odds of being hired.”
Caption information: Kaylee McGlynn, courtesy photo
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