If you’re about to graduate next month and you haven’t started searching for jobs, now is the time! Many college seniors have been putting off the task because it seems like the distant future. However, graduation is rapidly approaching and now is the time that employers will begin considering college graduates for positions.
Most employers would like you to start within two weeks, making it ideal for you to give yourself enough time to do your search, apply for positions, and travel for interviews. If you’re looking to start working right after graduation, you must start now. Here are a few tips to keep in mind as you begin:
1. Perfect the resume. All that preparation and editing has come down to this. So put those finishing touches on your resume and do a final spell check. Also, check out “Give Your Resume Some Pizzazz” for some helpful tips.
2. Keep up with those networking contacts. Now’s not the time to let those relationships fall apart. Reconnect with the people you’ve talked to–you never know if they may have heard of an opening you could fill. “How to Follow-up Without Becoming an Annoyance” has some advice for perfecting your follow-up.
3. Clean up your social media. Photos and wall posts that might have been okay during school might not be okay now that you’re entering the workforce. Take a look at all of your social media sites and filter out anything inappropriate. If you wouldn’t want them to bring it up in the interview, don’t post it. Read “How Tweeting Got Gottfried Fired: 3 Lessons We Learned” for how we can learn from this real-world example.
4. Prepare interview questions. You should be thinking about your answers for interview questions, as well as what questions you’d like to ask at the end of the interview. Don’t get stuck once you’re there because you didn’t prepare. Check out “How to Tackle Tough Interview Questions” for tips on preparing your answers.
College seniors: Have you started your job search yet?
