 Job-hunting
tips for new grads
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The good news, Mr. or Ms. Fresh-Faced Graduate, is
that employers want you.
I know, I know. You're wondering, "How could they
want me? My only work experience has been in a McJob."
Not to worry. Even your inexperience can be a plus:
The employer needn't rid you of the "bad habits" you learned
from your previous employer. Even more appealing, you have lots
of energy and time on your hands so you're less likely to balk when
your boss gives you a project that requires an all-nighter. Your
technical skills are probably more current than someone who's been
out of school for a couple of decades. And you're cheap: You probably
cost half of what 40-plus-year-olds expect.
But, you protest, "I still don't know what I
want to be when I grow up!" You assumed that you would figure
it out in school. Fool! You should have realized that spending years
with teachers and professors -- people who opted out of the real
world -- isn't the best way to figure out what to do in the real
world.
Oh well, it's not too late. Here's how to get unstuck.
Step 1: Identify your core
skill or skills. List your half-dozen major accomplishments
and look for the skill(s) that most helped you accomplish
those tasks.
Step 2: Visit careervoyages.gov
to see if it helps you unearth a specific job title that
excites you.
If you want to go for a job in high demand, Monster.com's
June 2005 survey of 900 employers and 11,000 students found the
most entry-level openings in:
- Sales (25 percent of all entry-level job openings
nationwide)
- Administrative and support services (10 percent)
- Customer service and call-center services (6 percent)
- Advertising and marketing (5 percent)
- Retail (5 percent)
- Health care (5 percent)
Step 2 didn't yield a specific job title? No problem.
Whether or not you have a specific one in mind, the following approach
will work.
Step 3: Make a list of 20
companies, nonprofits and/or government agencies where you'd
enjoy using your core skill(s).
Step 4: Make a list of 50
people who like you. And don't tell me you don't know 50
people! How about your haircutter, your parents' lawyer or accountant,
people in your alumni association, church or volunteer group, maybe
even your ex-boyfriend's parents? You can also likely find connections
among the 2.9 million members of linkedin.com.
Step 5: Ask your 50 fans if
they know someone at one of your 20 target employers or at some
other employer who could hire you or help you get hired.
If so, ask if they'd set up a three-way meeting or conference call,
or at least allow you to say they suggested you call.
Step 6: At those meetings,
say, in one well-practiced sentence, what you're looking for. For
example, "I'm looking for a job that requires the ability to
be persuasive and that won't require me to sit at a desk all day.
Any thoughts?" Get feedback on your resume. Also ask if they're
aware of a problem the employer is facing that you might be able
to help solve.
Step 7: Call the human resources
department of any of the 20 employers at which you don't have a
personal connection. Explain why you put that employer on
your list of dream employers. For example, "I've always been
fascinated with the stock market. I've heard you're trying to attract
younger customers and, frankly, you're located 10 minutes from my
house."
Then say, "I'm looking for a job where I can
use my ability to [insert core skill(s)]. Any advice on where I
should turn?" Whether or not you get a lead, ask the person
if he or she would mind keeping an ear open for you and if you can
call back in a month to check in and report on your progress. In
any event, write a handwritten thank-you note.
Step 8: In interviews, tell
one-minute stories of your accomplishments: a problem you
faced, how you addressed it and its positive resolution. If you
haven't already, tease out a problem the employer is facing and
brainstorm how you might help solve it. Be enthusiastic but honest
about your strengths and weaknesses. All employers will appreciate
your candor: The wrong employer will know you're wrong for the job
and a right one will hire you.
Don't "close" too quickly. The purpose of a first
or even second interview is usually not to get a job offer; it's
to get another interview. So, at the end of an interview, you might
ask, "I'm excited about what we've discussed here. Would you
mind if I synthesized and perhaps extended our discussion by writing
a brief summary and proposal? And perhaps we can meet again to discuss
that?"
This process may sound daunting, but it's necessary
if you want a job. A Monster.com survey reports that 45 percent
of 2004 college graduates are still living at home.
Advice I'd give my child
I know people who have endured lousy jobs for a lifetime. If you
don't like your job or your boss, the hell with "paying your
dues." Try to talk your way into a better job ... or start
your own business.
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