Practical tips for conducting a college senior job search
A college senior job search requires great preparation as you may be looking towards a particular job, industry or income bracket.
As a result, to get a head start on finding post-graduate employment, you should consider the following steps:
Figure Out What To Do
With graduation approaching, and the prospect of finding a job in a scarce market, you may not have the luxury of ‘job hopping’ until you find what you love. Instead, it’s essential as a college senior to have career goals. Having goals means figuring out your interests and recognising your skill inclinations towards a suitable career.
Get Help from Faculty and Staff
No one said you had to figure it out all alone though. If you’re having difficulty pinpointing a career that works with your interests and skills, seek external assistance. Whether it’s lecturers, faculty staff or fellow graduates, if you need the advice of trusted resources, capitalise on that.
Refine your resume and cover letter
A refined resume and cover letter means, grammatically sound, articulate, contains relevant information, tailored for the job or industry and is compelling enough to score an interview.
At this stage, it is not simply looking for any job. You’re embarking on a career and thus require the appropriate marketing materials – your resume and cover letter to sell you to your desired employer.
Building your career network
As a college senior, the best time to have started networking was yesterday. Do not assume by staying out of the conversation employers are going to hand you a job. Particularly, in a post-Covid, Caribbean working environment, jobs are likely to be a bit scarcer.
Your networking efforts therefore, should be more focused on a strategic networking plan. This plan entails starting conversations and building relationships with the right people, within the right industry in the right way. LinkedIn, Clubhouse and Facebook to a lesser extent are your primary platforms to network.
Remember first impressions matter. Therefore, send your prospect an introductory note before connecting, detailing who you are, your intentions and your area of expertise.
Finally, bear in mind how social media works. You receive more attention and engagement when you comment on someone’s post as opposed to liking it. The engagement begins when you initiate dialogue. Be open to asking persons about their skills, experiences and advice. By establishing rapport, you’re strategically positioning yourself to be considered for the majority of jobs that do not get advertised.
Consider an internship
If you’re breaking into a new company or industry, an internship may be a good, sometimes the only place to start. Graduates do typically anticipate high salaries given their extensive education. Sometimes though, you may have to start from humble beginnings to learn the ways of the industry you want to succeed in.
Read our article about Remote Internship
Maintain close contact with past employers
Part of strategic networking not only includes forging new relationships, but being mindfully aware of past ones that still hold value. Relationships with past employers can help you associate with like-minded people, provided there is no bad blood or burnt bridges. They can serve as a source of re-employment or atleast, a good recommendation.
Establish a positive social media presence
Why not use social media to build a strong personal brand? Lots of these platforms value organic content. You can create a blog, vlog or share informative content on Facebook or LinkedIn. If you have some creative skills, document your creations and build a brand through Facebook, Tik Tok, Instagram or YouTube?
Social media is also your communication tool with the outside world. Use social media positively to find people, network, showcase a talent, create or share interesting content that someone working in your desired field might enjoy.
If you want to gain employment, as a college senior, this means spending more time on your feet and leaving the cozy, comfort zone way behind. Additional activities you can include in your job search include:
Volunteer
Volunteering has a multitude of benefits, particularly when it comes to meeting people, learning skills and getting much needed work experience to list on your resume.
Take an improv class
Whether it’s theatre, sketch comedy or some creative program, improv classes are designed to get your mind functioning in a new and creative way. Thinking of creative ideas and enacting them on the spot sharpens your focus, refines your voice and helps you understand your body better.
How does this relate to job hunting? Quite simply that any employee or entrepreneur who can work creatively, collaboratively and brainstorm ideas on the spot is seen as an organisational asset.
Professionalise your social media
As a college senior, there is no reason for your social media to neglect professionalism. Apart from using your platform positively, ensure that your pages do not include suggestive, obscene, or inappropriate content. If your platform should be branded NSFW – Not Suitable for Work, it hinders employment.
Attend a conference
Conferences, even online conferences are a great place to meet like-minded people, connect, start conversations and expand your network.
Read books
Learning should not stop once you’ve graduated. The world is constantly changing and evolving. Your mind should reflect those changes. Reading books is a great way to grow and challenge your mind, particularly when it offers new insights about a desired industry, new technologies, ideas, information or personal development.
Travel abroad
Travelling may still be limited in some parts, but there is nothing like going to a new country or city to learn more about the world. In the Caribbean for example, job opportunities are not necessarily limited to one island. Vacancies can present themselves in other CARICOM countries, which as a Caribbean job seeker, you can certainly take advantage of.
Online Portfolio
If you’ve got creative skills or specialised work that you would like to showcase to prospective employers or clients, consider building an online portfolio. This can include websites, blogs, social media pages, sweep files, playlists or a vlog.
Work on your resume
Are you involved in any activities outside of school? Have you accomplished anything within your community? Do you have a side business that helped pay school fees? Employers want to know what you’ve been up to.
Make sure your resume shows you as the candidate of choice by filling it with relevant activities and accomplishments that portray you in the most positive and productive light.
