Graduating from college is a major accomplishment, one you should be extremely proud of. You took the initiative to sign up, attend class, and put in all the work required to reach graduation.
That said, now you need to actually put your skills and training to good use, which will only be possible after someone hires you.
To do that, you’ll need to understand exactly how to search for jobs.
How to Search for Jobs: 4 Simple Tips
Of course, it’s never been easier to look for job openings. Thanks to a seemingly endless supply of job sites, all you need to do is type in the role you want and the geographic area in which you’d like to work to see what your options are.
Unfortunately, it’s not always that simple. Learn the following four tips on how to search for jobs and you’ll probably save yourself a lot of time and find it much easier to land the job you want.
1. Reach Out Directly
All of those job sites we just mentioned have had one very unfortunate side effect for many people: applicants completely forget about simply reaching out to people to ask for a job.
Instead, most people assume that if they can’t find an opening on Monster or SimplyHired, the business isn’t looking for good candidates.
This could definitely be the case, but there’s no downside to making a call or sending an email (with your cover letter and resume attached) asking about any relevant openings.
On the other hand, one of these messages could lead to your dream job.
Many business owners – especially small business owners – try leveraging their network before paying to post for a position online. Others may not be in need of help at the moment, but that could change in the very near future.
Learning how to search for jobs is about learning how to be proactive, so take initiative and contact businesses you’d love to work for, regardless of if they’re actually advertising an open position or not.
2. Leverage Your Alumni Network
According to a study conducted in 2014, somewhere between 30% and 50% of new hires in the United States happen because of a referral. Those who are referred to a company are also four times more likely to get the job than those who weren’t.
That’s significant.
To be clear, having the desired skill set is essential, but you’ll generally be a lot more likely to receive consideration for those skills if a current employee is able to show those skills to the person doing the hiring.
If you love cars and decide to become a mechanic, you may already know people who are already in the industry. The same goes for other trades.
However, don’t forget about your college’s alumni. Even though you may not be on a first-name basis, they’ll usually be happy to at least give you an opportunity based on your shared alma mater.
Utilize your classmates in the same way. If you hear one of them has found a job, ask them if there are any other openings (after congratulating them, of course) and they could provide that much-needed referral for you.
3. Tell Everyone on Social Media
Alumni and classmates aren’t the only ones who can help you find a job opening, either.
Social media can be a fantastic tool for this.
According to the best-seller, What Color Is Your Parachute? (2017 Edition), asking friends and family for job leads is successful about 33% of the time. That’s actually very high.
Think about all the people you know. Are they all aware that you’ve recently graduated and are learning how to search for jobs because you’re in the market?
If not, you could be missing out on a large number of personal referrals.
So get on your social media accounts and let the world know that you’ve recently obtained the skills and training you need to begin a career in your desired field.
4. Look for Local Hiring Events
Another great way to make an advantageous connection with a company is to show up to any events they hold.
For the most part, this will mean job fairs and other hiring events.
Obviously, if a business is attending or holding an event like this, you know they’re hiring.
You can also put your resume and cover letter right into someone’s hand and take the opportunity to introduce yourself, learn more about the employer, and – most importantly – make the right first impression with them.
If they think your personality will be a good fit for their business, you’ll be one step closer to that new job.
5. Don’t Forget About Professional Associations
Although they’re not as popular as they once were, professional associations are still welcoming new members. While there are many benefits to joining a professional association (and they exist for just about every field), they can be fantastic for finding job openings.
Many even feature job listings that are only available to existing members. If all you do is join a professional association like this, you may not even have to bother with learning how to search for jobs at all. They’ll simply appear right in front of you.
Nonetheless, it would still be wise to network among your other members, attend events, and even volunteer to help with some of them. By expanding your network like this, you’ll be better positioned if you ever need to look for a new job in the future.
Get One-on-One Guidance on How to Search for Jobs
You now know how to more effectively find jobs in your field.
However, if you’d like more help learning how to search for jobs or getting answers to specific questions you may have on the subject, consider becoming a student at IntelliTec College.
As a student, our career services department will be at your disposal. These experienced professionals can help you with everything from finding jobs to creating compelling cover letters and much more.
If you’d like to become a student at IntelliTec College, please contact us today and we will send you more information.
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