I am no expert on landing your first job, but I hope some of the things I have done so far will help me in the future. Throughout high school and college, people have told me to do so many different things in order to get the job I want someday.
Here are (in my opinion) four of the best things to do to land your first job after graduation:
1. Take on leadership roles
Throughout my life, I have been told getting involved with different groups and organizations will help in the long run. Whether it was in high school, when being in extracurricular activities helped to get into college, or in college when getting involved meant a greater chance of setting yourself apart from your competition in a job interview. Becoming a leader in an organization gives you the ability to put it on your resume. You then have credibility to talk about situations and relate to things you may talk about in a job interview.
2. Make yourself findable
It is important for people to be able to find you when they look you up online. When people look you up, they should find things that describe you in a positive light. Whether you have a blog or your portfolio is online, these are things that potential employers would want to see when they search for you. If you are not sure what potential employers are seeing, do a Google search of yourself and spruce up your social media profiles, like Facebook or Instagram, if necessary.
3. Build a network
Doing things like getting involved or working different jobs, builds your network and you may not even realize it. LinkedIn is a great way to keep track of all of your connections and to build more. On LinkedIn you should add friends, parents’ friends, co-workers and people you make some sort of connection with. LinkedIn also offers a jobs page that anyone can take advantage of.
4. Do not settle
When a job opportunity comes around, it is important to remember you do not have to rush into anything. Make sure it is something you want to do, too. Do your research and ask many questions to figure out if a position is a good match. There will be other opportunities if one falls through.
Worried about having enough experience or practice? Don’t! There are many opportunities on campus for you to get involved. To find groups to get involved in, you can check out SPIN to learn more. If you are not sure about interview practice, or if your resume is up to par, you can go to the career advising center for some advice. UW-Stevens Point has so many opportunities to make sure you are ready to land your first grown-up job, so make sure you take advantage of them!
