You probably know someone who’s graduating from college this year. And what would Amazon or Pinterest suggest you give this brave soul who’s walking over coals to the hellish world of job searching? A pen. (A nice pen, but a pen.) Or a mug with an inspirational quote printed on it. Or a business card holder.
You know what would be more helpful than those gifts? A job. Preferably a job with a desk, where this graduate can use her pen, drink from her mug and store her business cards.
Luckily, you — yes, you — can help give that greatest gift of all. Here’s how to help a newbie job seeker land a job:
1. Start by looking within your company. Don’t see any entry-level jobs listed for your company? That may be because those positions often go unlisted and are filled by internal referrals, says Brian Krueger, founder and CEO of CollegeGrad.com, an entry-level job search site, and author of “The College Grad Job Hunter.” That’s where you come in, passing the job seeker’s résumé to your human resources department. “If they’re a good person for your company, go ahead and refer them internally,” he says. “And you may make a nice little employee referral bonus for making that connection.”
Even if there isn’t an open and relevant position available for your contact right now, this referral may help both the recent grad and HR department in the future. Keep in mind that entry-level positions often have high turnover, Krueger says. And consider how larger companies sometimes hire numerous entry-level employees at once, and how usually a few of them will back out of the program just before it begins, he adds. Where do you think the HR team will turn in those situations, when they’ve got to do some speedy hiring? “If you’ve got an employee referral sitting there, waiting, that person may be given first consideration and very little competition for that entry-level position if and when it comes up,” Krueger says.
2. Reach out to your network. Share the job seeker’s résumé with folks outside your company, too. If there’s not much crossover between what you do and what the new grad wants to do, remember: “You may have other connections outside of your job type and industry,” Krueger says. Is there anyone in your book club or yoga class who could help? What about neighbors or family members? Shoot them the résumé, and encourage them to pass it along to whomever may be interested.
In fact, that’s where things get interesting. “It’s not necessarily who you know, it’s who they know,” Krueger says. Maybe there’s not much cooking among your connections or even your connections’ connections. But the more folks forward the referral, the more eyes (and potential employers) will see it. “Networking is a numbers game,” Krueger says, and it’s in those third-level contacts and beyond “where the numbers explode.”
Even as the number of professionals who see the résumé grows exponentially, the fact that the process began as a firsthand referral keeps it personal — unlike if the new grad blindly applied to a job online. Krueger says this method is particularly helpful for finding roles in small companies that have few, unadvertised openings. When companies want to fill those positions, “they’re looking at that internal pipeline of people they already know,” he says.
3. Invite the grad to shadow you. “Shadowing is a very classic way of mentoring and helping people,” says Dan Schawbel, career and millennial expert and author of “Promote Yourself: The New Rules for Career Success.” After getting permission from your company, “get this student or recent graduate to come in, and show them firsthand what it’s like to work in an office environment in your profession or industry.”
Schawbel points out that shadowing may help the grad determine what he or she wants — or doesn’t want — to do. (Those 9 a.m. conference calls aren’t very fun, are they?)
To assure the day goes smoothly for both the shadower and the shadow ee, check out these four tips outlined by Monster.
4. Help with mock interviews. “We train [students] to read things, know things and take the test,” Krueger says. “You can’t read interview questions, know the answer and go to the interview. You actually have to practice.” Here’s where you, a list of common interview questions and your phone’s video feature come in. And you don’t have to be a career expert to be helpful.
“All you’re doing is asking them the questions and giving them the opportunity to respond,” he says. “The best part of the mock interview is not necessarily your feedback, but the opportunity to see themselves answering interview questions [and] getting that practice to actually do it.”
5. Be a coach. Again, no expertise necessary. “Sometimes the hardest part of job searching is getting started and making that your full-time job until you get a full-time job,” he says. And you can help keep the grad motivated.
Krueger suggests simply listening to the job seeker’s plans and goals for the week — say, reaching out to 30 companies and securing three interviews –and then checking in on how they played out. If applicable, talk about how you can help tweak the strategy. For example, if the job seeker contacted those 30 companies and got no bites, brainstorm more effective ways to communicate with potential employers.
“That’s different than Mom and Dad saying, ‘Do you have a job yet?,'” Krueger says, because you’re holding the grad accountable for her own goals. You’re just giving a nudge — which is more useful than a pen.
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How to Help a College Grad Get a Job originally appeared on usnews.com
