‘Tis the season for college grads to earn their coveted degrees! As the soon-to-be professionals ramp up the job search for their first full-time roles, there are several ways they can boost their success rates, and there are ways they can lower them as well. Here are the top five blunders recent college graduates typically make, and tips for what they should do instead.
[See: How New Grads Can Beat the Odds in Job Market Roulette.]
Being too generic. Yes, when you’re looking for an entry-level job, you may have the mentality of, “Please hire me! I’ll do anything. Will work for a paycheck.” Well, when you’re meeting with people about your job search, you absolutely must be specific. How else will someone be able to help you?
For instance, if your neighbor mentions she can send your resume to the head of recruiting at her company and asks what you are looking to do, definitely don’t just say, “Work.” You’ll probably get a blank stare and no phone calls from recruiting. That answer is way too generic.
Instead, say something like, “I earned my degree in marketing, so I’m looking for an entry-level marketing or sales position within the consumer products division.” And then apply the same tactic to your cover letters. Be specific in all of your job-search endeavors. Your first instinct may be to worry that you’re narrowing the focus too much and excluding a lot of potential opportunities, but you need to be specific. Job seekers lose a lot of valuable time and networking opportunities because they were too broad in their scope (and yes, they eventually got more specific after realizing their first tactic didn’t work very well).
Underutilizing their network. Many college graduates rationalize that they haven’t been working to build a robust network to tap into because they don’t think they have any promising connections. Au contraire!
Chances are they have a college roommate who perhaps has a sibling or two, as well as working parents — those are at least three potential connections right there. College graduates can work to build a network everywhere, from the dorm room to student activities groups to the people they led campus tours with. Tap into those connections!
Start by making a list of the five people you were closest to on campus and defining a specific focus for your career. Then turn a casual conversation with a friend into something more serious by telling them you’re focusing on landing a full-time job and wanted to see if anyone in their realm works for the specific companies or industries you’re interested in. Specificity is key. Have a plan when you speak with them, identify the specific organizations, fields and positions you want to learn more about. After you get comfortable asking the five people on your list for their networking contacts and more leads, expand further by reaching out to five more people in your world.
[See: 10 Things New Grads Can Do Right Now to Get a Job.]
Not scheduling time for the job search. In addition to networking and narrowing down the specifics of what you’re looking for, don’t forget the importance of the online job search.
Get the greatest possible value out of the time you spend job searching by looking online, and if you can’t seem to find that time, productively use the minutes and hours that seem to disappear when you’re clicking on cat videos. Some people log on first thing in the morning, others do it at night. You don’t have to search 24/7 (that’s what job alerts are for — set them up so opportunities land in your inbox), but you do have to make the commitment to go online daily for an allotted amount of time to search for opportunities, peruse employer LinkedIn pages, read up on your industry and, most importantly, apply to jobs.
Stopping the search while they’re interviewing. Another mistake graduates make is stopping the job hunt when they start interviewing for one job. This may be for a number of different reasons: They may think the company they’re interviewing for is a sure thing or they may want to focus all of their energy on this one job. Again, it’s time to think differently.
You aren’t really employed until an offer has officially been extended and you accept. Absolutely continue searching and keep the process moving forward. Oftentimes hiring managers will adore stellar candidates but after weeks of interviewing, a job becomes frozen and no longer available, or it is filled internally.
A variety of things can happen that are out of your control — job seekers need to focus on keeping their searches alive and well, even as they’re actively interviewing.
Losing their power during an interview. Remember, there’s a talent shortage right now! Even though you will be competing with other college graduates for similar positions, no one else is like you and no one else has had your unique experiences. Highlight the internships and other pursuits that make you outstanding.
[See: The 10 Most Common Interview Questions.]
Retain your power and the fact that you’re interviewing the employer as much as they’re interviewing you. You never want to be desperate to accept a job just for the sake of accepting it. Sometimes candidates accept a job offer at a company where they noticed some red flags but dismissed them because they were tired of searching and interviewing.
Leverage the interview process to learn about the company’s culture, career advancement opportunities and more. Ask a lot of questions, be inquisitive and observe how employees interact with each other. Remember, it’s okay to turn them down if something feels off or it’s simply not the right fit. There’s a better opportunity out there waiting for you.
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The 5 Biggest Job-Hunting Mistakes College Grads Make originally appeared on usnews.com
