As May comes to a close, numerous college students are finishing school and embarking on the next step in their lives.
In fact, 1,882,000 bachelor’s-degree-level students are projected to graduate this year, according to The National Center for Education Statistics as reported by the National Association of Colleges and Employers.
Are you ready to beat the competition and land a job you really want?
Your responsibility is to develop a job search strategy that showcases your enthusiasm for the company and open position while highlighting your unique qualifications. Employers want to hire new employees who are interested in working for their company and who have an interest in the work they are assigned to perform. These questions will help you map out a winning job search campaign.
[See: 8 Important Questions to Ask a Job Interviewer — And Yourself.]
What is most important to you in your first job?
Are you looking for the prestige of working for a well-known company, opportunities for structured training, a fun environment to work in, money, stability, co-workers you like or is there something else that is important to you?
Your action: Create a prioritized list of what you are looking for in your first job.
What types of companies offer what you are looking for?
This sounds like a difficult question to answer, but when you start researching companies, you’ll realize it isn’t as hard as it might seem. The easiest first step is to search the web for “best companies to work for [in your city of choice].” You can also search Glassdoor, a site that collects anonymous online reviews.
Your action: List 40 to 50 companies that match what you are looking for.
What role are you best suited for?
Job titles vary from company to company based on factors like size of the company or industry. This is why you created the list of target companies. Visit the career pages of companies you are interested in for entry-level roles. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t see any listed. It doesn’t mean they don’t have openings. Companies don’t always post every available job. Also, search LinkedIn and Indeed for “entry-level” jobs to get more ideas.
Your action: List suitable job titles and list the top recurring skills and requirements.
[See: Famous CEOs and Executives Share Their Best Career Advice.]
What skills, interests and experiences make you a standout candidate?
Using your list of recurring job requirements, begin matching up your qualifications. Even if you don’t have paid experience, you may use your interests and activities to help prove you are a potential match. Your internships, projects and coursework all helped you develop tangible skills employers are looking for. Take note of the five top qualities employers look for in new college graduates as reported by NACE: verbal communication skills, the ability to work on a team, problem-solving skills, work organization and prioritization and the ability to process information.
Your action: List the skills and achievements you’ve acquired over time and organize them on your resume.
Who do you know who can answer questions about companies you are interested in?
Networking and informational meetings are an important part of your job search. These conversations will provide valuable insight into what specific companies are looking for, and you may gain ideas on how to get your foot in the door with a company you are interested in.
Your action: List family, friends, alumni, professors or anyone else you know who may have ties to companies you are looking at. Your list should include roughly 100 people. Don’t stop until you’ve listed everyone.
What questions will you ask?
Now you’re ready to conduct informational interviews. These are conversations you arrange with the 100 people you know. You will ask questions about the companies you are interested in, the roles you are targeting, job search advice and who else they can recommend you speak with. You are strictly asking for information which will help you become a better candidate for the jobs you are interested in. There is a remote chance that a conversation could result in a job referral. In other words, the person you are talking to may know of a position you may be a good fit for. But your main focus is to learn as much as you can about the job market and what companies look for.
Your action: Develop a list of questions you would like answers to. Some questions are general and you will ask everyone, and other questions are targeted to specific people you know.
[See: Tips for Surviving a Career Transition.]
How much time will you invest each week in job search activities?
As you can see, job search is much more than just applying to jobs online. Sure, you’ll do that, but the most beneficial way to invest your time is by having conversations with people. If you aren’t working, you should plan on spending approximately 30 hours a week on job search activities.
Your action: Block time on your calendar for different activities related to your job search.
What is your backup plan if you don’t land a job?
For a variety of reasons, you may not secure a job in one of your desired companies. What will you do if that happens? If you have a backup plan, you’ll feel more secure. Decide what you can do to earn money. This could mean freelancing, doing temporary work, taking an unrelated job or maybe a combination of all three. Whatever it is you choose to do, also make sure you carve time every week to keep looking for your desired career. It takes more effort, but in the long run, you’ll feel more hopeful about your situation as a job seeker.
Your action: Create a list of ways you can earn money in case you don’t secure a new job by a specific date.
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8 Career Questions Every College Graduate Needs to Answer originally appeared on usnews.com
