Finding a Job Series – How To Get The Job You Want

Your college graduation should be a time of joyous celebration and anticipation of great things to come. Increasingly, however, in today’s fierce economy and job market, college graduates face daunting employment challenges which can easily leave even the most optimistic and bright-eyed grad to a downhill tumble of stress and anxiety. But don’t fret. There are steps you can take to help you successfully land your dream job. The most important step, before all others, is to set up a strategy for yourself, a plan to maximize your chances of getting noticed and hired. The power really is in your hands. Below is a summary of some of the more important ways you should to take into consideration when hitting the job market.

Seek an internship. These days it can be quite difficult to hop out of the classroom and into that great job you’ve been dreaming about. Thus, one smart strategy is to seek out an internship in the field where you’re hoping to land a job. Internships are great ways to network and gain valuable on the job experience. Also, while some internships are paying gigs, most pay very little, and many do not pay at all. However, even if you land an internship that pays little or nothing, you can still capitalize on the opportunity. For example, after your internship is over, and even while it’s still going on, be sure to keep in contact with those you’ve met at the internship, even if you don’t plan on working at the company in the future. You never know whose network is connected to whose. Also, don’t be shy to ask your former internship colleagues to lunch sometime, keeping them up to date on where you’re at as well as keeping up to speed on where they are at. Phone and email check-ins are another good option to keep in touch with past internship connections. The point here is to try to keep yourself on their radar, because opportunities come and go fast, and you want to be the first person they think of for an opportunity.