Graduating from college or university is undoubtedly one of the biggest and hardest accomplishments of your young life. It’s been a rough three to five of years or so…depending the route you took, but finally, you can see the light at the end of the tunnel. You are in the last semester of your final year and as long as you pass these classes, you’re going to graduate. The next hurdle you face is landing that almighty first “real” job. That thought alone is exciting but when it gets closer it can be a little scary so here are some tips for those of you about to head down that path.
Polish that Resume
The first step at getting a job is to get noticed even enough to get a call. A lot of positions today will literally take the statistics from your resume, run them through a computer and pick ‘qualified’ candidates accordingly. You can find tips online or even hire a professional resume building company, but anything you can do to make yourself standout helps a lot so get that resume ready!
Work on Your Image/Brand
If you are going to be working at a company, you will be representing that company so when you get that call for an interview, you’ll want to be ready. First, starting on the outside you want to come off as professional, serious, and eager to advance. For men we recommend wearing a full suit, and tie, with nice and freshly shined shoes to any interview. For women, you can choose to wear an appropriate length business skirt or another professional suit outfit. Women have a little more freedom in the clothing aspect of an interview but professionalism is first. See what they have at Forever 21. You can usually find some great stuff there.
Know Your Stuff
Once you are in the door and have made a strong first impression, it’s time to show them why NOT why you want the job, but why they want you. Know as much background about the company as you can and how you can contribute depending on your skillsets. By marketing yourself, you’ll have a much better shot at landing the job than someone who just went in quiet, listened and answered all the questions.