Every college student and graduate want and dread one thing: being"employable". Given the current unemployment rates, even among degree holders and the levels of underemployment, this is a valid concern. As with everything else, the key is preparation. Taking the right steps can bring you closer to landing that dream job.
While a college degree might not be enough to land you a dream job since other graduates might come from a fancier school or have better connections, knowing the right strategies and executing them well is the best way to get started in that direction.
Before anything else make sure you have a neatly written and updated resume both in print and online so it's easy to provide one when someone asks. Also be ready with a list of character and personal references. Be sure you have updated contact details and that you've given those people you made as references a heads up that a recruiter might be calling them to verify some information that way they don't get caught by surprise and they have time to refresh their memory.
Now, here are some useful tips for students and fresh graduates who are looking to land their dream jobs:
Use social media wisely
Build your network online. Create a professional looking social media profile. Recruiters and hiring managers frequently check LinkedIn to review applicant information and experience. Be sure to document professional achievements, all the jobs you've had, even the menial ones and temp jobs as well as extra curricular activities and awards. It's also better if you can have previous employers or clients write a review or positive feedback. This can help you land your dream job.
Build your network
Make sure to build your social media network with professional connections as well as those from your areas of interest. Also establish association with companies and groups related to your field. Next to social media, also build your brick and mortar network beginning with your university's career services center. Connect with alumni in your prospect career.
Get a good internship fast
This might not seem appealing to most but giving up the after-graduation-break will give prospective employers the impression that you are serious about your career plans. Getting professional internship from a reputable company will also have a great impact on your career plans. You may not get paid doing the apprenticeship but it will provide you with a good exposure to your future career environment and it will show dream employers your commitment to your professional goals.
Find the right mentor and learn as much as a mentee
Most of us rely on the advice of family and friends and sometimes our professors too but if you want to succeed in your chosen career, find a good mentor to help you. A good mentor is someone who has experience and success in the field or industry you want to be a part of. While family and friends have the best intentions, if they're not in the same field, then you are missing out on some valuable lessons. Once you've found a mentor, be a good mentee and listen. If they have attained a certain amount of success then they did something right in their careers. Read their books or watch their videos if you can't get a meeting scheduled with them yet.
Get certified in your field
If you're in a profession that requires a license, make sure getting it is the top priority. If you're not in a regulated practice, then be sure to get trainings that will make you a certified professional in your field. While a college degree is supposed to have prepared you for your "dream job", but the reality is the job market is far more competitive than that. Once you go looking for a job, you will find that the expectations are too high and you might think you don't have enough knowledge and skills to meet it. This is why getting trained and certified can work to your advantage it can aslo bring you closer to that dream job since most certification trainings are conducted in partnership with industry leaders.
There is no guaranteed steps to landing your dream job but hard work and persistence - it will not be handed out to you, you have to go out there and get it.
