(This post is an update to an article written for the Shippensburg University Career Newsletter)
Spring is an exciting time for graduating seniors. March Madness is in the air, the days are longer and warmer temperatures are just around the corner.
But it can also be a stressful time, as seniors prepare themselves to step out into the real world and find their first professional job.
Today’s economy presents both opportunities and challenges for soon-to-be grads. On the down side, the American economy is strong and jobless rates are near an all-time low, putting graduates in an uphill battle as they try to find a job in a market where few positions are available. On the positive side, new graduates bring fresh ideas to the status quo in established businesses, making them a natural draw for forward-thinking companies. Moreover, new graduates have little experience, allowing employers to mold and shape their thinking to their professional practices (and at a lower price point than a seasoned professional).
When opportunities do come knocking, upcoming and recent graduates need to make sure their resume stands out among the rest. As the saying goes, you can’t get a job without experience, and you can’t get experience without a job. So what can college students do to make themselves more marketable? Here are a few tips:
Get Involved. Participate in campus activities related to your major. Are you studying communications? Write for the college newspaper, or get a show on the campus radio station. Pursuing a degree in geography? Join the department’s geography club and be active.
Volunteer. Want to be a great elementary education teacher? Volunteer with the local Head Start program, offer babysitting services, be a tutor, or participate in a Latchkey program. There are plenty of local education outreach opportunities in most areas.
Take leadership roles. Signing up for or volunteering with a club or organization is nice, but to really stand out to employers, students should seek out leadership roles in organizations. Are you a social media maven? Great! Put it to use marketing your organization’s good work. Have a knack for numbers? Good. Help keep your club’s finances in order as treasurer.
Network. If your campus club or organization has ties to local or regional organizations that hold meetings or mixers, make sure you participate. Introduce yourself to working professionals and talk to them. Establish relationships—they last a lifetime.
Intern. Many companies offer (and most college programs encourage, if not mandate) student internship or independent study opportunities. This is a great way to put your education to work, build your resume, learn about the working world, and maybe get your foot in the door (read: establish a relationship) with a future employer.
Sharpen your “future” skills. Technology changes constantly. Be sure to stay on top of emerging and growing trends, whether in your preferred career path or not. Digital services and analytics capabilities are in high demand right now, making students who can understand and interpret metrics-based tools a hot commodity. As you develop in your career, it’s important to learn and stay on top of these trends as well. Networking can help here too.
All of these efforts aren’t guaranteed to land you a position or even a comfortable income to start, but they will help to build a resume that demonstrates good experience that will get noticed.
Oh, and be sure to start early. Don’t wait until two months before graduating to get in the game.
Good luck!
Interested in learning more? Contact me today at bmccoy@mccoycommunications.com to discuss how I can help!