Throughout my own college job search, I read countless half-baked ideas about how to get a job in a bad economy. These ranged from faxing a resume to every fax machine in a ten mile radius, to cold calling random companies, or even just showing up and asking for an interview. I'm on good authority from a manager who works for a large engineering company that more than half of the resumes submitted to their system are from foreigners, with no relevant experience or education, spamming the system. These brute force techniques, however, are similar to trying to find your way home by simply picking random streets and driving really fast. The better strategy is a targeted job search, where you know exactly what you want to do, and how you can get there.
This stage really needs to begin well before any formal college job search starts. For instance, you really should have researched what opportunities your college major would give you before spending four years of your life committed to it. Fortunately, there will always be opportunities available. Some people will just need to look harder to find them. Below is a structure that you can use to guide your research:
- Determine your goals: This is really the most important step. It has been my experience that many college students still haven't decided what they want to do with their lives. Think of your ideal life, and then try to break it down into its components. How much money do you need to live that life? Do you need to be in a specific location? How much do you want to work, and in what setting? Do you need your achievements recognized? These are all questions that you should ask before searching for a job, to make sure that you aren't wasting your time applying for something that you wont be happy doing.
- Find a job that helps you achieve those goals: This step is pretty self explanatory. There are many jobs out there. Try brainstorming jobs that can allow you to achieve the goals that you have set for yourself. This may require some concessions, especially when you begin to consider what your own credentials are. Make sure to be creative, though. Do not restrict yourself to a single path at this point.
- Figure out who is hiring: Well before you begin applying to companies, make sure you know what the major players in your field of choice are. Try to understand exactly what those companies do, what you need in order to apply there, and what opportunities exist. Furthermore, make sure that these companies can really help you to achieve the goals that you set for yourself.
- Gather the resources available to you: Utilizing your resources is an extremely important part of your college job search. Make sure that you know them inside and out. If you are in college, talk to the career resource office. This can give you insight into how students typically get jobs, what companies typically hire students, and any events that you can attend to optimize your job search. Find any job fairs and networking opportunities that interest you, and get them on your calendar. Use the internet to find out what jobs are out there, and what typical requirements look like. The more you understand the resources available to you, the easier your job search will be.
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