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How do I prepare myself for the job searching world after college while in college?

From what I understand, job searching is hard, time consuming, and takes a lot of emotional patience. Finding a job, applying to the job, waiting for an interview, having the interview, waiting for a response, getting the response, (if accepted) waiting till you start, (if rejected) restarting the entire process. How do I not only prepare for this but cut down the time, effort, or frustration it would take if I started job searching blindly? #jobs #job #first-job #job-search #career-counseling #career-paths #july20

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Courtney’s Answer

The best thing you can do is to visit your Career Center early and often in your college career -- the folks there should have resources and tools to get you started and can recommend great job searching steps that you can be taking along the way. Networking with professionals is one thing you can be doing to get a jump start on your internship/job search throughout school; talk to folks in jobs/industries that you're interested in and ask them questions about how they got to that point and what advice they'd have for you! Make sure to keep a detailed resume as you acquire new skills and experiences, no matter where you get them!
Thank you comment icon That's really helpful. Thank you Courtney. Racheal
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Katie’s Answer

Hi Racheal!

Beyond the great advice offered above, I'd say to keep an open mind and be willing to try out jobs/internships that may not be exactly what you hope to do, but are in the same realm of what you're interested in.

Career paths are not always linear, and you find your interests and passions along the way.

For example, in college I was interested in becoming a wedding planner. So, I took an entry level job at a hotel front desk, and offered to help out with events and weddings that were hosted at the hotel. In doing so, I learned that wedding planning wasn't actually my passion. BUT the customer service skills I gained from working in the hotel helped me get a job as a meeting organizer at a tech company. Then, I worked my way up to planning large conferences at tech companies. Then a job came up to combine my event planning skills with my passion of helping others, and now I organize community volunteer events for employees at the same tech company. I love it!

So...

Katie recommends the following next steps:

Have an open mind and take the first step (entry level job, internship, volunteer work)
Work hard, learn as much as you can, and build relationships
Repeat steps 1 & 2 as new opportunities come up!
Thank you comment icon Congratulations! I'm glad you are doing something you enjoy, and thank you for the advice! I'll keep it in mind as I look for opportunities! Racheal
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Meghana’s Answer

There are various ways people land their first jobs. Most of the below can be started while in college and should be looked as an opportunity to gain work experience. That can set you apart from a college fresher with no work experience.
> Campus placements where companies come to college for hiring
> Converting internships into full time job
> Fresher walk-in drives organized by companies
> Getting an interview through a known contact either through friends or family
> Getting work experience at Universities as research assistant, working for a not for profit organizations for a certain period. This will enable you to get a job experience certificate.
> Online job portals
> Freelancing work through online ads
> Joining the free programs hosted by certain Universities/ Companies for students. Helps build a network for recommendations or job openings. College placement officer can help map out such programs.
> Finally there are also local agencies that can help you find a job for a certain cost.
Thank you comment icon Thank you, Meghan. That was really helpful. I'll try to get started on this once I'm back in school. Racheal
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david’s Answer

One way is to join the Army Reserves. Help build your resume with practice work time while still finishing college. Lots of companies like military minded indivduals. Plus the Army guarentees job interviews with over 200 companies to inculde; facebook, amazon, imperfect foods, and cisco.

david recommends the following next steps:

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Tiffany’s Answer

Hey Racheal! Kudos to you for thinking about this & proactively trying to solve for it!

Networking can help cut down on the time, effort & frustration of job searching. If you know someone who works at a company that you're interested in working for, it can help get your resume noticed/looked at. This is important because often times the first review of your resume isn't even by a human being anymore! It's technology that's looking for keywords, so your resume may "slip through the cracks." So, my advice is start networking!

They key to networking that it's a GIVE and take relationship. It shouldn't be just about securing a short-term job; it's about forming a relationship & providing mutual value. Otherwise, it may just feel transactional or inauthentic!

Tiffany recommends the following next steps:

Reach out to someone on LinkedIn at a company you're interested in working for & learn about their career path as well as the company.
Thank you comment icon This was really helpful. I'll take your advice and network! Thanks again, Tiffany. Racheal
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