Photo credit: country_boy_shane / Foter.com / CC BY-NDPhoto credit: country_boy_shane / Foter.com / CC BY-ND
Soon school will be over and then what are you going to do? Whether you are looking for summer work or your first job, gird your loins because it is a tough market out there.
This is a big topic so this will be the first in a series with tips of finding jobs for students and new grads. It’s going to cover getting ready to look, where to look and what to do when you find the gem jobs.
Getting Ready
If you have not already created a LinkedIn profile, then do it. Right now.
Make sure it is attached to an email address you actually check. Fill in your courses and credits but also be sure to include the part time jobs, the clubs and any volunteer work you have done. Also see if a couple of people will give you recommendations. All of these things will make you easily found by people like me.
When your profile is complete, start connecting with folks. You can connect with professors, managers, student leaders and, brace yourself, your parents. Their connections will add a whole new layer of depth to your profile.
Don’t be afraid to use the network you have built. If you find someone doing what you want to do, reach out to them with a brief note that either invites them to join your network or invites them to chat with you about their career and how they got there.
If you see a job posting that interests you, see if you can find someone who can give you some background info on the role or the company culture.
Did I mention that all of this is free? Yep. Free.
So get on it right now. And don’t forget to invite me.