If you are a new college graduate, you are no doubt feeling the disappointment of missing many important milestones and celebrations leading up to your graduation, including walking across the stage. No one can blame you for feeling disappointed. An additional stressor is your quest to search for a job to launch your professional career.
As unfortunate and unsettling as this time is, don’t despair. Despite the uncertainty of the times, there are still many things you can do to make progress toward landing a good job. Make sure you’re taking the following seven steps to position yourself for a successful job search.
Stay Active
This is a time to be proactive; the worst thing you can do is sit back and wait for the situation to pass. Use this time wisely and actively keep up with your job search. Make sure your resume is in order; contact former employers, favorite professors and others to line up great references. Get a LinkedIn page set up. Explore leads online with LinkedIn jobs and other job search sites, including virtual job fairs. Learn everything you can about companies you most want to work for. Use this time to learn what your college career center has to offer you and to stay up on what’s happening in your industry. The steps you take now will put you further ahead when businesses start hiring again.
Connect
Initiate and maintain contact with people in your circle – your friends who are also looking for jobs, your parents’ friends, any other professionals you know and admire who might be of assistance. A quick email or direct message on social media is appropriate. Reach out, be sure to start by asking how they are doing during these challenging times, and let them know that you are looking for a job. Remind them of your field of interest and your skill sets and ask them to let you know if they hear of anything. This is networking, and it’s something to become comfortable with now because it’s something you’ll do throughout your career.
Prepare for Virtual Interviews
More business than ever is happening virtually, so expect that you may land some job interviews via videoconference. The same rules apply as for a more traditional job interview prep, but with some additional considerations, such as choosing an appropriate setting for the interview. You need a spot that will be quiet with good lighting and a background that will reflect well on you as a candidate since your environment will be visible in the interview (no messy bedroom or childhood bunk beds in the backdrop).
Widen the Net
Adjust your mindset. You may have your sights set on your dream job, but expand your focus to include industries that are hiring and match your skillset. The pandemic has brought some industries to a screeching halt (such as hospitality), but others are still operating and in some cases, busier than ever (healthcare). Consider how your skills and experience could be a fit in the current economy.
Improve Your Soft Skills
Your credentials may be impeccable, but don’t neglect how you present yourself. Studies show that 85% of your job success is how you interact with others; in other words, people do business with people they like. Be ready for interactions with prospective employers by training yourself in the social and professional skills needed to present your best self and put others at ease. I conduct virtual training for those who want to learn how to handle themselves confidently in a variety of social and business situations.
Be Ready for Opportunity
When potential knocks in the form of a virtual job interview or in-person meeting, be ready. Learn what constitutes a professional interview outfit and have it hanging in your closet, ready to go when you get a call. Be prepared for your first in-person professional greetings in our post-pandemic world (hint: don’t expect a handshake).
Embrace Flexibility
This was not what you had in mind for your final year of college and your entry into the job market. Nobody expected this turn of events. As frustrating as this situation may be, remember that you are not alone. Also, understand that this is the first of many twists and turns your career will take over the next few decades. You’ll experience many unanticipated curveballs as you embark on your professional life, from the bad (economic downturns) to the amazing (an unexpected new job offer coming your way). Change is the only constant in life. This is an opportunity to practice moving forward in new situations, learning how to pivot and becoming more comfortable with uncertainty, all of which will serve you well in the future.
You may also like Virtual Meeting Etiquette. For more of Diane’s etiquette tips read her posts on Inc., subscribe to her articles on The Huffington Post, “like” The Protocol School of Texas on Facebook, and follow her on Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter.
Have you always dreamed of fine-tuning your skills or honing your professional skills? Now is our opportunity. I am offering virtual training where I will work with you in a private session. This is a limited time offer, click here for more details.
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