Job Search Tips for College Students

We'll start out by saying that most of these job search tips for college students really only apply to individuals that are still in college or recent graduates.  We thought that the timing was right to put something together that was focused on helping students that are looking for a permanent job, or college students looking for summer work.

Using College Career Centers to Find a Job

All colleges and universities have a career center that can help you in your job search.  These career placement centers are single point of contact that many companies use when they're recruiting students from a college or university.  Unfortunately, some students wait until the week before graduation before they ask for help, and that's the wrong approach.

The career counselors working at colleges and universities across the nation have contacts in the Human Resources departments of both large and small companies.  They know where the jobs are located as well as the "hot" jobs.   They know this because they are getting the calls from the companies that are looking to recruit students.  They also have tools which students can use, such as career assessments, to help figure out what types of careers they might enjoy.

That's why it's so important to find your career center, and make sure the counselors know your name.  Stop in and introduce yourself as a freshman, ask for updates as a sophomore and junior.  Tell them your name each time you visit, and talk to them about your current career plans.

As a senior, consider visiting the career placement center weekly.  You want to be the first in line for a hot tip on a new job opening, and that can only happen through networking.  Networking with the career center employees is the single most important tip we can offer to students hoping to find a job quickly after college graduation.

Start Your Job Search Early

Another tactic that increases the odds of finding a job right after graduation, or before graduating, is to start early.  That doesn't mean you need to start looking in your freshman year.  It just means that once you've figured out what you want to do after graduating, then you'll want to start planning your job search.

If you've completed a career assessment, then it's very likely that by junior year you've narrowed down your career choices to a reasonable and manageable number.  At that point, it's a good idea to start identifying the companies that are aligned with your career plans.

For example, if you are planning on being an accountant, then location may not be much of a concern.  If you want to work for a pharmaceutical company, then most of the larger companies are headquartered in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.  The point here is that if you start to think about the kind of company you'd like to work for in your junior year, then by your senior year you can start to narrow your search even more.  That is why starting your job search early is our second tip for college graduates.

Internships Can Make a Difference

Our third job search tip for college students has to do with internships.  If you are targeting certain companies or careers in your job search, then an internship can be an important part of your overall strategy for landing a job after graduation.

There are two important factors that an internship can bring to a job search.

• The first benefit has to do with the introduction an internship can give you to a specific company you might be targeting for permanent work after graduating.  The experience allows you to figure out if you like the company and its work environment.
• The second benefit of an internship is that it allows the company to observe your behaviors and skills without a long term commitment.  So in many ways, an internship is like an extended job interview.

Resumes and College Grads

We've talked about the importance of your resume as a marketing tool in our series on Resume Writing.  Many college students struggle with job searches because their resumes are "thin" when it comes to career experience.  An internship allows the college student to supplement their formal education with practical experience.  There is no doubt that employers feel much more comfortable hiring someone with prior experience.

Internships look great on your resume.  But preparing the right kind of resume is important if you want to land a job quickly after college.  A recent college graduate might not have enough work experience to fill out a traditional resume.  Besides, you'd want to show off what you've learned in school too (before you forget it).

The best resume format for most college grads is the functional resume format.  Take a look at our article on Resumes for College Students.  That publication explains why this format is the best choice, and also provides a free resume example that you can download.

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