You're about to graduate and finding a "real world" job is proving to be a little more difficult than it was to find your job at Old Navy. Here are 5 tips that will help you during those painful last months of school.
RESUME
By now, you should have your resume proofed and at its best. If you hail from the communication department, maybe your resume is a little more creative. If you're not, that doesn't mean you can't spice up your resume as well! It shouldn't have pink fonts (we're not following in the footsteps of Elle Woods), but should be easy to read, and look clean and sharp. Once you're done, it's always best to have a few copies printed on that fancy resume paper. It's a little more expensive but totally worth the extra cost.
LINKEDIN
If you don't have a LinkedIn account by now, you should. Not only is LinkedIn basically Facebook for business people, it's a great way to network and has lots of great job listings. You can follow your favorite companies and stay up to date with everything they've been doing, which can make for great talking points in an interview or cover letter. Your LinkedIn should have a relatively professional picture (selfies are a big no and so are party pictures), display most of the information that's on your resume, if not more, and be a helpful resource for potential employers to look at.
SOCIAL MEDIA SPRING CLEANING
I've heard horror stories from employers not hiring someone because their profile picture was them doing a keg stand. I'm not dismissing the impressiveness of a keg stand by any means, but it's always a good idea to clean up your Facebook and Twitter when searching for a job. I found through an article from The Daily Muse, that SimpleWash is the easiest way to find those drunken tweets or Facebook pictures. Not all employers will look at your social media accounts, but it's much better to be safe than sorry.
CRAFT YOUR COVER LETTER
Oh cover letters, can't live with 'em and can't live without 'em. You can always go down to my first post about how to write a cover letter or you could always ask a professor for help. They usually know what's up when it comes to writing cover letters and will have some really insightful information about how to format it, how it should sound and what should be in it. Cover letters should be in the body of the email and are your ticket to an interview so make sure they stand out!
SPICE UP YOUR INTERVIEW SKILLS
Chances are you'll be participating in an interview within the next few months, so you should be ready for the process that awaits. Make sure you have good interview clothes, or if you're lucky enough to snag a phone interview, some comfy pj's will get the job done. When the time comes for you to interview, make sure you've done your research on the company (and the right company at that). You don't want to start talking about Ketchum when you're applying at Edelman. At that point, you've probably lost the job. Make sure that you've reviewed the position that you applied for and can answer questions about the position. You might even want to have it on hand when you go in. Know how to answer the basic interview questions like, "What's your biggest weakness" and "Why do you want this job?" And lastly, be yourself! It won't do any good to be someone you're not, so relax, be professional but make sure to show them the real you.
Don't lose momentum, stay focused on graduating and just know that everything will eventually come together. If you're interested in more tips or anything specific, don't hesitate to comment!
RESUME
By now, you should have your resume proofed and at its best. If you hail from the communication department, maybe your resume is a little more creative. If you're not, that doesn't mean you can't spice up your resume as well! It shouldn't have pink fonts (we're not following in the footsteps of Elle Woods), but should be easy to read, and look clean and sharp. Once you're done, it's always best to have a few copies printed on that fancy resume paper. It's a little more expensive but totally worth the extra cost.
If you don't have a LinkedIn account by now, you should. Not only is LinkedIn basically Facebook for business people, it's a great way to network and has lots of great job listings. You can follow your favorite companies and stay up to date with everything they've been doing, which can make for great talking points in an interview or cover letter. Your LinkedIn should have a relatively professional picture (selfies are a big no and so are party pictures), display most of the information that's on your resume, if not more, and be a helpful resource for potential employers to look at.
SOCIAL MEDIA SPRING CLEANING
I've heard horror stories from employers not hiring someone because their profile picture was them doing a keg stand. I'm not dismissing the impressiveness of a keg stand by any means, but it's always a good idea to clean up your Facebook and Twitter when searching for a job. I found through an article from The Daily Muse, that SimpleWash is the easiest way to find those drunken tweets or Facebook pictures. Not all employers will look at your social media accounts, but it's much better to be safe than sorry.
CRAFT YOUR COVER LETTER
Oh cover letters, can't live with 'em and can't live without 'em. You can always go down to my first post about how to write a cover letter or you could always ask a professor for help. They usually know what's up when it comes to writing cover letters and will have some really insightful information about how to format it, how it should sound and what should be in it. Cover letters should be in the body of the email and are your ticket to an interview so make sure they stand out!
SPICE UP YOUR INTERVIEW SKILLS
Chances are you'll be participating in an interview within the next few months, so you should be ready for the process that awaits. Make sure you have good interview clothes, or if you're lucky enough to snag a phone interview, some comfy pj's will get the job done. When the time comes for you to interview, make sure you've done your research on the company (and the right company at that). You don't want to start talking about Ketchum when you're applying at Edelman. At that point, you've probably lost the job. Make sure that you've reviewed the position that you applied for and can answer questions about the position. You might even want to have it on hand when you go in. Know how to answer the basic interview questions like, "What's your biggest weakness" and "Why do you want this job?" And lastly, be yourself! It won't do any good to be someone you're not, so relax, be professional but make sure to show them the real you.
Don't lose momentum, stay focused on graduating and just know that everything will eventually come together. If you're interested in more tips or anything specific, don't hesitate to comment!