Graduates of the Class of 2009, which includes myself, enter the job market at a rough time.  Positions are few, and competition is fierce.  Though there are blips of hope that the  economy may be turning around, I think maybe the Class of 2010 will likely be in the same boat.  Everybody needs as much help as they can get, and if you’re like me, you are scouring the internet for as many tips to get that edge.  So I thought I’d share my strategy for landing a job.  I’ve not reinvented the wheel here, just customized it for my needs.  It may or may not work for you; some of my techniques may even backfire horribly for another person, I have no idea.  This was my first real job search after college.  That said, I found a job less than two months after beginning to look for one – use my tips as they suit you.

1. Try to ride out the bad season, if you can. Getting a job was actually not my original plan.  I was going to live abroad with my sister for a while and come back into a hopefully more new graduate-friendly job market.  That plan blew up in my face due to some differences between us, and I was put in the position of having to find a job.  You may find that staying in school and going for a Masters or even straight to your PhD may suit you.
2. Choose your city. Or at least a range of cities/regions.  If you find a job in a place that you hate, then what’s the point?  Money?  We’re much too young to settle like that.  In my case, the majority of my classmates chose NYC, Boston, Chicago, DC, etc., as their post-graduate homes.  After spending 4 years in the northeast US, I couldn’t wait to get out of there.  I know I could have found a fabulous laboratory job there, including even my alma mater, but my quality of life would not be up to snuff.  Remember, work is not all that life is about.
3. Move in with your parents. As new graduates, many of our parents are glad to have us back home for a while, after only seeing us on holidays and breaks for 4+ years.  Use that!  Being able to live at home for free alleviates the stress of finding a place to stay/crash while looking for work.  You can now put most of your focus on finding a job.  Of course, living with parents will slowly drive you out of your mind, which brings me to my next point:
4. Have some savings. After a while, I could not take living with my parents, as much as I love them, so I had to move.  I wasn’t even looking for jobs in the city where they live, and after some time, I realized that not being in the city where I was looking for work was a hindrance, so I moved.  I had enough in the bank for about three months of being on my own.  I consider that a minimum to have.  I know it is hard to save money while in college, but it is not impossible, and the vast majority of college students can save, even if it is a little bit.
5. Keep yourself occupied during the search. I got a dog.  You can also work on losing some of those college pounds, if they are a bother to you.  The point is to have something going on in your life so that the eventual rejections won’t hurt so much.
6. Apply for jobs that fit your skills. Or in other words, Be Qualified.  I’ve heard it said that you should apply for any job even tangentially related to your skills, but I believe that in this economy, that is a waste of time.  Hiring managers will throw out your application if you don’t meet the minimum qualifications, and sometimes even if you do.
7. Update your resume/CV. This should go without saying, but maybe not.  Make sure your resume or CV is clear, and describes your skills and accomplishments accurately.  As a new graduate, it may not be very long, so make every word count.  There are tons of resources online that will help you to create a great resume, so I won’t go into much detail, but the one thing I kept in mind when making my resume was to use action words.  For example, instead of saying you were responsible for your club’s website, say you created/designed the website for your club, which now boasts 1 million hits per day.
8. Customize your cover letters. This may also go without saying, but maybe not.  When applying for many jobs, it’s very easy to use one template letter and send it to everyone.  Do not do this!  Every job you apply to is different, so take the time in your cover letter to show why you are the best choice for that particular job.  These reasons are most likely a little different for each place.
9. Apply for jobs as if it is your job. Every day Monday through Friday, I had a specific number of jobs to apply to.  I usually ‘went to work’ in the early afternoon, but you may choose to do it early in the morning.  I had to apply to that many jobs, even if it took the rest of the day.  Chance has a definite part to play when finding a job, but it will not happen if you are not doing your part.  I personally believe that it takes a lot of work to be lucky, and I haven’t been proven wrong yet.
10. Keep track of your job search. I used excel to list what jobs I applied for, where, when, etc.  With this kind of list, you can avoid applying to a job more than once.  You can also keep track of when and to whom you send follow up notes.
11. Send follow up notes. After applying for a job, wait a week or so, then email the company to confirm that they got your application.  After interviewing, the very next day, send a note to every person you interviewed with thanking them for their time.  Each of these is a chance to assert why you are the best choice for the position, because you are, right?
12. Try to find rapport with your interviewers. I’m not saying to try to find out if they could become your best friends, but if you cannot find rapport on some level, then it’s likely that the work environment wouldn’t be the best for you.  Remember, you are interviewing them as much as they are interviewing you.
13. Finally, don’t give up! This was the hardest part for me.  After about two weeks, I was beginning to get a little down about the process (what can I say, I’m impatient!).  But I persevered, and landed the perfect job.  I’m now a lab tech, and while it doesn’t pay the big bucks, it’s in the field that I intend to pursue when I finally decide to go on to graduate school.  The perfect stepping stone, so to speak.

That’s it.  That’s how I found my job.  It basically boils down to this: Work hard, follow your intuition, and you will eventually find the job that is just right for you.

Image Source

CrossPosted