7 Tips for Landing Your First Job Out of College
By Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter
Are you a recent college graduate struggling to land your first job? In this video, I’ll share 7 expert tips for landing your first job out of college. From polishing your resume to networking like an all-star, I’ll give you expert advice that has helped many people stand out from the crowd and land their first job.
00:00 Intro
00:54 Network like an all-star
01:40 Your resume
02:40 Practice interviewing
03:34 Continue developing your skills
03:56 Create a portfolio
04:18 Start looking at internships (again) and entry-level jobs
04:34 Be persistent
05:12 Summary
05:37 Outro
Misconceptions College Grads Have About Job Hunting | JobSearchTV.com
Are you a recent college graduate who’s struggling to land your first job? Are you a soon-to-be graduate who’s unsure about how to find it? I’ve got you covered. And in this video, I’m going to share with you seven expert tips to help you stand out in the crowded job market, recession or no, and land your launch job, land your first job. I’m Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter. I worked in recruiting for a long time. And now people hire me for no BS coaching and career advice globally. That can relate to a job search, hiring more effectively, managing and leading better, and much, much more. So let’s get started. And let me talk with you about the seven things you need to be working on, whether you’re still in school, or you’re out of school, and you need to take corrective action.
So the first thing is start networking like an all-star network like a pro. One of the most effective ways to land a job after college is networking. Start attending industry events, join professional associations, and connect with alumni from your college. Not sure where to find them. LinkedIn is a great place to do it. Reaching out to people on LinkedIn, whether they’re recent grads from your school, previous grads from your school, or just work in the field that you want to be in, asking them for informational interviews to learn about their career path in their company. The more people you meet, the greater your chances of connecting with someone who’s going to adopt you to help you find a job.
Number two is to create or pay someone to create a killer resume. Your resume is your launch point. It’s the basics about you. And you need to make sure it looks great and presents yourself well. Not fiction. You have to present yourself well for what you’re capable of. And you may not be completely clear about what the market values. A resume writer will and people who’ve gone ahead of you will and they make give you some guidance about how to do that.
Customize it for each job you apply for highlighting relevant skills and experiences. Use action words, and quantify achievements, but keep it concise and easy to read. Unless you’re a PhD student, unless you’ve just gotten your PhD, the need for the nine-page resume, the need for anything over a page and a half to two pages doesn’t exist.
Recent Graduate? Five Things to Keep In Mind While Negotiating an Offer
Number three, you’ve got to start practicing how to interview NOW and not wait until you have an interview invitation. It’s your way of showing off your skills, experiences, and more importantly, your personality. When you get the opportunity to interview, do research on the company, practice your answers to common interview questions. And I’ve got some great video courses on my website, TheBigGameHunter.us plus a couple of good books that are designed to help you with interviewing.
And I want to remind you make sure you’ve got the right wardrobe for interviewing. I’m not telling you to wear a suit and get all buttoned down unless that’s what the firm is that you’re interviewing with has an expectation of. But dress appropriately, arrive on time. project confidence.
Four. If you’re out of school, continue to cultivate your skills. Take online courses, do internships, volunteer, develop your skills, and gain experiences because employers are looking for people who have a diverse skillset and experiences so don’t be afraid to try new things.
Number five, create a portfolio. If you have work samples, particularly if you’re in a creative field like graphic design or writing, showcase your skills and what you’ve done previously in a portfolio. It gives employers a better sense of your skills and what you can bring to them.
Six, start looking at internships and entry-level positions. Don’t be afraid to start small if necessary. Applying for internships and entry-level positions is a way of getting your foot in the door and getting more experience that will serve you.
Figuring Out The Career To Pursue While in School
Lastly for today, be persistent. It’s easy to start thinking that you’ll never get anything and that’s not true. That’s the lie that you tell yourself like many other generations of students, even your parents may have said that lie to themselves. And we all hear it between our ears and it’s not true. Finding your first job out of school is hard. But don’t give up. Keep applying for jobs, following up with recruiters, improving your skills. It’s part of the process, unfortunately.
So I’ll just remind you, those are seven expert tips for landing your first job out of college. Remember, networking, creating a killer resume or buying one from someone who will write it for you (I’m not volunteering just to be clear), acing your interview, developing your skills, being persistent, and creating a portfolio. There’s so much that you can be doing.
And I hope this has been helpful to you. I’m Jeff Altman. Visit my website, TheBigGameHunter.us There’s a ton in the blog that can help you. Plus, you can schedule time for a free discovery call, schedule time for coaching, ask me some questions using the Trusted Advisor Services option under the Schedule button. You can find out about my video courses, books, and guides. Again, there’s a lot there that will help you.
Lastly, I want to encourage you to connect with me or follow me on Linkedin at linkedin.com/in/TheBigGameHunter Mention that you saw this video. I like knowing I’m helping some folks. And once we’re connected, your network is gonna be a lot larger than it is today.
Have a terrific day and most importantly, be great!
For College Seniors and Recent Graduates
ABOUT JEFF ALTMAN, THE BIG GAME HUNTER
People hire Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter to provide No BS Career Advice globally because he makes many things in peoples’ career easier. Those things can involve job search, hiring more effectively, managing and leading better, career transition, as well as advice about resolving workplace issues.
Schedule a discovery call at my website, www.TheBigGameHunter.us
He is the host of “No BS Job Search Advice Radio,” the #1 podcast in iTunes for job search with over 2500 episodes.
Website: https://www.TheBigGameHunter.us (schedule a paid coaching session, a free discovery call or ask questions using my Trusted Adviser Services)
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/TheBigGameHunter
Courses: https://www.TheBigGameHunter.us/courses
Main YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jobsearchtv
No BS Job Search Advice Radio Podcast: https://anchor.fm/nobsjobsearchadviceradio
Video Podcast of No BS Job Search Advice Radio: Spotify
Twitter: http://twitter.com/jeffaltmancoach
Medium: jeffaltmancoach.medium.com
Resume & LinkedIn Profile critiques www.TheBigGameHunter.us/critiques
We grant permission for this post and others to be used on your website as long as a backlink is included to www.TheBigGameHunter.us and notice is provided that it is provided by Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter as an author or creator.
