Is your daughter or son a recent college graduate? Are you concerned because they have not yet secured a job?
Don’t fret, here’s proof that the job market is still strong. 528,000 jobs were added to the economy in July, more than double the forecast. The unemployment rate fell to 3.5%, the lowest level since February 2020. The labor market has recovered from the pandemic, so it’s pretty clear companies are still hiring and we are not in a recession.
The summer is ending, and it is a great time to look for a job. While summers can often be quiet with employees taking a vacation, the fall is time to gear up and prepare to finish the year strong. Employers are preparing for career fairs, and still looking for recent graduates. While your graduates might feel they searched for a job and got no response, here are some things they can do to increase their chances:
- Network – this is key to landing a job. It is about who you know. For every job applied, find someone at the company to reach out to, whether it is a LinkedIn note or email to someone who works there. This will ensure a human being looks at their resume.
- Getting experience – while landing the first full-time job takes effort, working part-time or volunteering gives you more experience to put on the resume. When a job says 2-5 years of experience, that does not necessarily have to be work experience. Volunteer and roles in college like a club president, or fraternity/sorority position still provide practical experience. Don’t worry if you do not meet every qualification for the role, still apply.
- Revamp your resume – resumes might have had to be in a specific format for the career center. You can and should make updates. Employers want to know your competencies. What skills do you have? Your soft skills, i.e. written communication, time management, agility, and your hard skills, i.e. Excel, PowerPoint, Salesforce.
- Update your LinkedIn profile – Many forget to update their profile when they graduate or when they take a new job. Make sure to check and include current information. It is also important to make sure the job titles and dates on your resume match your LinkedIn profile.
- Be prepared – whether it is for an interview or the chance meeting with a networking contact in the elevator, be ready to share what type of job you are looking for and/or the company at which you want to work.
A job is rarely going to fall into someone’s lap. It takes time and effort to secure a job opportunity that can be for the long term. Be strategic, be proactive and reach out to Career Track Coaching for help!
