Song for Post: “Ain’t It Fun” – Paramore
You did it, you finally did it. The degree is yours. All those exams, all-nighters, professors, sleeping in random places…okay that may stay, and the classes, gone!
Now, it got real.
Well I will say this, my first six months after college were…uneventful. Had the cloud nine feeling. Okay, not exactly cloud nine.
Some people glide through school, some may skip with a little stumble, I simply tripped on every crack, and dragged myself across the finish line.
However, I thought “getting a job won’t be too bad, three months tops,” boy, was I fooling myself. It’s like Rach, did you read how long it takes to get a job? My former colleagues, parents, professors, and just about every wise adult warned me.
When I started applying for jobs, the weight of the competition throughout the United States was pretty heavy.
Stumbling through 4 years of college and then, an additional 2 more years for graduate school, I thought job hunting would be a little easier! I wanted to be an Exercise Physiologist, and live in a big city. Simple, at least, that is what I thought…..
It took me exactly six months to get a job. Applicants are going up against a lot of people for one position, praying that their resume stands out from everyone. I got lucky.
It is frustrating but eh life isn’t a cakewalk.
There were days where I was okay, and then I’d get an email saying, “Thank you for applying, but we have moved on to another candidate.” Those emails were punch to the gut. I dreaded those emails, but we all get them at some point in our search. There are tons and tons of websites that give tips on job hunting (i.e. Monster.com). If I were casually talking to someone who was job hunting after college, I would tell them this:
It sucks.
Okay, I would also tell them this-
*Disclaimer, I had the luxury of crashing at my parents for months (not in the basement), truly grateful for that.
How long does it typically take to get a job? Well it honestly depends on a lot of factors, time of year, industry, level of position, location, etc. Based on surfing numerous websites: Average Six Months.
Create a LinkedIn profile. For some reason, I was not given the gift of social media, same went with LinkedIn. I eventually got the hang of it and connected with former classmates, joined my schools alumni page, and of course, looked for jobs. LinkedIn is a great site to network.
Create a free account today, https://www.linkedin.com/.
Resume: My first resume was okay, not great. Have someone look over your resume, either a career center, colleague, professor, parent, etc. A second and third pair of eyes on your resume may help you find areas to improve in. Creating a resume is a skill, a craft.
Try creating a resume using https://www.myperfectresume.com/. It is worth the few bucks!
Indeed, was my minefield, it held gold for me. I applied to most of my jobs through Indeed, https://www.indeed.com/. Also, upload a resume to Monster, CareerBuilder, or Glassdoor, all good websites to search for jobs. Allow recruiters to find you!
Get a job locally in the meantime. If you aspire to move out-of-state, that may take a little longer than getting a job locally. Even searching in-state, go out, get a job on the side (part-time or full-time) in order to squirrel away money! I’d wish I would have worked while I was searching for “the job.” We live, and we learn!
Apply for many, many, many jobs! I applied for at least 70 jobs, maybe closer to 80. Finding a job was my job.
Use a spreadsheet. Excel worked for me. Keep up with the jobs you applied to. I logged the title of the job, location, and date I applied.
Use your soft skills. Be sure to dig those soft skills up and use them to your advantage.
Certifications, Training, or Licences. Any additional skills, licenses, or certifications you have can set you apart from the competition!
Have an open mind. Sure, it may not be the “dream” job, but use keywords when searching (i.e. fitness, educator, health). You may stumble across something that appeals to you. Relocation may be in the cards as well, you ready to move?
Do your homework on the jobs you applied to. The interview will eventually come! Prepare yourself for the next steps!
Lastly,
Manage your expectations.
Every situation is different when it comes to job hunting. Some have jobs right after college, some don’t, and others don’t have six months to hunt. We all start in different places.
You learn a lot about yourself during the process. I will say, I am in no way an expert on this topic. However, these small tips helped me land my first big girl job!
Someone will take a chance on you.
-Rachel
Photo by Emma Matthews Content Production on Unsplash
