So it has been a few months since you graduated from Marist and you have yet to find full-time employment. Know that you are not alone. Don’t compare yourself to your peers or let fear and anxiety get the best of you. If you are still worried about your situation here are a few things to remember as you continue your job search.
Don’t Get Thrown Off by the Experience Requirement What often turns many entry level job seekers away from certain positions is the line on the application that states the company is looking for a candidate with one to three years of experience. Knowing that they do not meet this qualification, many recent graduates don’t apply for the job. This is a mistake. You should still apply for the job. Companies often set their expectations high even for entry level roles. If you have the right background and skills needed for a job and some relevant work or internship experience, the company might consider you for the position. When in doubt, apply. The job that you think you will never get because you don’t have years of qualifications could be the one that provides the jump start for your career. Be Persistent It’s common to feel defeated and want to give up after a few months of sending out applications and not securing a position. But keep hiring cycles in mind. Oftentimes larger companies do the majority of their hiring in the summer months as they try to grab as much new talent as they can. Smaller companies and startups on the other hand, hire on the basis of need and may have positions available year round. Thus, you will still likely find new job openings in your field regularly. You should also reapply for jobs that might have opened up again at the same organization. Companies could underestimate the amount of employees that they need due to high turnover or an unexpected merger or acquisition for instance. Develop a New Skill Companies are interested in the skills that you bring to the table. The degree you earned or the school that you attended is not always the biggest determining factor in you earning the position. There are many ways to expand your skill set nowadays. Codecademy can teach you how to build websites and analyze data. Resources like Alison offer free online courses in areas such as project management and finance. Many platforms provide free online certifications in marketing and software such as WordPress or Creative Commons. Remember to put these certifications on your resume as you earn them. Taking the initiative to acquire more technical skills will show a prospective employer that you are driven and willing to learn. Think Outside of the Box As a recent college graduate, you are probably still at a point in our life where you have few commitments and a lot of opportunities to do unique things. Keep yourself open to opportunities that might arise even those that are not in your field nor directly align with your interests. All experience in the workforce can be built upon as long as you are willing to learn from it. Contract or freelance work could be another option to explore during your job search. Although it lacks the stability and benefits of a full-time job, freelancing allows for more flexible scheduling so that you can continue to develop the skills you have been working on while sending out applications for positions that attract you. Temporary work will allow you to expand your network and hopefully give you insight on whether or not you want to remain in your desired industry. Consider volunteer work if you are not employed full-time. Research has shown that candidates appeared more favorable to employers when they listed service and volunteer activities on their online profiles. Volunteer work shows employers that you are willing to help others and well-rounded. Remember Your Core Professional Development Techniques Networking still is and will always be a very important part of your professional life. Many of the resources that you had available to you as a Marist student are still available to you as an alum. For example, you still have access to FoxQuest to search for jobs. You can also utilize the Marist College Alumni Career Network to connect with other Marist alumni who work in your desired industry. Schedule informational interviews with Marist alumni who are established professionals in your industry. During these interviews you can discuss what the average day of work is like, how they got into the field they are currently working in, and more questions. The purpose of these informational interviews is not to land a job, but rather to give you perspective on how to break into your industry or give you a contact that may be able to help you in the future. Don’t Give Up Hope Your job search by itself can feel like a full-time job. The job market is competitive and you might feel completely unprepared to enter it. But as a Marist College graduate you have developed the skills to work in a full time role effectively. You still have resources available to assist you, so take the time that you have to assess your skills and think about what you want out of your professional life. Develop your skills and acquire new ones while applying for positions. There are jobs out there. You just have to find and get hired for one.So it has been a few months since you graduated from Marist and you have yet to find full-time employment. Know that you are not alone. Don’t compare yourself to your peers or let fear and anxiety get the best of you. If you are still worried about your situation here are a few things to remember as you continue your job search.
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