How to land a job after college

It’s never been harder getting your first job. Even for graduates.

One reason is that employers are losing their faith in qualifications. So a first degree no longer guarantees you a job, while some employers are demanding masters degrees or even doctorates. But what they really want to know is whether you have the skills that will make you effective in their organisation.

Which makes things very tough. because few new graduates have the work skills that employers want, and don’t know how to get them. Because they’re not taught in college.

And while job websites and email mean you can apply for lots of jobs, they have also had a serious downside. Because many people apply for hundreds of jobs a year—but without doing any research. Instead they just apply for every job on offer. But when jobseekers apply for jobs where they really don’t fit, applications end up a lot like spam. And so recruiters can only give each application the very briefest of glances, as they work through thousands of scripts, trying to spot the winners. This makes it even harder for the good guy to stand out.

So what can you do to improve your chances? First, write perfect applications. Because many people—even college graduates—have poor writing skills. Learn perfect grammar, vocabulary and layout and you’re way, way ahead. Secondly, while other people are confused about what jobs they would be good at, what jobs are out there, and where they would best fit in, make sure you know what you want.

There are two main reasons why most job applications fail: they don’t convince an employer that you can do the job, and don’t demonstrate mastery of the skills needed.

So, be sure you know what you want to do—and what skills you will need. And make sure you have them. Teach yourself to be a truly expert spreadsheet wrangler, for example, and you could end up winning a job that, on paper, you’re completely unqualified for. Because it really doesn’t matter how you got your knowledge, only what you can do.

Above all, remember this: successful job seekers are enthusiastic, hard working, self-motivated and able to show an employer what they’re made of!

Do that by building your CV while you’re at college. Earn money part time. Even working in a fast food joint shows you can hold down a tough job, work hard, turn up on time and keep going under pressure. On the other hand, voluntary work in your chosen field gives you those specialist skills no college can ever teach.

And network, network, network. Get to know people in your target organisations while you’re still studying. They’ll teach you all about what goes on there—and tip you off when opportunities arise.

Have solid work experience, an impressive CV and a network by the time you graduate, and instead of going tarmacking, you’ll find employers coming to look for you.

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