The global health crisis created a difficult working landscape for fresh graduates. With the pandemic delaying hiring for 2020 grads, the classes of 2020 and 2021 are now effectively competing for employment. A CBS News report back in May 2021 on unemployment rates revealed that among recent graduates, 45% claimed to still be looking for work, while 31% claimed to have been unemployed during the previous fall season.
Amidst these difficult job market conditions, it’s important that fresh graduates equip themselves with the knowledge and resources they need to stand out in the job market. Here, we’ll explore a few ways to do just that.
Write an Effective Résumé
Crafting a good résumé is a surefire way of getting your foot in the door. Think of your résumé as a product pitch — it’s supposed to capture your concrete selling points. So, to ensure that your résumé paints the clearest picture of who you are, stick to what’s relevant. Make sure to only include details that are relevant to the job you’re applying for. Job recruiters value relevant experience and qualifications rather than unrelated information; they will be uninterested in any background medical experience you may have, for instance, if you are applying for an IT position.
You should also strive to be specific In his article on résumé writing, Accounting and Business Adjunct Professor Matthew Khan recommends illustrating results by attaching numbers. Numbers help to expound on your experiences. Rather than saying something as vague as “worked on an IT project,” you should write “worked on a three-month IT project with six team members.” See the difference? The former phrase leaves many aspects of the experience to the reader’s imagination, but the latter shows evidence of three traits: IT skills, effectiveness in a team setting, and ability to stay organized.
Ace That Interview
Be sure to do your research on the company and job position you’re applying for. No employer would hire a worker that did not bother to understand the goals or principles of the company they’re looking to work for. Additionally, try to prepare answers to questions commonly asked in job interviews. Most employers will ask you for instance about your biggest strengths, your weaknesses, and anecdotes about accomplishments or difficult work experiences that you’ve navigated.
It’s also important to prepare your own set of questions for your interviewers. A guide to asking questions in a job interview by LHH notes that asking questions shows that you’re genuinely interested in the job you’re applying for. It can also give your interviewer an idea of your goals. A question like “How would you define the ideal employee?” shows that you’re willing to develop your skills to become the best possible fit for the company. Asking, “Where do you see this company in 3-5 years?” shows that you’re interested in the company’s development and how it will fit into your long-term goals.
Leverage Social Media
Interviews and résumés are both about selling yourself. But if you really want to stand out, you can also kick it up a notch by building your brand online. Having an online presence helps recruiters notice you before you even apply. In fact, social recruiting firm Career Arc pointed out recently that 92% of companies use social media in their hiring processes. The most popular platform for social media job networking is LinkedIn, but others like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok also offer opportunities for career growth.
Social media is a particularly powerful tool for workers in creative industries. Illustrators and graphic designers can display their portfolios on platforms like Twitter and Instagram. Writers can take to Medium to publish any pieces they haven’t submitted to official publications. That said, workers in non-creative fields can also leverage social media by creating online résumés through LinkedIn, and can maintain activity on other platforms that speaks to character and competency.
Today’s new graduates face a hiring landscape that can be difficult to navigate. It’s a challenging reality of the times, but the right strategies can help them build brands and sell skills to potential employers.
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