College Grad Job Search – The Dog Days of Summer

“Don’t be irreplaceable. If you can’t be replaced, you can’t be promoted.” – Unknown

Half way through the summer and no job prospects? Parents on your back (of course they are thinking about your $200,000+ college education)? You are not alone. Some of my friends’ kids are now home from college having graduated a few short months ago. With very few exceptions, most of them have jobs (at the moment) that do not require a college degree. Jobs like, working in the local movie theater, working in a liqueur store or working for a local retail store. Of course all of these jobs are better than not working at all. But I suspect that these individuals are not focused in their job search. Even in the most difficult of times, there are many more entry level jobs then there are experienced hire jobs. So what’s the point? Looking for a job is not easy. For many, it is more difficult than college. The truth is that for most of us, we really have no clue how to look for a job. In reality, the time you put in is directly related to what you will get out of it. Like most things in life, you need to invest some time and effort to see the results. Job search is much the same. Lots of time up front but results start to come in after the initial investment.

• What Every New Grad Needs to Know About Employment Agencies – Posted on Bestcollegesonline.com, this is a great article for college grads or anyone who is attempting to use employment agencies (recruiters) for the first time. The article not only help you choose agencies that match your requirements, but also provides a warning for those that are less than “above board” (if it sounds too good to be true . . . ). The article also explains how to get the best out of the agency as well as how agencies work. There are related articles at the bottom of the page, take a look.

• 48 Essential LinkedIn Tips Your Teachers Won’t Tell You – LinkedIn has become, by far, one of the most important job search tools. Besides tracking contacts, LinkedIn’s posted jobs and high profile with recruiters makes it a must have for anyone who is seriously looking for a job. This article, posted on Onlinecolleges.net, provides a bunch (48 to be exact) of great tips to ensure you leverage the site. And, not only are the tips good, but each tip has an embedded link to a more detailed article for that tip. Don’t forget to take a look at the related posts at the bottom of the page.

• 10 tools every new college grad needs to land a first job – Most job searchers think that all they need is a good resume to get a job. This is not accurate and for recent grads, all the more difficult since their resume is a work in progress. This article, posted on Nativetimes.com, provides 10 tools that will help in your job search. Some of the items (like letters of recommendation) are standard, but many of the tips are just as important and often overlooked. A short and concise article, definitely worth the read.

• CollegeGrad.com – No college grad job search is complete if you’ve not leveraged this site (and the one following below). This is one of the best sites for entry level job search. There is a link at the top left hand side of the page for their job search center. The top of the page has tabs for Top Employers, Top Jobs, Top Careers and more. Move further down the page an you will find a link to the 2011 Top Entry Level Employers Survey (a very powerful tool which lists top employers with links to their site). There are a bunch of links on the left hand side of the page which will also help you with your search.

• Collegerecruiter.com – I would be remiss if I did not list Collegerecruiter.com, which is another site that is a must have for college grads looking for a job. Top of the site is a job search box (there are over 2,500,000 jobs posted and no, this is not a misprint) where you can do a quick search or use their advanced search. Newest job postings are on the left hand side of the page and there are links at the top of the page for Job Seekers as well as Advice and Resources. Definitely take a look at the Advice and Resources, which has links to tons of resources (like Best Places to Work and Resume Builder to name two).

Good luck in your search.

Author Byline: CareerAlley
Author Website: http://CareerAlley.com

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.