Top Five Ways to Get a Head Start in the Race to Employment Before Graduation

Many students erroneously believe that the job search starts after college, when actually students stand a much better chance of landing a job when they start searching by at least junior year. With studies revealing that the median amount of time it takes to find a job is about 40 weeks, starting early may not be such a bad idea. In today’s uncertain economy, college students can’t afford to wait until after graduation to begin what is most likely to be a long and arduous job hunt. Although this may sound like a bleak future, students can certainly make it brighter by planning ahead and getting an earlier start on the hunt than all of their fellow classmates. If you’re concerned about nailing down a job shortly after you graduate, start by adhering to the following top five things to do to get a head start on your search.

 

1. Get Involved

It’s a well-known fact that having a long list of extracurricular activities in high school will help you get into your dream college, but it’s less widely understood that extracurricular activities in college can also put you at an advantage in the job market. Getting involved in clubs, sports teams, and other organizations affiliated with your school can not only help you network with your peers, but can also reveal your talents and ambition to job recruiters and potential employers. A wide range of activities similarly attests to a well-rounded personality, which recruiters will notice.

 

2. Create Your Resume

Designing and writing your resume will be a lot more difficult than many college students anticipate, which is why it’s important to begin the process early to ensure your resume is up to par when the time comes to start submitting it to potential employers. Starting early will help you identify flaws or areas that could use embellishing while you still have the opportunity to add more substance through your efforts in college. Furthermore, a head start on your resume grants you time to share it with friends and family members to receive helpful feedback regarding its overall quality.

 

3. Build Your Network

Before the digital age, employers had only a resume and recommendations to base their opinion on a potential employee. But in the modern, technology-driven world we live in today, your virtual presence will play a large role in how employers will perceive you. If you’re the kind of person with the propensity to tweet inappropriately and are careless with the kind of photos you post to Facebook, this is probably not good news. However, if you already have a rich LinkedIn profile, a professional and industry-specific blog, and an informative Twitter account, you are already building your network with a professional and relevant audience that will ultimately help connect you with job opportunities.

 

4. Visit the Career Services Department

You may have not even known that your school had a career services department, but these little-known organizations are typically every student’s most useful tool for finding a job. At your school’s career services department, you can speak with an experienced counselor about your unique situation and receive a list of job prospect ideas for which your credentials make you a good fit. In addition to connecting you with employers, these departments also help you prepare for entering the job market by offering resume-building workshops and seminars on effective job-hunting tactics.

 

5. Attend a Job Fair

Instead of expecting employers to come to you, go to them at an upcoming job fair in your area. Job fairs provide college students and recent graduates with the opportunity to meet with multiple employers, submit resumes, and discuss job openings with several different companies. If you really make an impression at these fairs, you may even be interviewed on the spot. Even if you’ve still got a way to go before graduation, job fairs are still worth attending at the very least for networking and landing valuable internships.

 

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 8.3 percent of the population was unemployed as of February 2012. Although this figure is a bit lower than those reported in the past few years, college students should still remain cautious when approaching the job market by planning as early as possible for what to expect. It may be difficult to juggle term papers with resumes, but the advantage you’ll gain in the job market will likely ensure a much lighter burden than many of your fellow graduates.

 

About the author: Lindsey Harper Mac is a professional writer living in the Indianapolis area. She specializes in writing guest posts covering social media and education on behalf of Colorado Technical University. Currently, Lindsey is completing work on her master’s degree.