Graduating is one of the biggest milestones a person can reach, but what happens next? The grueling job search! Here are just a few of our favorite tips that helped us navigate through adulthood and the post-graduation job hunt.
1. Update your LinkedIn Profile
Yay! You’ve graduated and now it’s time to fill out those applications and submit your resumes to possible employers. Recognizing your strengths and applying them to your LinkedIn is super important to make the best possible impression on recruiters who may peek at your profile. Don’t forget to include your most up-to-date degree and any clubs you were part of during your college experience.
2. Take on a Certification Course or a New Language
Great! You’ve submitted hundreds of applications to future employers, but now comes the hardest part of post-graduation life–– the waiting game. Hearing back from a recruiter can take days, weeks, even months. While you “patiently” wait, we strongly advise taking on a certification course or learning a new language. It will not only be a life enrichment but can be another impressive skill to add to your resume!
3. Rejections and Radio Silence
Not only is applying to jobs a tedious and time-fulfilling task, but sometimes you don’t hear anything back, or worse: you’re politely rejected. Prepare to hear things like, “Unfortunately, we will not be moving forward with your application at this time” or “We encourage you to continue you job search with us by reviewing the positions posted on our website…” in your post-graduation job search. Other times, a recruiter and/or employer will simply not reach out with updates regarding your application. This is because they come across hundreds of applications throughout the week. When this happens, it’s okay to reach out to them and follow up on the status of your application, but we recommend to wait at least 1-2 weeks before doing so.
4. Internships
Let’s say it’s not looking good with trying to land a full-time role immediately after graduation. A great way to get your foot in the door is to apply for an internship. This can be beneficial to gain hands-on experience in your field and enhance your skill set. This also allows you to really get a feel for the job you have a passion for. Even though some internships are unpaid, you’re paid by gaining the knowledge, experience and connections with people who can help you throughout your career.
5. You Graduated…Now Take a Break!
We often rush ourselves during our education. We strive to reach our destination without getting to experience the present or become so fixated on accomplishing our goals that we forget to take care of our mental health. Once you graduate, be sure to take a break and enjoy your moment of ease. You don’t have to rush into the next thing. Instead, you can relax or even go on a small vacation. Most importantly, putting our mental health first allows us to be the best we can be, whether that means being the best spouse, child, parent, friend or employee. So congrats graduate… you made it! Now relax!
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