Finding a Job After Graduation

                       Find a job After Graduation 

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics the current unemployment rate is 7.3%. In a nut shell, this means there are more people looking for jobs than there are jobs to be filled. Most graduates have had some experience working in what is called “entry jobs”. These are jobs like working in the fast-food business, grocery stores, and any job that takes little skill and has low pay. You go to college to learn the skills that give you the opportunities for a better job. After you graduate you will be looking for the job that hopefully will carry you to retirement. Therefor graduates need better information on choosing a career, creating a resume, and acing an interview, to assure they get the job they are looking for.

            Many students attend college without knowing exactly what their career is going to be. The lucky ones are those who know exactly what they want to do and have that as their goal. For those of us who aren’t sure there are places you can go that will help. When I went to high school we had a guidance counselor that could give you a general idea what your possible career paths could be. And it was based on what courses you excelled in, and what courses you struggled with. There was not much influence on what careers would fit your likes, or personality, but don’t really do much for helping you to choose a career. Most colleges have some sort of career counseling. Here at Horry Georgetown Technical College, we have Career Assessment and Counseling. They use the Myers-Briggs Type Inventory (MBTI), and the Strong Interest Inventory test to help you make career and educational chooses. I would also suggest using available sites like humanmetrics.com and taking the Jung career indicator test. This is a personality test and, if you answer the questions honestly, it will give you a list of carrier chooses that best fits your personality. Trust me, you do not want a job that you dread going to. It is worth the time to find the best occupation for you.

            Resumes and Cover letters are what will get you the interview. This is according to Caitlin Jacobs, the Assist to Work counselor at HGTC. Preparing a resume and cover letter may seem tedious, but you will probably get looked over if you do not present one. As a hiring manager I would get a hundred applicants for every job I was filling. Out of the hundred applicants, there might be fifty with a resume attached to them. I would spend more time looking over the applications that came with resumes, because it showed that the applicant cared enough about getting the job by spending the time to write one.

            Not only is it important to attach a resume, it is also important to write a good resume. The danger of attaching a resume, is attaching badly written one. I have seen some really bad ones.  I could never understand why someone would take the time to write a resume, and fail to make sure the simplest grammar and punctuation rules were followed. I have seen ones where the first letter in a sentence was not capitalized, no periods at the ends of sentences, or very poorly spelled words. Only about thirty-five of the fifty resumes passed this limpness test. Caitlin suggests that you have your resume written about a professional. If you choose not to use a professional there is several web sites and books that can help you write your own. I like “Before and After Resumes” by Tracy Burns-Martin, it carries the reader step-by-step through writing their resume, and has examples for various types of careers.  Whether you decide to use a professional or write your resume yourself, make sure you have someone proofread it, and edit it for you.

            Now you need to prepare for the interview. There are three words to remember when preparing for an interview, and they are “Practice, Practice, and Practice”. Remember that so far out of the hundred applicants we still have thirty-five left, and you wouldn’t want to do all that work on a resume just to blow it in the interview. Think about it this way, Michael Phelps couldn’t have won 8 gold medals in the 2008 Olympics without hours of practice. It’s the same for interviewing. The more you practice, the better you become. It will also give you the confidence that will come out in the interview.

 You might ask, “How am I supposed to practice for an interview”. You can ask a professional to do a mock up interview, you can see if there are any resources at your school, and there are even some online services like, jobsearch.about.com, practice.interviewstream.com, and career-advice.monster.com. Take the time so you’re prepared.

            Dress for success. I’m sure everybody has heard this before. This also applies for interviewing. The first thing the interview looks at is your appearance. You don’t want to the first impression to be a good one, rather a great one. I have whittled the thirty-five applicants down to the top twenty, and I am ready to start interviewing. If you are in the top twenty, and walk in with holey jeans and a t-shirt the interview is going to go very quickly. I can remember a time when an applicant came into my office with an oversize sport shirt, un-tucked in his baggy pants. After the short interview one of my employees asked me how it went. I said “Are you kidding me? Did you see how he was dressed?”  He said, “He looks cool”. You don’t dress cool when dressing for an interview. You want to dress nice, with neutral colors. I believe that there are different levels of dress depending on the job you are applying for, but it should never be anything less than business-casual.

            You also need to consider things like, hair, beards and mustaches, tattoos, and jewelry. I do not have any personal preference, but some managers might. Don’t close the door just because you want to wear a nose ring, or grow a beard. It is never easy to say, but stereotypes do still exist. Not necessary due to the color of some ones skin, but also against long hair, scruffy beards, tattoos, and body- piercings. And when the job is directly dealing with customers the interviewing manager has to consider whether or not the interviewee would offend their customer. The best rule of thumb is to have a neat and trimmed haircut, trim the beard and mustache, cover the tattoos (when possible), and remove the body-piercings. Remember that you’re not there to be cool, but to land the job.

            Remember to leave the cell phone in your car. I cannot say that enough. Yes, I have had people answer their cell phone in the middle of the interview. They didn’t get the job. If for some really important emergency reason you need to be available at a moment’s notice, inform the interviewer that there is a rare but critical situation going on and you don’t feel comfortable being unreachable, let him know you’re interested in the job and ask if you can reschedule the interview. If he/she wants to go ahead with the interview, put the phone on vibrate, place the phone on the desk where you can see it, and only answer it if it is the emergency call you were afraid of. The manager is human, and will appreciate that you wanted to reschedule the interview. If you think about it, it would be really sad that you didn’t get the job because your mom called just to say “I love you.”  

            Now I’m down to the top two applicants. Because you have written or had written a great resume, practiced you interview, dressed for success, and gotten your haircut, it’s time to sell yourself. You need to come with a positive attitude. Leave the worries about rent in the car with your cell phone. Be confident, but not cocky. Show the interviewer that you believe in yourself, and believe you can accomplish whatever you set your mind to. Try to stay away from too much casual conversation. He/she doesn’t need to know what high school you went to, or what your favorite football team is. Be polite, courteous, and kind. Managers are looking for people who can get along with their employees, and that are enjoyable to work with. Here are a few things I don’t think really need to be said, but I have seen them. Don’t be late, don’t curse, and don’t use slang. You want to present yourself as a pleasant fit for the company.

            With these skills and knowledge you are well on your way of getting the job you’re looking for. One other major help is net-working. Join the clubs that are associated in your field. It will give you an opportunity to meet professionals, and see what jobs are available. Take the time to do it right. If you don’t, you have a good chance in ending up in a job you don’t like. It is worth every minute spent preparing.