How To Give Yourself The Best Chance Of Landing A Job After University

In a perfect world, you’d be able to get the job of your dreams as soon as you finish university.

You’d grab that diploma on Saturday and start raking in the dough on Monday morning.

Unfortunately, the real world works a bit differently.

Your best course of action is to focus on the actionable steps you can take to prepare for the job you want.

What You Control

Zeroing in on the aspects you can control will build your confidence and help you to be as ready as you can be.

Here are the elements you have power over:

– Composing a resume that highlights your strengths and the experiences you do have.

– The impression you make on others. Always present yourself well, no matter where you are. You never know when you’ll meet someone who can connect you to the perfect job situation.

– Your expectations. Aim high but be realistic. Keep in mind what your dream job would be but understand things don’t happen overnight.

– Networking. Attend as many job fairs or similar events as possible in order to make good connections that could pay off for you in the future.

Your Resume

One of the most important aspects of your eventual job hunt is crafting an effective resume.

Contrary to what many believe, this process should begin before you even graduate from university.

These tips can help you make a strong resume:

– Capitalize on each job experience. Of course, not all the jobs you’ve had don’t have a direct correlation to that dream job you desire, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t a valuable part of your resume. Find a way to emphasize the transferable skills. For example, you may not immediately see the relationship between your camp counselor job and your dream of being a key player on a marketing team. Draw the parallels between the leadership skills you gained through your camp job and how those same skills would be useful in a marketing job. Make the most of all of your varied experiences.

– Volunteer. You may be wondering where you’ll get the time to volunteer when you’re working toward your degree. Try to find even a small amount of time each week or month. There are a couple reasons this is a good idea. One is that it may be difficult to find a paying job in the field you wish to go into. Volunteering is a way to get an introduction to an industry. Another reason is that volunteering while you’re still carrying a large course-load is that it showcases your time-management skills.

–Internships. Generally more formal and difficult to land, internships are an excellent way to gain valuable experience in your prospective field. Virtual internships are also an option that allows you to get experience without having to be in the same city as the company with which you’re interning.

While this isn’t an exhaustive list of everything that adds to a great resume, it can help you get on the path to finding a great job when your time in university is done.