How College Grads Can Find a Great Place to Work

College can prepare students for many things regarding education, but does it fully equip them for life outside school?

Consider everything adults have to figure out once they’ve graduated.

  • How do you find jobs as a recent college graduate with little to no experience?
  • What benefits should you look for in a job, and how can you sign up for them?
  • How do you create a resume that will catch the hiring manager’s attention?

After reading this article, we hope you find some guidance when answering these types of questions as a new college grad.

Focus on Your Major

College in and of itself is strenuous and requires many hours of studying. Taking on a job while attending school can be near impossible for some. Even if you work during college, it is probably a part-time job such as waiting tables. This means you won’t have much experience in the field you’re applying for after graduation, right? Wrong. You just studied and worked for four years within your preferred field.

When you begin your job hunt, start by researching jobs based on your major. Although you may not have job experience in this area, you will have a basic understanding thanks to your classes being aimed toward this field. This will help the company know what position you may fit best in.

As you search for companies and available positions, keep a list of all the ones that stood out to you. This list will allow for a quicker process when it comes to looking up the positions and companies that caught your eye and even allow you to rethink applying for some.

Research the Companies You Apply to

Even if a company has positions based on your major, it doesn’t mean it will be a great one to work for. Do your research before you apply. Go to their about page and try to find the company’s core values. Do they line up with yours? Many companies offer benefits as well, but these days there are so many different ones to choose from it can be overwhelming. Do your due diligence and look into what each company offers – some may not even be offered at all at certain companies.

When you think of benefits, medical, dental, and PTO (paid time off) might be a few that come to mind. Some companies also offer life insurance, maternity and paternity leave, and many more. Understanding how to take advantage of your company’s benefits is essential, but they can also be confusing at first.

You probably have heard the term or will come across it in your research, but you might be wondering what does open enrollment mean? Generally, open enrollment is the period when you can, one, apply for these benefits and, two, make changes to them as your life evolves. Knowing when you’ll be able to sign up for benefits and what your prospective company offers can help you make the best decision for your future workplace and better understand the company you’re applying to.

Personalize Your Resume

Creating a resume that stands out can be stressful. What if your only experience is part-time and doesn’t relate to what you are applying for? Relax. It is still beneficial to include it on your resume. Include your part-time work and explain exactly how it could relate to what you’ll be doing in your next job or career. Explain how you mastered multitasking if you worked as a waiter or waitress. Include moments when you took the initiative and handled tasks that may not have been yours to manage.

Take what you have done in your previous jobs and even in your schooling, and connect them to the job you are pursuing. Some resume coaches even advise you to include your GPA. This doesn’t always come off as bragging. Showing your GPA and major can attest to what you’re spending your time on. Finding jobs for recent college grads can be challenging, even if you don’t have a job throughout your college career, but it’s not impossible.

Send in Applications

Now that you’ve completed your resume and you’re confident in sending it out, apply to the jobs and companies from the list you created. Your resume could be the only thing they ask for when applying, but some require more. You might have to send a video of you answering a question or some digital questions. When doing this, try to include an experience that isn’t listed on your resume. They want to know who you are and so be you. 

Don’t be afraid to apply to more than one position within a company, either. The experiences on your resume should be slightly tailored toward the job you’re applying for. The interviewers might see that you’d be a better fit for a different position than what you initially applied for. You’ve gotten through the work of finding a great place to work and applying for a position at the company. Now, just be yourself and see what role finds you.

You found companies that relate to your major, researched those companies, completed your resume, and applied. Now that you know how to go about finding a company and what to look for when applying, you should feel confident that your career could be right around the corner. Good luck with your search!