Mistakes College Job Seekers Make

Forbes staff writer, Susan Adams, published an article on April 22 titled, “Five Mistakes College Job Seekers Make”. The title immediately caught my attention. My first thought was, “what could I possibly be doing wrong? Maybe the author doesn’t actually know anything about being a job-seeking college grad.” After reading that Adams has been writing about careers for Forbes since 1995, I figured that she might be on to something and decided to read on (and you should too)!

Adams cited five main issues that current college job seekers face: 

1. Students are not applying for enough jobs

2. Failing to do enough of their own networking

3. Spending time on Facebook and YouTube when they should be on LinkedIn

4. Believing that applying through an employer’s website is all they need to do

5. Taking no for an answer when you get no response from an employer

Sheesh! Adams takes no prisoners; she just gives it to you straight. Sometimes that can be a bit hard to handle.

I am going to go through each of Adam’s five ‘mistakes’ and talk about how to rectify them.

1. Not applying for enough jobs

Applying for jobs can be a real pain. You spend time searching for the right one, find it, and discover that you have to fill out a lot of information. On top of all the other things you have to do, it just seems like a burden. Try your hardest to not let this deter you! According to Adams’ article, students should be applying for 30 to 40 jobs at one time. Personally, I think it depends on your situation. My best advice to you is to keep applying and do not let any great opportunity pass you by because you do not feel as though you have enough time to apply.

2. Failing to do enough networking

There is no such thing as too much networking. So get out there! Meet some people! How you may ask? Adams talks about making the most of your career services department and I completely agree. It is a free service with the sole purpose of helping you get a job, so why not take them up on the offer? Career services can help you find local networking events, set you up to meet with alumni, or provide you with contact information of someone who can help you. Either way, it does not hurt to go and check it out!

Adams also recommends keeping in touch with your contacts. This is where LinkedIn really can come in handy! Sometimes, the simpler forms of networking can be the most useful. 

3. Spending time on useless social media instead of LinkedIn

Yes, Facebook and Twitter are fun. Yes, I do love watching parody videos of Miley Cyrus’s ‘Wrecking Ball’ as much as the next person, however, this does not mean that you can completely ignore the missing link to your online social media presence; the one that reflects your professional interests and career background. You know which one I am talking about! That’s right, LinkedIn! I think if you have read some of the previous blog posts here you’ll recognize that I have tried to stress not only how useful LinkedIn is, but also how influential it is in today’s job market. So the moral to this story is, get on LinkedIn and start making the most of your online social presence.

4. Believing that applying online is enough

After you’ve applied for a job, Adams recommends reaching out to someone you know who works at the company. What is the best way to do this, you may ask? I think you already know the answer. LinkedIn of course!

LinkedIn has an awesome tool that enables you to see any connections or second-degree connection that you have at a particular company. Don’t know the connection personally? Ask one of your mutual connections to introduce you.

5. Taking no for an answer when you get no response from an employer

I can personally vouch for the fact that recruiters get hundreds of resumes every day. Sometimes, as Adams puts it, “résumés go into a black hole.” If you do not hear back from an employer, do not let that deter you. Find a way to reach out to them! Today’s generation is great at online stalking (ahem). Adams says, “Make yourself stand out by not giving up.” I completely agree with this! (Just don’t take the stalking too far…)

Overall, if you take anything away from this post it’s that you should never give up. The job hunt can be a challenge and quite stressful, but in the end, it is incredibly rewarding. To view the original article, click here.