Are you really graduated? Congrats! You’ve now completed your studies and are now looking for your first job after graduation. Despite this, you have a lot of questions. You’re probably wondering what your alternatives are, where to begin your job hunt, how to negotiate a pay, and even how long you should consider remaining in your first position.To help you get to the point, Monster joined up with Gabrielle Woody, a professional university recruiter and social influencer, to answer your burning concerns about landing your first entry-level job.
Kamran Khan specializes in assisting recent graduates in gaining employment and has experience with diversity recruiting. Here are his professional answers to four often asked concerns regarding finding a first job after college.
Is it necessary for my first job after college to be related to my major?
The quick answer is that you are not required to locate work that is related to your major. A college diploma may be essential for many occupations in today’s employment market, although most positions do not require a specific major.
Employers are more interested in seeing transferable skills that are relevant to the job you’re applying for on your resume. These abilities can be acquired through a number of previous experiences, including:
internships
part-time employment
organizations for students
projects in class
Volunteering
You should highlight any special abilities or qualifications on your CV.
In the requirements, part of the job ad, career opportunities that require a degree in a certain major will mention so. This is more common in specialist sectors like health care, where a medical doctor or nurse is required to have a medical degree or license.
How Long Should I Expect to Work at an Entry-Level Position?
After graduation, entry-level employment are a terrific chance to learn the skills and training you didn’t get in school. Because entry-level hires often have a longer training period, you should plan to stay for at least two years and leave no sooner than one year.
Employers are aware of the time and resources required for training and onboarding a successful new recruit, and your potential employer will devote resources to helping you learn and develop the skills you’ll need to advance professionally and make an impact. If you’re thinking about jumping ship, you should think about that investment.
In addition, if a candidate hasn’t been in their present position for one to two years, another firm may be hesitant to interview them for a job opportunity. Although job-hopping isn’t as much of a red signal as it formerly was, an employer may believe that a job-hopper would depart for the next hot offer before they’ve completed their training. An applicant who demonstrates dedication has a better probability of being chosen for an interview.
Furthermore, entry-level jobs are about more than just learning new skills. At work, you’ll also make some valuable connections and expand your professional network. Too much hopping might harm those ties and hinder you from establishing a lasting impression on people who might be able to assist you later in your career. Take the effort to foster these connections and learn from your coworkers. It will help you in your job hunt in the future.
How Do I Demonstrate My Experience If I Haven’t Had a Job Like This?
It’s fine if you’ve never worked in a position comparable to the one you’re applying for! Employers recognize that this is your first job out of college and that you are still early in your career. An employer is trying to figure out what kinds of experiences you’ve had that match the skills and competencies required for the job. Consider emphasizing your academic accomplishments, such as relevant coursework, class projects, and participation in student organizations. You could also consider starting your own side project, freelancing, contracting, or volunteering to gain the skills you need for the position you want.
How Can I Identify the Most Appropriate Positions to Apply For?
You don’t need any extra schoolwork right now, but obtaining a job requires some effort. The first two stages in getting your first job after graduating from college are to:
completing a personal assessment
Researching the firm
You should take care of yourself before pressing the apply button. This assessment should contain your strengths, places for improvement, as well as what you love and hate working on. After you’ve chosen these areas, look for job titles and descriptions that match your skills and interests.
You should narrow down the sorts of firms that have those exact positions after you’ve discovered the types of jobs that best match you. To guarantee that the company’s values, mission, industry, size, compensation, and benefits are aligned with your professional needs, research the company’s values, purpose, industry, size, compensation, and benefits. To get an insider viewpoint, ask for informational interviews with personnel at the company you’re studying.
Here’s where you can find your first job after college.
We understand that you have a lot of questions regarding how to get work as a recent graduate. Fortunately, Monster is well-prepared with a wide range of responses. Do you require any other advice? Make the first step by creating a free Monster profile. You’ll have access to job search tools and career services, which will relieve some of the stress.
