The transition from the academic life into the working life is never easy. There is no actual or real preparation that will help you in your life after college. As there are those who pursue further studies like master’s degree, law, or medical school, most of those who graduate from college immediately joins the workforce – or at least tries to.
Getting up on stage and getting your diploma from your university provides a feeling like no other. However, with your diploma does not come any guidelines on how to apply for jobs. Of course, during the senior year, most schools have the guidance office assist the students in preparing their resumes and what not.
There are even several job fairs held in universities and colleges to help students in landing a job. However, all these assistance does not mean that everything will then be alright. If you actually do nothing and simply wait for companies to contact you simply through your guidance office help and job fairs, you will most likely not go far.
(SEE ALSO: Tips on filling out a Printable Job Application Form)
As with anything, you also need to put an ample amount of effort in landing a job.
First, prepare your resume well. Be comprehensive and detailed but brief and straight to the point. Try not to include unnecessary things about yourself such as height, weight, eye color among others. Be sure to be honest in what you put. If you put in your resume that you speak French but actually do not, this will cause a lot of trouble for you during the interview.
Second, prepare your cover letter of letter of intent effectively. Be serious and honest about it. Introduce yourself briefly, and do not put out so much information about yourself that potential employers can read from your resume. Identify the reasons why you want to join their company and why you’re interested in a particular job position.
Third, wait, be alert and prepared for any callers and check your e-mail daily. Keep in mind that your future employer might be calling at any time of any day and you must be ready. Missing a call may cause you not to get an interview at all. Also, although you are still waiting and unemployed, remember that the company might call up as early as 9 AM – when you are still fast asleep in bed.
Fourth, when you are called or sent an email, confirm your attendance for the interview. Be sure that you and the person who contacted you have an understanding as to the time, day and location of your interview.
Fifth, prepare for the interview well. Do this by reading up about the company that you are applying for and preparing answers for possible questions. It is really very unappealing to interviewers when you come to your interview without any knowledge or wrong information about their company. Knowing about the company shows that you are interested in their work.
It is true that there are no specific guidelines that you can follow when applying for a job after graduation, but these simple instructions can help you a lot in getting a job or even a job that you truly love.
