What advice would you give a college student for their first "real" job? (job openings, tips)
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Try to find a paid internship or co-op opportunity if you can. Easiest way to get foot in the door.
Also make sure to ask three or four professors that you are familiar with if they will allow you to use them as a reference.
Get their email and phone details and keep those for later use.
Thank you! I am a TA for one professor right now and I could use her as a reference. I have another one in mind who I could probably ask however I would need a couple more. I'll have more professors to hopefully befriend and use as a reference next semester, as I engage in a lot more related (career-related for me) coursework.
It's a work in progress! I got a LinkedIn account and added a few of my classmates and coworkers at my internship. However not with someone that works in my desired field yet. I am hoping that in my last semester, when I finally get to have more coursework in my desired field, I can network with my professors (who do have work experience in this field and know something, Public Health is very broad and the field I'm looking into within it is the smaller one). Thank you for this advice! Do you have any other suggestions in ways I could network?
Try to make your next internship at a place you would like to be hired. Maybe you can even find a summer internship after you graduate in such a place.
Keep in mind that college has taught you the terminology in your field so you won't be clueless going in but there is a lot to learn when you first start out. Ask questions and listen to those willing to teach you.
The one thing I always looked for was initiative. I don't mean someone who's trying to jump ahead of their knowledge, I mean someone who works hard and is interested in putting in the effort to do an exceptional job. Hopefully this will be reflected in your recommendations.
Try to make your next internship at a place you would like to be hired. Maybe you can even find a summer internship after you graduate in such a place.
Keep in mind that college has taught you the terminology in your field so you won't be clueless going in but there is a lot to learn when you first start out. Ask questions and listen to those willing to teach you.
The one thing I always looked for was initiative. I don't mean someone who's trying to jump ahead of their knowledge, I mean someone who works hard and is interested in putting in the effort to do an exceptional job. Hopefully this will be reflected in your recommendations.
I'm working on the next internship thing. I'm applying to a few places right now. Hopefully I will get a couple interviews. My biggest worry is getting through the online applications.
I would start by asking young people what they really want with their lives.
Do you really want a job that is engrossing to you and/or does something that means something to you, or do you really just want a job that you are good at, that brings home some decent bacon, and pays you enough for your mortgage, your Subarus, and you and your kids yearly trips to Disneyland.
Because if you REALLY want the former, you have to put in the legwork and research when you are young. If you just want a day job in a certain field your major is in, then that is typically relatively easy.
It might be tough at first, but eventually you will find a job.
Just find a job you can make a passable wage with, and then start looking around to see what it is you really want to do.
It depends, of course on the field you studied, but really, just getting some actual work experience and learning to deal with real world problems and get a reference or two will help you going forward.
And you will find that having a degree will open some doors for you.
Be open
Network
Be persistent, and don't let the rejection letters get to you!
Also, like you said, most places want experience. It was frustrating for me because all through college I was told that the degree would open up so many doors. When I applied they wanted experience. "Oh you have a degree? That's cool. Do you also have 5 years experience in ABC? No? Oh well, we're looking for that, sorry.."
There's a few things you need to keep in mind - if you are looking at jobs that are related to the field you want to go into, be sure to give it your all. If you land a position, it's going to be entry level...you can't expect to be treated as superior because of your education, nor should you expect to be climbing the corporate ladder at a rapid pace - any "first real job" that you get is likely going to be bottom-rung and require a lot of effort to be noticed and to advance. With enough motivation you'll grow into a position and begin to acquire the skills necessary to move up the chain.
What experience do you have in addition to your classwork?
I hate to say it, but employers won't be impressed by your school work alone, no matter how good your GPA is. Period. Your school work needs to be bolstered by extra-curricular activity pertaining to your field - volunteer work, social organizations, contributions (i.e. published journal articles), and internships are just a few examples. You mentioned that you already are working an internship, and you're currently seeking another. Excellent! Also look into work-study programs at your college. There may be on-campus jobs you can work that directly support the department of your major, and that will also be a good thing to put on your resume. For example, I majored in History, and for two years, I worked as a departmental research assistant which included formulation of lesson plans, outlines, research for published books and articles, etc.
Those without internship experience should try for basic entry level roles pertaining to the field they are studying...no position at that point would be too small or inconsequential...any experience is better than no experience, especially if it pertains to the field you're seeking, no matter how small it may be.
Don't let your first job define you!
This is extremely important - if you don't get a job related to your field, but you do get something to add work experience, do NOT let it define your career path. All too often, employers will see your first job, and close their eyes to everything else. No matter how experienced you are with your field through your education, internships or other contributions, they see the work experience, and go blind to everything you've worked for. I should know - in college, in addition to my research assistance to the department (20 hours a week), I worked for a customer service call center for 3 years. It took me nearly a decade to break free of the shackles of that type of work. No matter how much experience I had in my field (and I had A LOT), I couldn't escape it. I went to multiple recruiters who all told me that I should just take my educational experience out of my resume, and seek only customer service roles.
The last time that happened was about 7 years ago. Because of how much time I lost in that sector, I couldn't get started in my field. I wound up, ironically, in recruiting. It's been fulfilling for me, because the experiences I had with recruiters in the past telling me I wasted my time has fueled my desire to help other people and coach them through difficulties in their resumes.
Heed that warning - even if you DO wind up with a job in your field, it might be very low level - do NOT let that define you. The harder you work the more likely you will be to advance.
So I'm a college student, looking to graduate in December. I am working an internship right now and hoping to get another internship in the field I actually want to go into. I have been applying at other places. Even unpaid internships are hard to come by, depending on where you live and what field you are looking to get into.
Many of us college students feel lost when looking for "professional" jobs especially right out of graduation. I know I worry about it a lot. Here in Tucson the economy is horrible and even though I like Tucson, if I wanted to stay I doubt there would be an opportunity for me. Odds are I will have to look in Phoenix for employment or out of state. Out of state is where I would like to go, and this seems even more daunting.
Some of you guys are in the position of hiring or at least have been experienced for quite some time. You probably have seen a plethora of people just entering your field, probably young adults the most. What advice would you give them in the act of applying for jobs, so that they have better chances for succeeding in employment? We want to work but for the newbie of the workforce it's hard to be qualified. You can't get work experience without work experience!
I am hoping this would be a thread for all college students to read, not specifically about me.
Impossible to say without knowing the field. Most likely you'll need to move.
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