The Best Ways to Find an Entry Level Position as a Recent College Graduate
You’ve worked hard to earn your college degree. But now that you’ve received your diploma, it’s time to start a new journey. Your career is about to start — you just need to find the perfect entry-level position to jumpstart your professional development.
This isn’t always simple. One study showed that more than half of college graduates (53%) end up unemployed or in jobs that don’t require a degree. Clearly, it takes more than an education to get your career headed in the right direction.
Expert advice can certainly help. A top recruiter, like SmartTalent, can get your working life off to the right start. Beyond this, there are some other best practices that will help you find the right entry-level position as a recent college graduate. Here are steps things to consider:
Understand the Job Market
Remember when your high school graduation was looming, and you had to pick a college? Recall all that research you did, finding a spot that met your geographical, financial, and academic needs?
Well, finding a job can require a similar amount of research. Before you start sending applications, get a general feel for the market. Find out what you can about the economic and industry situations. That way, you’ll know what your degree is worth and what you can expect from potential employers.
Tap Your Network
Most job offers start with a personal connection. The right contact can open a lot of doors. Even though you are just starting out, you might have a wider network than you expect. Here are a few places to start:
- Friends
- Family
- Teachers
- Former Employers
- Former Coworkers
- Social Media Contacts
Target Individual Companies
The traditional approach to employment searches involves scrolling through job postings and looking at open positions. However, you can take a different angle. Instead, discover employers you admire and inquire if they have opportunities available.
Many openings never reach the job-posting stage. As such, you can stumble onto unadvertised situations. At the same time, this kind of targeting can put you in touch with high-value employers. Even if you don’t get the job you want now, you can build a relationship that can help later on.
A recruiter can help you locate these choice companies. Staffing firms like SmartTalent will give you the insight you need to focus on the best places to work. Contact SmartTalent today to narrow the market to the firms that represent the best fit for your talents.
Stay Flexible
You’re not likely to land your dream job right out of college. Sometimes you just need a position that pays the bills and sets the stage for something better down the road.
As such, take a broad approach to your job search. Even if you take an entry-level position, you can keep looking for other career jumps. You’re not locking yourself into a permanent situation. Take the best job you can find and plan your next move from there.
Given the wide array of choices out there, a recruiter can often offer the best entry ramp into your chosen profession. A staffing agency like SmartTalent will get your career started quickly, allowing you to accelerate your development.
Contact SmartTalent today to learn more.
