I'm a College Graduate: Now What?

“Dear John Doe,

Thank you for your interest in exploring a career at our company. We appreciate the time you took to participate in our recruitment process. Although your background and experience are impressive, we will not be pursuing your candidacy at this time. We sincerely appreciate your interest in our company and wish you success in your future career endeavors.”

When attending college, most undergraduates make the error of just going through the motions instead of putting attention on the actual reason why people go to school, to get a good job upon graduation.Many scholars finance their studies in hopes that their future revenues will help them clear the debt, yet most students make little effort to make themselves look viable to companies when graduation comes around. As a result, they are left jobless for months and forced to return home and crash on their parents’ couch.

Forty percent of May ASU graduates are still looking for a job, according to an ASU Career Services survey.

The online survey, taken by 2,417 graduates of the spring 2010 class—about a 40 percent response rate—showed that 40 percent are still seeking a job, 16 percent are continuing their education and 30 percent are currently employed.
More than 10,000 ASU students received degrees in May.

“How you a recent college graduate can go about getting a first job? In good economic times and bad, the best answer to that question has always been the same: Start at the bottom.” - Lily Garcia, The Washington Post

http://www.grads2biz.com/index.php

Grads2Biz is a webportal that allows companies to identify and establish contact with the most credentialed students for employment opportunities that require specific academic tracks.

Students enhance their profiles with the following information:

- school they attend

- major/concentration

- cumulative GPA

- work preference

- availability

- language proficiencies

Membership costs for Grads2Biz is $30.00 for a three-year term. Students may begin their membership upon completion of the first semester of their sophomore year once they have a declared a major.

Where to start?

The most overlooked aspect of job-searching in which college students don’t usually take part in are internships. Get an internship. Having some precise experience in the sector you wish to take part in on graduation is among the best things you can do to show an employer that you're serious in your education.

Once you begin taking part in internships and part-time jobs while in school, start putting together a resume. Most students neglect this basic plain step. Start when you're a freshman in school and update it every couple of months, that way it will be prepared if a chance to work in your field while at college arises. If you start to do this when you are a first-year student and update it and improve it once and a while, you will have a first-class, substantiated resume by the time you graduate.

And eventually, start looking early. Most undergraduates make the error of waiting until March or April of their last year in school to start hunting for a jobs. However, a big number of corporations interview undergraduates as early as October. By applying early you will be ready to have more time to go searching for the best job you can get. When you sign up for the early interviews, the contest is not quite as great, meaning you will have a better chance at landing that dream position!