How College Graduates Can Improve Their Job Search Strategies

College is over. You’re done. That’s it. Maybe you go back someday, but you probably won’t. It’s time to start working, and while you are ready to take on the challenges of entering the corporate world, it’s not that easy to get there.

You know about resumes and cover letters. What you don’t know is that they account for only 33% of all jobs. 33%. For those that sucked at math, that’s 1/3^rd. The other 2/3rds of jobs are given to people that found them using other job search methods. So the one method you know (resumes) is barely even a good way to get a job.

Other Ways and Low Expectations

You’re not the only person that was planning on finding a job using a standard resume/cover letter. In fact, almost all recent graduates use nothing more than a resume to try to find work. The job market does not expect much else from college graduates, since college graduates only know this one method of applying for jobs.

You can use that to your advantage. Employers have very low expectations for college graduates. If you are one of the few/only graduates that tries to find a job using some other method, you will instantly stand out against your competition. Use that to your advantage.

Other ways to find jobs include:

• Networking

Yeah, it’s annoying, but professional networking is the number one way people find employment. Attend conferences and events that relate to your field, hob nob with annoying fat men that make 3 times what you plan on making and give out business cards to anyone you meet. The more you network, the better your chances of getting a job, and if you can network successfully as a recent graduate, you will be in a far better position than your competitors.

• Ask Your Buddies

You probably have friends that are already working. Ask them if their companies have any open positions. Referrals from friends is simply using your network to your advantage, and a good way to get a job at some great companies.

• Cold Contact

The standard resume/cover letter strategy involves finding a job description and applying for the job. However, you don’t need to wait for a job to open to apply. Send in your resume and a cold contact cover letter to companies that interest you. When a job opens, you can potentially be considered before the description is posted.

You are in a unique position. Most other college graduates only use the resume/cover letter method of applying to jobs. By simply using these other methods, you immediately stand out in ways your competition doesn’t.

Take Away Interview Tips

• Network
• Cold Contact
• Ask Friends

Graduate Interview Question: What Do You Dislike About the Field?

In the last post, we talked about how to answer questions about what you like about the field. Like any good anarchists, today we are going to do the complete opposite. What don’t you like about your field?

How to Answer

We often discuss how important it is to stay positive. It is especially important if you are talking about working in a new field. If you are a recent graduate or have not worked in the field for very long, saying anything too negative about the industry may cause the interviewer to doubt how long you will stick.

Avoid talking about a major part of the field. You do not want to accidentally say negative things about your job. Focus more on something existential, like the politics involved in the position.

Bad Answer

“I don’t like how repetitive the tasks are. Every day you usually do the same thing over and over. I don’t mind the repetition, but it would be nice if something new happened once in a while.”

Good Answer

“Interestingly, I think one of the things I dislike about the field is the instability of the market. I can make an extremely well researched marketing plan, put it into action, and suddenly the market changes unexpectedly and the campaign needs to be completely changed. At the same time, that is also one of the things I like about the field, since it makes every day interesting and exciting.”

Making the biggest negative you can think of both a negative and a positive is a good way to show that you do like the field – because you even like the things you don’t like about it.

Take Away Interview Tips

• See if you can spin the negative into a positive.
• Do not complain about anything that plays a major role in your job.
• Struggle to come up with something.

Choosing a Tie for an Entry Level Job Interview

Oh yeah. You’re stylin’. You picked out some sweet suit jacket. Grabbed a belt and a pressed shirt, and you are ready to pick your tie. You’ve got a box of your dad’s old ties and you’re checking yourself out in the mirror.

-          This one is too pink.

-          This one is too flowery.

-          This one has the Green Bay Packer logo.

Most of them don’t work. They’re old person ties, or oddly colorful ties that never suited your dad’s personality anyway, but he bought them because he’s old. It doesn’t look like any of them are going to work, so you need to go to the store and buy a new tie for yourself. Your entry level job interview depends on it.

Picking a Tie

The rule with all job interview attire is that none of it gets noticed. You don’t want to pick a cool tie or a stylish tie or one that makes you look like a clubber. You want to pick a tie that is boring. You want to pick a tie that the interviewer ignores. That means that your tie:

• Cannot have any bright colors.
• Cannot have any fancy designs or images.
• Cannot have any crazy patterns.
• Cannot clash or stand out against your shirt.

Your tie needs to be boring and lifeless. It needs to be a tired color, like blue – but not bright blue or deep blue. It needs to be a boring old blue, with a boring old pattern. It needs to be boring. You should be bored just thinking about how boring the tie will be.

Avoiding the Power Tie

Power ties are not boring. They are useful for high paying sales jobs and executive positions. That’s not you. You are applying for an entry level jobs, and entry level jobs are boring. Power ties may be tempting, but they are for higher up positions. At your job interview, a boring old blue is advised.

Take Away Interview Tips

• Choose a boring blue tie…. Zzz……

How to Address a Bad GPA At Your Job Interview

In the last post, we looked at how (and when) to place your GPA in your resume. In some cases you will want to avoid placing your GPA because it is not up to the standards you expect the company will appreciate. Anything below a 3.0 is troublesome for some of the better jobs, and even a 3.3 (a perfectly respectable GPA) can cause problems at some of the more competitive positions.

Recent graduates will likely have to address a “bad” GPA at the job interview. If you are asked your GPA, you cannot give them a fake answer, since they will find out. What you can give them are one of the answers below, based on what is most applicable to you.

Great GPA in Within-Major Classes

Most businesses are willing to overlook your bad GPA if your GPA was much better within your major. When that is the case, you can both put it on the resume and address it easily in your interview, with an answer like the following:

“While I struggled at the start of college during some of my core classes, once I was accepted into my major I maintained a 3.7 GPA in all of my Business Administration classes.”

Bad GPA – Good Excuse

If you have any excuse for why your GPA is bad, use it. It’s understandable. Don’t milk the excuse, but mentioning it is fine. If possible, it is also a good idea to qualify your answer with what you have to prove that it is not that big a deal.

“My GPA was affected by my sister getting ill. I spent a long time in the hospital taking care of her, dropping my GPA from 3.5 down to 2.7. As you can see from my portfolio, though, I have learned how to do X, Y, Z…”

Bad GPA – Good Finish

If you have a bad GPA but you ended your college life well because you decided to finally focus on school, you can use that too. Again, you don’t want to sound like the victim of your own misdeeds, but a brief mention is a good way to improve the answer.

“Overall my GPA ended lower than I would have liked at 2.9. Within the last year I realized how important my education was to me and since then I put all my effort into studying. My senior year I received a 3.7 in all of my classes.”

Bad GPA – Bad Finish, Bad Major Grades, No Excuse

Bad GPAs are bad GPAs. You can’t mask it and pretend it is a good grade when it isn’t. So instead, mention it quickly and discuss something that takes the focus away from the bad grade, like work experience, experience with specific programs relevant to the job, etc.

“Overall my GPA was a disappointing 2.6. Rest assured that number does not imply any inability to do the job. I am skilled at working with program X, and have two years of experience with program Y…”

Some Things Are Hard to Salvage

There are occasionally questions that come up during the interview where the real answer is going to harm your employment. For example, if your interviewer asks you if you have had experience with a task that you have had no experience with, and it is vital to the job, you still have to say “no,” and that may harm your chances.

GPA is similar. If you spent your 4 years of college struggling to maintain a high GPA (either because you slacked off or had trouble with your classes), that may affect your chances of getting a job. There isn’t much you can do about it. The best you can do is try to minimize its impact and hope that the rest of your answers make up for any doubt in the interviewer’s mind.

Take Away Interview Tips

• Do your best to minimize the GPA’s importance.
• Qualify your answer where applicable.
• Use a within-major GPA or senior year GPA if it is more impressive.
• Do your best during the rest of the interview.

10 Common Job Search Mistakes for Graduates

College graduates need to enter the workforce. College graduates have little experience applying for real jobs. College graduates make a lot of mistakes. College graduates need to get better. If only there were a website dedicated to helping graduates find jobs in today’s difficult economy. Oh wait, there is!

Below are the ten most common graduate job search mistakes. Don’t do these. We’re serious. They’re called mistakes for a reason.

Job Search Mistakes

• Listing High School Jobs on Resumes – You would not believe how little the employer cares that you worked at McDonalds.
• No Networking – Networking is a great way to find a job. If you want to enter the corporate world, you need to get used to the idea of sucking up to corporate professionals.
• Being Shy – Employers want go-getters. Don’t be intimidated by your interviewers or hiring managers simply because they have more work experience than you. Act like you have been working in the corporate world for years.
• Applying Everywhere Without Looking – If you send in two resumes to the same place because you didn’t bother to keep track of where you applied, you are not going to get the job.
• Using a Basic Resume – Each resume should be tailored to the job you are applying for, even if they have some similarities.
• “Doing Your Own Thing” – A lot of graduates are under the impression that it is acceptable to look for an employer that will allow them to express their individuality. It’s not.
• Poor Interview Practice/Preparation – Learning isn’t over just because you graduated. You will need to prepare thoroughly for your job interview.
• Only Using the Internet – Don’t just use the Internet to search for jobs and network. Go to events, meet people. Get out there.
• Not Following Up – Don’t be afraid to follow up with employers with whom you have sent you resume. Sometimes resumes get lost in the shuffle.
• Looking For the Perfect Job – You are a recent graduate with little to no job searching experience. Expect to work hard for a few years or more before you start searching for your dream job. Just work in the field you are interested in and see if you can move up from there.

Avoid these common graduate mistakes and you are bound to improve your chances of finding a job.

Take Away Interview Tips

• Always be professional.
• Avoid common mistakes.

Additional Links

• Yahoo Hot jobs Article

Free PDF – 7 Non-Luncheon Ways for College Students to Network – Young Professional Networking Tips

At Everyday Interview Tips, we wear really cool shoes. Also, we have interview tip stuff. Often. We supply interview tips every day. Every. Single Day. Cool right? Well, we also strive to bring you more than simply every day interview tips. We want to bring you more.

That is why we offer free, unique guides every month to help you with the job search process. Today we have a young professionals networking tip guide, so that recent graduates that are about to embark on the job search world can figure out how to network in today’s corporate world.

Our free networking tips guide, titled “7 Non-Luncheon Ways for College Students to Network,” is loaded with action packed information, such as:

• What is networking?
• How to network in unconventional ways.
• Why you can network anywhere.
• How to find and benefit from a mentor.

“7 Non-Luncheon Ways for College Students to Network” is designed to bring you young professional networking tips that will give you a leg up on the competition and help you find employment at some of today’s leading companies.

Get Your Free Young Professionals Networking Tips Guide

Download your copy of “7 Non Luncheon Ways for College Students to Network.”

For those that are new to the website, we here are super amazing people that want nothing more than to help you find employment. Really. We want literally nothing more. Maybe a phone call once in a while would be nice but otherwise we want nothing more. So sign up in the boxes to the left to get free interview tips in your email, and don’t forget to bookmark http://www.everydayinterviewtips.com for information on how to ace your job interview.

5 College On-Campus Interview Tips

Employers are always looking for young, exciting, bright minds to work at their companies for less than they would have to pay a seasoned professional. To find this cheap labor these leaders of tomorrow, representatives from some of the nation’s leading business will come to college campuses during career days and look for sober students that may represent the future of their companies.

How to Impress the Employers

When companies come to campus, they are looking for people to hire. While the process itself may be a little unorthodox, your chances of finding a job are actually quite strong. Here are several on campus interview tips to improve your chances of impressing these hiring managers.

• Prepare

Before the career day, try to find out about each job that is available and learn as much as you can about their companies. In general, employers will want to give you a speech about what they do, since these interviews are as much a marketing tool as they are a hiring method. If you know what the company does, you will be able to tailor your answers to each of their questions. You can also prepare an personalized resume for each company, and figure out if there is anything you can bring to the interview that will truly impress the employers.

• Dress Well

Depending on the style of on campus interview, you may be tempted to go straight to the interview after class in your jeans and t-shirt. Remember that you need to stand out from the competition, and one of the ways to do this is with proper job interview attire. It may feel awkward walking around campus in a suit, but one day of awkwardness is nothing compared to a high paying job.

• Bring Documents

You probably already have your backpack handy. Bring documents that will help impress the employer. Letters of recommendation, writing samples (if applicable), additional resumes – anything you think will benefit the interviewer.

• Make Their Day

On campus job interviews are not like regular interviews. Normally the hiring manager calls in only qualified applicants and interviews only the best of the best. Here, the hiring manager is going to meet with some ten different people or more, and is likely going to be tired of asking the same questions over and over again to young people with no interview experience. Make them feel great from the get go. Smile, be happy, kind, comforting and enjoyable. If you make their entire interviewing experience better, you will be remembered.

• Talk on the Walk

An article on CollegeGrad.com highlights a useful trick for on campus employment – engaging the interviewer from the beginning. The more enjoyable you can make the normally silent walk from the waiting room to the interview room can often be enough to impress the employer and start your interview off on the right foot.

Basic Job Interview Strategies Apply

Your on-campus job interview will have a lot of similarities to regular job interviews. You will be asked a set of questions about your college career and be judged as though you came directly into the interview. There are some differences, however, and if you utilize the right on campus interview techniques, you will put yourself in a great position to get the job.

Take Away Interview Tips

• Be friendly and proactive.
• Bring documents, resumes and anything that will help you get the job.
• Come dressing well.

Additional Links

• College Grads tips for interview success

College Graduate Interview Question – How Involved Were You With The Department?

Every college graduate job interview question should begin with either “If you can remember…” or “When you weren’t drunk…” It seems unfair to ask questions about your college involvement since if you are like 50% of all graduates, you have already forgotten most of it in a sleep deprived alcohol induced daze.

Unfortunately for you, employers want to know what you did during college. One of the questions they may ask you is how involved you were within the department of your field of study.

Bad Answer

“I took a lot of classes and often attended student meetings. I also studied with a lot of students on a regular basis.”

Essentially this answer is “I didn’t do anything beyond my classes.” Sometimes that will be true. When that is the case, you don’t want to pretend you did by supplying an answer that has essentially nothing to do with departmental involvement.

Great Answer

“My first year in the department I worked as a student teacher for transfer students interested in joining the [Field] department, including instructing them about the college, the classes, etc. I also was an officer of [Greek Letters], the [Field] honor society. I spent time volunteering in Dr. [Doctor’s Name] research lab during my second year, and was a TA for the [field] statistics course.”

This is the kind of answer you give when you were very involved within your department. Describe everything you participated in, and feel free and expand if you believe any aspect of that work was particularly interesting to the employer.

Good Answer

What happens if you did not have much involvement with the department and you would like to answer this question well? You supply an answer that spins what you actually did during college to make it sound more involved:

“I spent some time tutoring students in some of the freshman level classes within the department. I also met often met with the department advisor and spent a great deal of time making regular visits to the professors within the department to discuss their classes and study methods.”

What did you really do?

• I was asked to help a buddy of mine with their homework.
• I needed advice on what classes to take since I was too lazy to research it myself.
• I thought I was going to flunk their classes so I met up with them to find ways to get a better grade. Also, one of my professors was hot.

The answer is not going to wow the employer, because quite frankly you didn’t do anything that would wow an employer. Still, it does manage to stretch the truth just enough to make it sound like you did something within your department and while it won’t get you any bonus points, it’s the best answer you can provided given the circumstances.

Take Away Interview Tips

• If you were involved, describe how you were involved.
• If you were not involved, prepare an answer that stretches the truth.

College Graduate Interview Question – What Subjects Did You Most Enjoy?

Hiring managers are not idiots. Politicians are idiots. Celebrities are idiots. That dude that posted that one YouTube video – he’s a complete idiot. Hiring managers are not idiots. If you are a recent graduate, your interviewer isn’t going to expect you to have a variety of real world experiences that only seasoned professionals have. They are going to ask you job interview questions about your experiences during college. Don’t be surprised if your interviewer asks you about your favorite classes, and be prepared to give a good answer.

Bad Answer

“My favorite subject was probably dance. I loved to dance. It was a nice break from all of my physics classes. Every day I’d show up and just dance away any stress I had from my previous physics finals.”

Good Answer

“My Matrix Algebra and Linear Analysis class was what inspired me to take advanced physicals. My teacher was interesting, friendly, informative and exciting, showing me a world in applied mathematics that I hadn’t before considered. Once in the physics department, ‘Electromagnetism and Oscillatory Motion’ was easily my favorite subject, which is what inspired me to apply to this position…”

What to Notice

When an employer asks you about your favorite subjects or your favorite classes, anything you mention should be related directly to the position you are applying for. Your field should be your passion. If you are asked for subjects, your main field of study as well as a related field should be mentioned. If you are asked about specific classes, describe classes that will impress your employers. “Psychology 101” will never be as impressive as “Advanced Statistical Methods in Psychology.” While Psych 101 may have inspired your love of psychology, “Advanced Statistical Methods” is going to get you a job in the field.

Take Away Interview Tips

• Keep answers related to the field of the job you are applying for.
• Look for specific classes that speak highly of your intelligence and knowledge.

Why College Graduates Should Take More Job Search Initiative

As you search for a job as a recent college graduate, you need to take advantage of every opportunity. You are up against some tough applicants, many of whom have far more experience but are willing to take a pay cut in order to find employment. Yet you have many things on your side. Your youth, your recent education, your energy – all of these will help you impress your employer in ways the experienced workers cannot.

Perhaps your greatest advantage for finding a job is that employers have reduced expectations. While this may sound like a bad thing, the truth is that this can only work to your advantage. Hiring managers are not stupid. They know they cannot expect a recent graduate’s resume to read like a CEO’s. They have to look at your application in a different perspective, with the knowledge that though your resume may not be strong, your intelligence and education may guide you to success in the role.

Taking Advantage of the Assumption

You can use these lower expectations to your advantage. One of the ways to do this is by expanding the ways you look for jobs. A few months ago we went over the different types of cover letters (/5-types-of-cover-letters), each one corresponding to a different way of applying for jobs.

It is in your best interest to use some of these job search techniques, because they are rarely employed by recent college graduates. Using these techniques is sure to impress employers, because it will be a complete surprise for them to see these strategies used by a recent graduate, and that surprise is sure to get you noticed.

• Cold Contact – Send in your resume and a cover letter to companies that appear to be amazing places to work, even if they do not have a job open.
• Try Your Network – Give your resume and cover letter to people you know that have great employers. See if they will get you a referral.
• Use Referrals – Nothing gets a company interested like the referral of someone that is already in the company. Referrals are genuine signs of trust, because few people would risk their careers to get a friend hired that was not qualified for the role.

These are some examples of job search techniques that recent graduates should absolutely utilize. As a recent college graduate, you are in a position to truly impress employers that go into their hiring process assuming you will not measure up. Show them they are wrong, and then some.

Take Away Tips

• Utilize all available job search strategies.