Hit the Ground Running On the Job Search

Whether it’s from high school, college, or even graduate school, graduation is a major life event. It marks the end of one era and the beginning of another. For many people, life after graduation means that they start the long and arduous process of securing gainful employment in their desired field. The career experts at Aced My Interview are here to help you with 4 steps to hit the ground running on the job search after graduation.

1: Determine the Job You Want

The first thing you need to do is figure out what, exactly, it is you want to do. Think about the reasons why you chose your field of study and then apply them to the professional world. It never hurts to ask around and see what jobs are out there, as there are probably openings for professions that you’ve never even heard of before. Ultimately, nobody can tell you what job you should work: it’s a decision that you need to make for yourself.

2: Research the Companies in the Area You Want to Live in

Once you have figured out what exactly you want to do, you need to find the best place to do it. There are two ways to approach this in the job search after graduation. You can either choose a company and then move the geographical area, or you can choose a geographical area to live in and see if there are any companies nearby that are doing the kind of work you are interested in. The strategy that you choose is simply a matter of preference. If you’ve always dreamed of living it up in California, look into companies that fit your desired industry. On the other hand, if you’re dying to work at a specific company, start looking at places that are geographically close to that company.

3: Research the Openings in Those Companies

Once you’ve figured out what company you want to work at, research the openings that they have. Try to exercise good judgment and be open-minded about the kind of job you want to work. Even if they don’t have any openings for you dream job, it is much easier to make a lateral move within a company than it is to break in from the outside. With that in mind, pick a job to apply to that matches your skill set.

4: Tailor Your Resume to Match the Openings.

This is the most important step that people often forget. It’s not enough to just have an awesome resume detailing all the great things you’ve done. You need to show hiring managers that you are the best fit for the job and the best way to do that is to tailor your resume to fit the job description. This does not mean that you should make up things about yourself. Rather, what you should do is take your already existing skills and experience and make sure that it matches the language of the job description exactly. When you’ve done that, you’re ready to apply for your dream job!

If you follow these 4 steps to hit the ground running on the job search after graduation, you’re going to get more interviews, more responses, and better offers because yu will only be focusing on the places you want to work.

If you’ve already followed these steps, click here to create an account with Aced My Interview and to prepare for the next part of the job search: the job interview!