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Recent College Graduates:  Career Tips

When all your hard work pays off and you earn your college degree, it can be exciting yet overwhelming. How do you start taking the next step after you are done with the classroom and ready to launch your professional life? Check out these career tips for recent college graduates:

Set Goals and Make a Plan

When starting and trying to find your first real job, focusing on making the most of your efforts is crucial. Set goals for your job search, such as the types of roles, employers/industries, and workplace cultures you want to pursue. Then, make a plan for what tasks you will do each day and when to ensure you make consistent progress.

Sell Yourself Most Effectively

Getting your career started requires convincing a hiring manager to take a chance on you as someone new to the professional workforce. It is essential to sell yourself so it is apparent that you are qualified and have the potential to be a stellar employee. Never use the same generic resume and cover letter for each opportunity you apply – instead, tailor them to highlight your most important skills for the specific job and employer. Also, build a solid online presence by creating a LinkedIn profile that emphasizes your achievements to make a positive impression on hiring managers or recruiters.

Grow Your Professional Network

Many jobs are filled without being posted because hiring managers receive direct referrals from colleagues or others in their professional networks. You can stand out if you can get someone to recommend you to a potential employer or facilitate an introduction. Grow your professional network by keeping in touch with former employers, professors, classmates, or coworkers, attending networking events, being active on LinkedIn or other professional forums, and building a relationship with a recruiter.

Maintain the Studying Mindset

The key to a successful career at any experience level is putting in the effort to prepare. Approach your job search with the same mindset you had as a student studying for an exam – research best practices for looking for leads, crafting your resume and cover letter, and interviewing effectively. And most importantly, if you are not achieving the results you had hoped for, dive deep and continue learning and trying out new techniques until you ace your job search.

Explore the Possibilities

Are you ready to get started with seeing what opportunities are out there? Team up with IFG for your job search. As a premier accounting and finance employment agency, our mission is to match job seekers like you with the opportunities that best fit your qualifications and professional goals. Contact us to learn how we can help with your job search.