How to find jobs for college students?

Graduating college, or closing in on graduation is a huge time for college students, but also just as stressful as when they started. If you are getting near this point, you are probably concerned about finding work by the time you graduate. Fortunately, there are some things you can do to get yourself a leg up on your competition when you get closer to that point.

Get LinkedIn

This is easily one of the best places to start getting noticed. Similar to Facebook, LinkedIn is a social website for professionals and students alike. By posting your resume and a huge list of your talents, you can get noticed by employers. Even more importantly, you can find groups that are in your particular field of expertise and take part in conversations that affect the future of that sector. Make sure to make posts frequently about what you are seeing the in the field, but do so in a way that makes it clear that you understand the business and you’ll have a leg up when you start sending out resumes. Just be sure to add your LinkedIn profile to it.

Clean up your social media accounts

As employers look to hire new employees, they are going to look at the social media aspects of that individual to see if they can find something that helps guide them in their choice to hire, or even interview. Having pictures of yourself dressed up as a nurse (if you are a guy) at a costume party won’t drive them away, but images of you passed out drunk at a party probably will. Employers want to know you have a social life, but they also want to know that you are responsible in it.

Find a job

Stay vigilant

A majority of your resumes will never get an answer back. Don’t let that drive you away from constantly chasing that next job. Keep your hopes and spirits up and keep pounding at doors until one finally opens. You’ll never land a job if you don’t keep telling employers you want one.

Follow up

After you send out a resume to a potential employer, give it a week then give them a call or email. Just let them know that you recently submitted an application or resume and you were curious as to whether or not they received it and had time to review it. Continue doing this every other week for a while and eventually you’ll get the hint, or they will see that you really want the job and will get you in to talk.

Internship

Employers love giving college students internships. It is free work most of the time that they have no real attachment to and they can give you the experience you need without committing money to you before they see how adept you are at the job. Use this as a way to enhance your resume, or as a way to get a foot in the door and land a job upon graduation.

Find job offers

Your job and salary depend on employment opportunities that you can find: do not hesitate to send as much resumes as you can (if you want to learn more about the subject, you can read: how to create a resume). If you get several jobs interviews, choose one that suits you best. There are simple ways to find job offers:

• Check your student center to find a part-time job in the cafeteria, bookstore, clerical… The main advantage of these works is the proximity with your place of study.
• Read the local newspaper, you can find a student job in the classifieds.
• Search on the internet (Totaljobs, USAJobs, Reed). The advantage is that you have a wider choice and you can find a job that interests you.