The

Recent Grad’s Guide

To Getting A Job

Ariella Coombs

- Managing editor, CAREEREALISM -

* A publication of

Table of contents

1. Introduction

2. Figuring Out Where You Want To Go

3. Building Up Skills & Knowledge

4. Working On Your Personal Brand

5. Updating Your Tools

6. Building A Strategic Network

7. Rocking Your Interviews

8. Being Patient, But Proactive

9. Knowing When You Need More Help

10. More Resources

Introduction

Graduating is an exciting experience. You did it! You’re

finally ready to go out there to find a job you love and

build the life you want.

For some, this can be a terrifying experience. However, if

you prepare yourself well, it’s an exciting time. That’s why

we created this e-book – to help prepare recent grads for

a happy and successful career.

In this e-book, you’ll learn how to set yourself up for your

dream job. You’ll also learn the basics of creating a

personal brand, writing your resume, networking

effectively, and much more.

Congratulations on graduating, and best of luck!

- Ariella Coombs, managing editor

1. Figuring out where you want to go

Figure out your interests, values, and goals

The first thing you need to do in your job search is figure out

what you want. It’s important to love what you do. You want to

be proud of your work! Evaluate your interests, values, and

goals, then make a list.

Think about the following:

What problems do you want to solve?

What are you looking for in a job?

Where do you want to be located?

What jobs will make you excited to go to work each

morning?

When you’re job searching, you need to remember that it isn’t

just about what the employer wants – it’s also about what you

want. Determining your interests, values, and goals early on will

help you get on the right track to finding a career path you love.

Research jobs/positions you would enjoy

What jobs or positions do you think you would enjoy? What do

you see yourself doing? Get online and do some research. Read

job descriptions and postings. Learn about the common tasks

you’ll be required to do for each job. Look into the pros and

cons of the job. Will you be expected to work long hours? Travel

on a regular basis? Working out these details will give you a

better idea of what you’re looking for in a position.

Research companies that meet your needs

Next, figure out what companies meet your needs and share

your values. Figure out what problems they are solving, what

kind people work there, and anything else that’s important to

you. Reference your interests, values, and goals list.

Tip: You can research companies using company review sites

like Glassdoor or Indeed. These sites will give you a better idea

of what the employees think of the company culture and values,

work-life balance, management, benefits, opportunities, and

more.

According to Indeed.com’s Employer

Branding Survey, 83% of job seekers

were influenced by employer reviews

when deciding where to apply.

2. Building Your Skills & Knowledge

Learn as much as you can

Now that you know more about what you want to do and where

you want to go, it’s time to start building your skills and

knowledge for your target job. Determine the skills you need to

be successful at that job. You can do this by:

Reading job descriptions

Job descriptions and postings are very helpful when determining

what skills and knowledge you need to be successful at a job.

They literally list the required skills and knowledge! Look at a

range of descriptions to determine common keywords and skills.

Talking with current/former employees

It’s important to set up informational interviews with employees

from your target companies. They are experiencing the work

environment, job, and tasks you want to get involved in, so they

can give you an idea of what it’s like to work at their company.

Job shadowing

If possible, ask if you could job shadow. Job shadowing is a great

way to get an inside look at the job. Basically, you follow

someone around for a few hours, watching them do their job in

their natural work environment. You will be able to see the work

they are doing, who they are working with, and more.

Hone your skills

Once you’ve determined exactly what skills you will need, you

can start working on them. The sooner you start, the better

qualified you’ll be for your dream job. Here are some ways you

can hone your skills:

Get a relevant internship/part-time job

Volunteer

Participate in classes, workshops, webinars

Join professional clubs and groups

“The very best way to get noticed as

you’re preparing to graduate is to have

strong internships on your resume. This,

obviously, can’t be pulled together in

your last semester of school, but requires

you to get out there and job hunt early in

your college career. I can say nothing

attracts me to a student more than

seeing a healthy list of great

internships.”

– Anthony Rotoli, Microsoft University Staffing Consultant

4. Working On Your Personal Brand

A personal brand is a combination of your reputation,

messaging, and overall image. Everyone has a personal brand -

whether they like it or not. Thankfully, you have a certain

amount of control over your brand. The key is to create a great

message, be consistent, and work on it daily.

Who are you and what do you have to offer?

Who are you, what makes you unique, and what problems do

you solve? You must have this figured out before you start your

job search because these are the questions going through

employers’ heads. This is going to be the tie-breaker between

you and another qualified candidate.

Once you’ve answered who you are and what you have to offer,

you need to reinforce those messages and present them

effectively. Now, we’ll go over few major areas of your brand

that you should focus on, on a daily basis…

Your Branding Statement

An awesome branding statement summarizes, in just a few

words, who you are, what makes you unique, and what

problems you solve. This statement should always have the

same message - whether you’re writing it on a resume or

introducing yourself to another professional. Depending on the

situation, you might make it shorter or change the wording a bit,

however, the overall theme should be the same.

Vague, non-specific personal branding statement:

“I’m a recent grad looking for a job in marketing.”

Strong personal branding statement:

“I’m a recent grad with a passion for marketing, specifically in

the fashion industry. I love inspiring young women to be more

creative in their daily lives through fashion.”

Resume branding statement:

Marketing professional with 2 years experience in fashion

marketing, 1 year experience in digital advertising, and 6 years

experience in fashion writing. Spearheaded regional marketing

campaign for local women’s clothing store, and created fashion

blog focusing on fashion trends for young women.

Notice that the last two personal branding statements give more

specifics on what you’re about, what you want to do, and what

makes you unique, whereas the first statement barely gave any

information about you at all.

Also notice that the last two statements, though they are

worded differently, still get the same message across: you’re a

marketer interested in women’s fashion.

Relevant read: The Perfect Recipe For A Great Personal Brand

Your Online Presence

When you Google yourself, what comes up? If you were an

employer looking to hire you, would you like what you saw?

According to a recent survey, 68% of employers said they will

Google job candidates to learn about their online presence. So,

it’s safe to assume that your potential employer is going to see

whatever is out there about you on the Web.

But a few inappropriate tweets or photos probably won’t hurt,

right?

Wrong. A recent survey found that almost 70% of recruiters

rejected candidates based on what they saw on social media.

Here are some things they found:

50% posted inappropriate photos and information

48% posted information regarding drugs and alcohol

33% spoke poorly about a previous employer

30% portrayed poor communication skills

28% posted distasteful remarks regarding race, gender, etc

24% lied about their qualifications and competencies

Crazy, right? But you’re not going to let something so

insignificant hold you back from getting a great job. No way!

Here are some quick tips for cleaning up your online brand:

1. Remove anything negatively associated with you

Whether they’re inappropriate photos, tweets, or comments,

delete them. Of course, we all know that once something goes

up on the Internet, it’s never coming down. However, you

should do everything in your power to stop those things from

making the front page of your Google results.

If you have ANY doubt on whether or not something would

disqualify you from an interview or job opportunity, delete it.

2. Revamp your social media accounts

Social media accounts typically make up the first page of your

Google results, and they are a great way for employers to learn

more about you. So, if you haven’t already, get a LinkedIn

account, fill it out, and update it regularly with valuable

information.

Also, make an effort to tweet and post information and articles

about your target industry. If employers see how invested you

are in your field, they will be impressed.

“I have a student who I have been following

since his sophomore year in university. He

posts a few tech articles every month on

things he is interested in. Sometimes these

stories are articles about projects he is

working on or prizes he has won during

hackathons. By connecting with him on

social media, I was able to get a better

understanding of what type of role I could

offer him that would make Microsoft more

appealing to him. I was able to see what

other companies are interested in him

based on the hackathons.”

– Drew Pryor-Miller, Microsoft University Staffing Consultant

3. Start a blog

Blogs are great branding tools, if you use them correctly. Start

blogging once a week about something related to your field.

Share your posts on your social media to build an audience.

Employers will be impressed by your passion and initiative.

As you can see, it’s important to not only clean up your existing

online brand, but also to build and maintain a strong online

presence. It will definitely pay off!

Your Appearance

You’ve always been told, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” Well,

unfortunately, people can’t help but to judge others based on

their appearance. And, if you’re an employer, you want to hire

someone who can represent the company brand professionally.

If you walk into an interview dressed like a college student,

chances are you’re going to lose major points with the

employer. They will assume you won’t take the job seriously, or

that you don’t know how to dress professionally.

However, if you walk into an interview in a nice, fitted suit,

matching shoes, and well-groomed hair, you’re going to make a

positive impression.

Having a professional, put-together look will help set you apart

from the competition. And, when you’re trying to get a job, you

want to do everything you can do make a good, lasting

impression.

Here are a few quick tips for dressing your best:

Determine the company dress code. It’s recommended to

dress at least one level above the dress code, but you don’t

want to show up to an interview or professional event in a

suit when everyone else is in sneakers and jeans.

Make sure everything fits. Make sure your clothes fit

correctly, even if that means making a trip to a tailor. It’s

worth the money.

Don’t show too much skin. Avoid things like shorts, tank

tops, or miniskirts.

Wear appropriate footwear. Your shoes should work with

your outfit, but they should also be comfortable. No

sandals or flip flops, please.

Don’t stink. Obviously, shower and put on deodorant

before the interview. However, avoid excessive perfume or

cologne.

Keep makeup at a minimum. If you wear makeup, don’t

overdo it. Keep it subtle.

Make sure your nails are clean, trimmed, and chip-free.

People notice, believe me. Make sure your hands and nails

are in good shape.

5. Updating Your Tools

Your resume, cover letter, and LinkedIn profile are all tools that

should emphasize why you’re the best candidate for the job.

Make sure they are doing you justice! Here’s a quick breakdown

for each one.

Your Resume

Make sure your resume highlights any strengths that are

relevant to the job and company.

IMPORTANT: Avoid the “spray and pray” approach when it

comes to applying for jobs. Don’t just write one version of your

resume and send it to every employer out there. Make sure you

create customized resumes for each company.

Where one company might focus on one set of skills and

experience, another one could focus on a completely different

set. Always customize.

Relevant Reading: 3 Tips To Get Your Resume In The ‘Yes’ Pile

“I've shared this suggestion with a

number of college candidates over this

past year. I recommend college students

to stop applying to every company under

the sun, and going to every booth at a

career fair. Instead, I suggest taking the

take the time to decide on three to five

companies that you'd absolutely love to

work for, and target them directly and

aggressively.”

– Anthony Rotoli, Microsoft University Staffing Consultant

Your Cover Letter

Yes, cover letters matter. Write an eye-catching cover letter that

gives a glimpse of your passion and how it can help your target

company. Like your resume, make sure you customize each

cover letter for each company you apply to.

Relevant reading: How To Write A Cover Letter That Will Get

You Hired

Your LinkedIn Profile

If you don’t have a LinkedIn profile yet, get one right now! It

takes five minutes, and it will help you market yourself to

employers. Here are some LinkedIn quick tips:

Fill out your LinkedIn profile - all of it.

Use an appropriate photo.

Write an awesome headline.

Optimize your profile.

Get (and give) recommendations and endorsements.

Update it regularly and be active.

Having and maintaining a LinkedIn profile is a must these days.

LinkedIn is one of the top results on Google, and it’s where

many employers look when screening job candidates. Make sure

yours is the best it can be!

Video: 5-Step Quick Guide For Getting Started On LinkedIn

6. Building A Strategic Network

Networking etiquette

Fun fact: 40% of job seekers said they found their “favorite” or

“best” job through personal connections - AKA their personal

network!

Networking is still the number one way people find jobs. That’s

why it’s important to build a great network.

First thing’s first, though. You need to understand basic

networking etiquette. Otherwise, your networking efforts will be

pretty useless. Here are some tips for proper networking

etiquette:

Introduce yourself. Don’t just attack them with

information and/or questions. Tell them a little bit about

yourself and your goals first.

Respect their time. Realize how much their time is worth.

Ask meaningful questions, and actually LISTEN to their

responses. Don’t waste their time!

Offer before asking. Whether it’s a business card, a

relevant article, or a cup of coffee, offer something before

you ask for anything.

Follow up. After meeting with someone, make sure to

follow up with them and send a thank you note.

Check in once and awhile. Send them an email every now

and then to check in. Send a note saying hello or share an

article you think they would be interested in. This will keep

you fresh on their minds.

Relevant Reading: Everything You Need To Know About

Networking Etiquette

Be strategic with your networking efforts

When you’re networking, you want to be strategic. Otherwise,

you’re basically shooting in the dark. Here are some quick tips to

get the most out of your networking efforts:

Determine who you need in your network

Join professional groups that are relevant to your industry

Attend industry-specific events

Set up informational interviews with employees from your

target companies

Relevant Reading: How To Stop Being Random With Your

Networking Efforts

Tip: Time your requests well. Never network, follow up on a job,

or try to sell yourself on a Monday. Most people are tired,

cranky, and overwhelmed, and your simple request could be the

last thing they want to see in their Inbox. Don’t lose out on an

opportunity simply because someone wasn’t in the mood to

deal with it! Think about timing.

7. Rocking Your Interviews

Interviews can be extremely intimidating. However, they are a

necessary evil. They can even be kind of fun if you go in with the

right attitude! Here are some tips for rocking your interviews…

Preparation

Preparation is a MUST. If you’re not prepared, you might as well

kiss your chances at the job goodbye. Here are some quick tips

for preparing for your next interview…

Research the company

Know exactly what they’re all about. Know what they DO.

Understand what you will be doing for them. Note big initiatives

or industry changes that might affect the company. Analyze

their needs and figure out how you can help.

Know how to answer common interview questions

Your interviewer(s) will probably ask a few common questions

during your interview. You must know how to answer these.

Some key questions include:

“Tell me about yourself.”

“What do you know about us?”

“What’s your greatest weakness?”

“Why do you want to work here?”

Conducting thorough research will help you answer some of

them. However, you will have to use personal experience and

stories for others.

Related Reading: How To Answer 7 Of The Most Common

Interview Questions

Make a list of questions for the interviewer

In addition to answering the interviewer’s questions, you should

have questions of your own. This emphasizes your interest in

the position and helps you determine if the role is right for you.

Here are a few questions you should ask:

“Why is this position vacant?”

“How would you describe the company culture?”

“What are the company goals for the next five years?”

Things to avoid:

Asking about benefits, salary, vacation time

Asking questions you could’ve answered through your own

research

Asking a question multiple times because you weren’t

listening

Related Reading: 4 Most Important Questions To Ask At An

Interview

Practice

Even if you don’t normally get nervous for interviews, it’s a good

idea to practice. You can practice by doing the following:

Mock interviews/practicing with a friend

Practicing in front of a mirror

Reading your responses out loud

These are some great techniques to help you prepare for your

interview and gain confidence in yourself. If you do a mock

interview or practice with a friend, make sure to ask for

feedback.

Did you seem confident? Were your answers decent? What

were you lacking? Get as much information out of them as you

can!

Related Reading: Practice Makes Perfect: Important Interview

Preparation Techniques

Working The Interview

The big day is finally here! It’s time to go and kick some butt in

your interview. Here are a few tips for doing that:

Dress to impress

See the appearance tips under Section 4.

Arrive a little early

Know where you’re going and account for any traffic. It doesn’t

look good to be late for an interview - no matter what the cause.

That said, don’t arrive at the crack of dawn, either. Getting there

too early can be frustrating for the interviewer, who probably

has a full day of work and doesn’t want to move around his or

her schedule to see you early.

Arriving about 15 minutes beforehand is a good buffer.

Use the correct body language

Non-verbal communication says a lot about a person. Your

gestures, posture, facial expressions, and nervous habits can

send the wrong message to people, so you need to be aware of

them and know how to control them.

Here are a few things to note:

Shaking hands. Don’t give the deadfish handshake, but

don’t crush the other person’s hand, either.

Posture. Sit up straight and maintain good posture during

the interview. This will make you appear more confident.

Arms. Try not to cross your arms. It makes you seem

negative and closed off.

Eye contact. Maintain good eye contact with your

interviewer. If you start to feel uncomfortable, look at the

bridge of his or her nose instead.

Facial expressions. Make sure to smile and appear

genuinely interested in what the other person is saying.

That said, don’t go overboard - otherwise, you’ll look

insincere.

Fidgeting. Do your best not to fidget during the interview.

Even if it’s just nerves, your interviewer could think you’re

lying about something.

Market yourself well, but don’t get cocky

It’s important to be confident in your answers. This is why

practicing them beforehand is so helpful. You want to sell

your skills, knowledge, and personality to your interviewer, so

you need to present them in the best way possible.

That said, don’t be cocky with your answers. There’s a fine

line between confidence and cockiness during an interview.

Don’t try to overcompensate - it’s not a good strategy. Simply

be honest about your abilities and highlight your strong areas.

Ask about the next steps

When the interview is over, thank your interviewer(s) for his

or her time, then ask about the next steps. This will give you a

good idea on when you should follow up.

Related Reading: 12 Tips For A Great Job Interview

Following up

Following up is a MUST. You should always follow up shortly

after the interview with a thank you note. Then, if they

haven’t contacted you when they said they would, you should

do a second follow up. Don’t bug them, though. It could hurt

your chances more than help them.

Related Reading: The Best Interview Follow Up Checklist

8. Being Patient, But Proactive

It’s important to be patient in your job search. That said,

always be proactive - no matter how many applications

you’ve sent out, interviews you’re scheduled for, or

employers you’re waiting to hear back from. As you can see

from reading this e-book, there’s plenty to do!

A Brief Note On Rejections

You’re probably going to get a few rejections - and that’s

okay. You just need to reevaluate your strategy and move

forward. If appropriate, ask for feedback. Otherwise, give

yourself a little time to recover (not too much, though) and

get back out there. You can do this!

Related Reading: 10 Ways To Deal With Job Rejection

9. Know When You Need More Help

If you still feel like you’re behind in your job search or you’re

not getting the results you were looking for, you might need a

little more help. The good news is, we can help!

CareerHMO is a career coaching site that provides valuable,

one-on-one help for job seekers of all ages. Here’s a brief

overview of some of the packages CareerHMO offers:

Professional Assessment (Am I Money?)

Not sure if you are sending the right message professionally?

Wondering if “Brand YOU” (i.e. your Resume, Linkedin Profile,

etc.), is getting the attention of the right people? Let the

experts decide! Click here to learn more about our

professional assessments.

Job Search Accelerator Program (JSAP)

Looking for a new job and coming up short? Feel like

something is wrong in your search for work? Let us show you

how to find work faster – and feel confident doing it. Click

here to learn more about JSAP.

10. More Resources

We’ve got plenty of resources you can use for your job

search. Here are a few more tools you can use (they’re all

free!):

Interview Prep Tool

For many job seekers, interviews are single-handedly the

most exciting and most terrifying part of their job search.

You’ve got one shot to impress your potential employer, so if

you don’t give your all, you’re going to waste everyone’s time.

In this one-of-a-kind resource, you will get the following:

18 common questions you MUST prepare for

12 questions you should ask your interviewer

What you SHOULDN’T ask during the first interview

Make every interview a great interview. Download our

Interview Prep Tool now!

Cover Letter Tutorial & Template

This tutorial will show you what you need to do to create an

effective cover letter. In this FREE video tutorial, CEO &

Founder of CareerHMO, J.T. O’Donnell explains how to create

a “disruptive” cover letter using her F.A.C.E. Lift guidelines:

Format

Attitude

Connection

Experience

Create an eye-catching cover letter that every employer will

want to read. Download our Cover Letter Tutorial &

Template today!

Tutorial: #1 Fastest Way to Get a Job After College

In this “Turbo Tutorial” series by job search expert, J.T.

O’Donnell, you’ll learn:

The 4 things you need to identify before you can start

looking for work.

The right career tools you’ll need to conduct your search.

The process for finding the “hot” jobs, also known as the

hidden job market.

The one thing that ensures a recent grad will find a job

faster than their peers.

These videos are short, yet powerful. In less than 30 minutes,

you’ll have a complete outline of the 4 phases to finding a job

after college and what you’ll need to succeed in each one.

Don’t delay your job search, kickstart it today with J.T.’s help!

Watch these FREE tutorials now!

10 Key Steps To A Successful Job Search

Our job search e-guide is one of the most popular free

resources on CAREEREALISM – and for good reason! In this

step-by-step e-guide, you will learn how to narrow down your

search and focus on the most important parts.

In this guide, you will learn how to:

Figure out your career direction

Determine your skills and personal strengths

Create an awesome personal branding statement

Showcase your accomplishments in your resume

Set up informational interviews

…and more!

Are you ready to get your job search under control?

Download our free e-book, “10 Key Steps To A Successful

Job Search,” today!