It’s mostly easy to get a job. You submit a resume and they call you for an interview and that’s mostly it. When it comes to gaining a career, it’s more complicated. There is more to it than just submitting a resume and going in for an interview. As most know by now, college is for individuals who want to expand their knowledge in the right career paths of their choosing and to gain experience in a career field before going out for the first time. How does one do this though? How complicated can it be? Why is it so complicated?
Some careers are simple to get right out of college. It really depends on the individual and what they have done to get to that point. Many careers need you to have experience beforehand, as well as the right college degree. In most cases, you will do an internship during your junior year and that is when you gain experience and hopefully get a position to work full time or get referred somewhere else.
However, in some cases, it’s complicated. “According to a 2013 Accenture poll, only 39% of the classes of 2011 and 2012 had jobs lined up by the time they graduated; for 2013, just 16% had job offers a month before their commencement” (Dallett). That is obviously not a high percentage.
So how do we land the big career though? You can start by getting yourself out there. Going out to career fairs and just talking to people, even your professors, can land you an interview, which can get you your first job or even your first step into your dream career. “While job sites can help with some leads, it worked better when [you] are able to make a contact with someone already at the company” (Tompor).
Being motivated is a huge factor when it comes to landing a job out of college. You need motivation to just finish college, so right out should not be a big problem. If you are left without any offers of jobs or no sign of getting one, then continue to be motivated because being optimistic is number one when it comes to finding a career. “…the hiring picture is ever changing, and jobs open up all the time. Spend some time researching companies to better understand how your skills and background might make a good fit for a given job” (Tompor). Plus, no one wants to hire an unmotivated individual.
Knowing that you don’t know everything, is key. You still have much to learn. That’s why connecting with your professors are important, just like going out there and connecting with others is just as important. So, communication, connecting, motivation are key factors in obtaining that career out of college (Tugend).
I don’t think it’s complicated just to be complicated. I think that if you work hard, show that you are willing and ready to obtain the skills for the work environment, and show initiative, then you will get what you deserve, and that’s the career you want. No one got to where they are now, if it wasn’t for some challenging work involved.
References
Dallett, L. (2014, January 30). 5 Things You Should Do In Your Last Semester Of College To Prepare For The Real World. Retrieved June 19, 2017, from http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-get-a-job-after-college-2014-1
Tompor, S. (2015, June 28). How do you land that job after college? Retrieved June 19, 2017, from https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/columnist/tompor/2015/06/28/college-job-hunt-tips/29358623/
Tugend, A. (2014, April 04). Just Graduated, and Fumbling Through a First Job. Retrieved June 19, 2017, from https://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/05/your-money/fresh-out-of-college-and-fumbling-through-a-first-job.html
