How to Apply for Your First Job Out of College - The Muse

How to Apply for Your First Job Out of College - The MuseHow to Apply for Your First Job Out of CollegeCongratulations college seniors- youre mere weeks away from being done with school forever (or for now, at least). Its time to celebrate, time to rejoice in the luxury of no more homework, and time to departeure the job hunt.While some people hear job hunt and panic, you shouldnt As daunting as the process can seem, it is a process, and that means anyone can do it successfully. With that said, the first time can be a little overwhelming, which is where I come in- Ive put together this guide of everything you need to send in your first application.Lets get startedStep 1 Figure Out What You Want to DoFirst up, the big question that has no right answer What do you want to do with your life? Wait- before you fill in the blank, know this You dont need to figure out your life right now, just your first job (elendhings permanent). If you have no idea where to even start, consider your favo rite classes or discussions in college, activities and clubs youre involved in, really anything youve enjoyed in the past few years. What issues get you riled up? What topics bore you to tears? Your initial responses to these should get you close to an industry, if not an actual title. You can refine it even more by asking yourself these questions from Muse writer Lily Zhang What can I do to help other people? What does my ideal day look like? What do I find intolerable?Still not aya? Take a look at the company profiles on The Muse and see what sounds interesting to you.Step 2 Curate Your Online PresenceNow that you know what industry youd like to go into, its time to start crafting your verbunden presence to fit that. Because in almost every single field, you will be Googled by a hiring manager- and you dont want them to see anything, say, your mother wouldnt be proud of.For starters, youll want to get your LinkedIn ready by writing an awesome summary highlighting your achievements , skills, and interests. Once thats all set, you should plan on staying active and engaged on the platform- that means sharing interesting articles, connecting to people, and finding groups you feel comfortable participating in. You might also want to consider editing or privatizing other social media accounts such as Facebook or Instagram that you prefer to use more casually (again, think about your mom).In addition, you should also consider launching your own personal website, whether its a blog or a portfolio. This is a fun and creative way to showcase your work, your hobbies on the side, or your personality- and a lot of times companies will ask you for these supplements in your application.Step 3 Find Open PositionsSo, where do you look to even find postings? My first go-to is The Muse (Duh). Here, youll be able to search by industry, city, level (its safe to say youll be looking in the entry-level category), or individual companies.In general, when scrolling through job openin gs, youll want to be looking for the saatkorn things you listed earlier in what interested you. For example, if you really want a company with a social mission, take a peek inside the office and listen to what employees say. But be aware of what the posting is looking for in you- if it says a candidate must be proficient in Python and youve never heard of that, maybe its not the right role for you (or, a sign you should take an online course before applying).And, if youre going into a more niche field, try using specific job search websites that cater to that. JUST GETTING STARTED IN YOUR JOB SEARCH?Weve got plenty of entry-level jobs for you to check out today.RIGHT THIS WAY Step 4 NetworkKnow exactly what company you want to work at, but not seeing any openings? Thats a great reason to start networking. Not only will it help you get your personenname (and resume) out there, but its an opportunity to meet someone who knows a lot about the company and can give you some good advice o n how to break into the field- and also maybe some job leads. Even if it doesnt necessarily lead to an offer at that specific organization, youve still made an invaluable connection for down the road.To do this, you should look into job fairs in your area, connect with professionals over LinkedIn, or reach out to old and new connections you may have and see if theyd be willing to go on a coffee date.Its even possible to write an email to someone you havent talked to in a while or a distant connection (such as a friend of a friend of a friend) and ask if they can spare 15 or 20 minutes over the phone just to answer a few of your questions. I know it feels a bit awkward, but if asked politely and enthusiastically, theres a pretty good chance someone would be thrilled to help you out.Step 5 Create Your ResumeOK, so you found a job you want to apply to- great Now is the time to put together your application. Before you create your master resume, youll want to collect all the important i nformation in one place your previous positions, your skills, relevant experiences (Read Winning school pie eating contest does not count), your achievements, and any accomplishments. Once youve compiled all this, its time to lay it out professionally. Now, the way youll want to organize your resume depends on where youre applying, as well as what kind of and how much experience you have. But the standard format is experience, skills, and then qualifications. (Note No objective statement) Want to make it look really nice? Use any of these free templates. Oh, and for help figuring out what to put on there when you have little to no experience, check this out. Now, you mightve noticed master resume above. Thats because youre going to tailor this document for each position you apply to- but having everything in one place will make that as easy as possible. Long story short Tailoring means making sure your resume looks perfect for the position you want, and its usually as easy as making a few tweaks. (Need more info on how to go about this? Click here.)Edit Your ResumeBefore submitting your tailored resume, youre going to want to do the following to make sure its in tip-top shapeCut it down to one page by removing any clutter, a.k.a. , anything thats irrelevant or out of place thats making it too long Make sure it has ATS-friendly keywords so itll actually be read by a humanProofread for grammar and punctuation mistakes And then ask a parent or friend take a look at it, tooStep 6 Write Your Cover LetterYour cover letter is your chance to elaborate on the experience listed in your resume while also proving you understand the company culture. So, depending on where youre applying, you might want to talk about different things. (Hint Use the job description to know which skills to focus on and where to start the conversation.) And yes, I know this is easier said than done, so Id suggest checking out thiscover letter template and this one to make your life easier. (Or , if you want to make your life easiest, consider investing in a coach who will help you through this whole resume and cover letter process.)Edit Your Cover LetterThe biggest mistakes entry-level candidates make are that their cover letters are too long and too full of nothing. While its important to be professional, its also important to let your voice and experience shine through. So, when editing, be sure to look out for filler lines that make you sound like a corporate robot, such as I am uniquely qualified or It would be an honor to work for company. Instead, explain how youre qualified and why youd be honored to be a part of the team. And of course, proofread (Seriously, that could be all it takes for someone to throw it in the trash.)Now click submit. There you go, youve applied for your first job Or, more likely, you read this article and wondered how you could possibly do this over and over again just to land one position. Yes, it is time consuming- but with practice it get s easier and more natural. And I know, if youre still in classes, theres no doubt you wont have full days to focus on this task. However, allotting yourself designated slots throughout the week is a great way to get going- and ensure youre completing apps in a timely manner. According to Muse writer Leslie Moser, youll want to spend around 10 to 20 hours per week perusing open positions, scheduling appointments with your campus career services (if available), attending informational interviews, updating resumes, and writing cover letters.The last thing Ill say is that even if you dont land the job you want on the first few tries, it doesnt mean your efforts are worthless. Be patient and try to learn from each experience- and when you finally receive that dream position (which you will, obviously), let me know on Twitter