This time of year, the market is flooded with new talent looking for work, fresh off graduation from college, grad school or high school.
Getting hired in today’s market requires not just a good degree, but also a level soft skills that employers say are non-negotiable in their work cultures.
Here are some tips to finding work in today’s unique marketplace:
Get your social media platform ready. Go online. Delete everything that shows provocative photos, photos of you drinking or doing drugs, anything negative about someone or something, anything political, anything racist or derogatory about other religions, genders, races or sexual orientation, anything negative about a prior employer, or really, anything that doesn’t portray a professional image.
Change your cover photo to one that you want your potential employer to have as a first impression. Even if you have your settings on private – get your social media ready.
Be selective: Unemployment in Virginia is under 4 percent. This is a great time to be looking for work.
Most employers are hiring, so find your industry or market and stick to it.
For each application you submit, carefully tailor your resume/application to the job for which you are applying.
Use the same words in your application as are used in the primary duties of the job posted. Recruiters will use buzzwords to find online candidates.
Don’t lie or exaggerate. Many people misrepresent their skills to get interviewed or hired.
This is a mistake not just because it is entirely dishonest, but because there is a reason that the skills are required for the job.
If you don’t have them, you won’t be successful in the job. The last thing you want is to be miserable because you can’t do the job and/or have a termination on your record.
Network: When you were growing up, your friends’ parents worked, and your friends who graduated in the last few years work somewhere.
Hopefully, you’ve made a good impression on them over the years.
If you are excited about the job at XYZ company, and that guy you played baseball with in high school’s mom works there, call her up. Tell her what you’ve been up to and ask her about the company, and the job. See if she knows someone and can put in a good word.
When a good job is posted, organizations can get hundreds of applications. You can make yours go to the top if someone can put in a good word.
It’s not about you. The biggest complaint I hear from employers of recent grads is that they are selfish, and focus on their needs only during an interview.
What are my benefits? How much vacation will I get? How soon will I get promoted?
These are great questions to be asked at the final stage of negotiations. But early on, you need to show the organization what you will do for them, not what they can do for you.
This means in the interview, you should have three or four good questions that focus on the organization where you are interviewing.
For example, in the interview you will be asked if you have any questions. You should have researched the organization, and have specific questions, like, “I see you have grown 25 percent in the last three years, is this what you are expecting in the next five years?”
Know about the company where you are interviewing.
Show them you Are Employable. Finally, do the little things when you get interviewed. Show up 15 minutes early. Wear something appropriate.
Be conversational. Show off your soft skills – talk about your leadership, teamwork, problem solving and critical thinking skills. Be humble, but don’t hesitate to sell yourself.
Congratulations to all the grads out there. Now it’s time to start your career.