10 Tips For Finding A Job After College

If you've just graduated or are preparing to graduate, these 10 tips for tips for finding a job after college can help you navigate the job market. Landing that first job can be a daunting prospect in any economy, and the current tight job market doesn't make it any less scary. Use these ten tips to help you organize your job search and find that first job after college

1. Start early. The best way to find a job after college is to start preparing to enter the job market early. Your freshman or sophomore year isn't too early to start thinking about what you'll do after graduation. Pursue internships, summer employment, and talk to your academic advisor about what careers people with your degree go in to. If you're unsure about your major, take the time to talk to experts in a few fields that will interest you. This will give you the chance to develop important skills along the way. Start posting your resume to job boards and browsing job listings at least a couple months before graduation. Start dates can be negotiated for after graduation, but if you wait until after graduation to start looking, many of the plum jobs will be taken.
2. Work with your career center. Most universities and colleges have career centers. Get help on your resume and interview skills by taking workshops at the career center or meeting with a career counselor. Such centers also have contacts with the Human Resources departments at many companies and other organizations.
3. Be an intern. Working for no pay might not sound appealing, but internships can be a great place to build job skills and relationships that will help you get job after graduation. Interns learn primary job skills and how to function in a professional working environment, including things like proper attire and how to build work relationships. Some interns get hired on full-time after graduation, so your internship might literally be your key to a job. And even if you don't end up at the company you interned at, you will have gained valuable work experience. Some colleges give credit for internships too!
4. Polish your resume. A professional resume is a key to landing a job after college. Make sure your resume is complete, error-free, and professional looking. Go for a clean, simple format. Save a copy in PDF form.
5. Clean up your digital footprint. Potential employers will Google you, so take the time to do it yourself and see what shows up. Set all social networking profiles  to private. Create an email just for your job search, with a professional sounding nick -- a variation of your name is best.
6. Attend job fairs. Many colleges and universities host job fairs specifically designed to help you find a job after college. Dress professionally, bring plenty of copies of your resume, and be ready to shine. Fairs are a great way to meet many people at once and find out about different companies and industries.
7. Network. Tap your network. Professors, parents' friends, friends' parents, and any other working person you know can be a resource. Let people know you are looking for a job after college graduation. Don't be afraid to talk about your skills.
8. Go online. Check out a few job sites and take the time to build quality profiles. Also look for sites that target people in your field. Having profiles on multiple sites increases your chances of finding the right fit.
9. Check out job sites for new grads. While having profiles on the mainstream job sites is always a good call, there are a few sites that target new college graduates. These sites have a wealth of internships and entry-level jobs that are ideal for newly minted professionals looking for their first post-college job.
10. Be open-minded. You may not land your dream job right out of college, but any job will give you valuable job experience. Be willing to take something that may seem less than ideal. At the very least, you'll form new relationships, get experience on your resume, and get a paycheck. Most people change jobs many times in their career, so remember—your first job is unlikely to be your last!