How To Find A Job Out Of College

Many new graduates are wondering how to find a job out of college. Follow this advice to join the ranks of job-holding citizens.

1. Start Early. Many college students only start to think about jobs during their last few months in college. Ideally, a student would start considering the job hunt long before that, even as early as freshman year. Keeping in mind that you'll have to get a job someday allows you to take the courses, pick the major and make the connections that will help you most in the future.
2. Update your resume. Your resume can be the most important part of your job-search process. It's your first line of attack, and the first impression that most interviewers will have of you. Don't try to write your resume all at once; whenever you win an award, do particularly well in a class, or finish a summer job, fill in the details on your resume. If you wait too long, these all-important details will fade from memory. You're better off mentioning the lives you saved as a lifeguard than just saying you spent all summer hanging around the pool.
3. Think cover letters and portfolios. New job applicants often overlook these tools, but they can be just as important as the resume. Most job applications require a cover letter: make sure that yours isn't just a repeat of your resume, but elaborates on your most appealing qualities. Designers and artists absolutely need portfolios, but portfolios can be useful for other types of job applicants as well. A portfolio can include your personal website, your blog, work that you've posted online and professional social networking sites.
4. Make connections. It may come as a surprise, but most people find a job out of college through someone they know, as opposed to sending their resumes out randomly. Connect with everyone you can in college. The earlier you start, the more connections you'll make. Befriend students, teaching assistants, and professors. Volunteer for special projects if you can. Attend mixers, job fairs, and other events sponsored by your department.
5. Do your research. Getting a job is a little like getting a girlfriend: the company wants to know that you are truly interested in it, and not just messing around. Get to know the companies you most want to work at intimately. It never hurts to get to know people who work for those companies, and learn about each company's projects and cultures. However, keep any discussion about employment off the table for as long as possible, or you may seem desperate.