How to Find your Dream Job After College
Some people are surprised to learn that after college they do not find their intended job. Find out how to cope with life after college and get on track to climbing your way up the ladder without going broke on the way!
1. Get a job. (Or keep the one you have). Any job. Think of this job as just a means by which to pay your bills. This is not your career. It might be retail, waiting tables, food service, or whatever other place will hire you.
2. Polish your resume’ and apply to any job in your field that you would be willing to do to start. Details on how to write a resume, cover letter, and be successful in an interview are beyond the scope of this article, but most colleges have a career center that will give you general advice, and even look over your paperwork to give you specific tips on how to improve your resume. So start applying as soon as you can.
3. Accept initial rejection without letting it break your spirit. Tell yourself “I wasn’t meant to work there. Maybe I wouldn’t get along with those people, or maybe I’d be in over my head and overwhelmed. But something else will come along that I was meant to do.” When you start getting interviews and then (a few inevitable) rejections, tell yourself that it was a learning experience. It was a practice to help you get some of your nerves out, so that when the right job comes along you’ll be familiar enough with the interview process that you’ll have the confidence to wow them.
4. Accept part-time work in your field, even if it’s not quite what you had in mind. Keep your main job if you are not getting the pay or hours that you need from this job in your field. Don’t think of this job as a way to earn money (in fact, you might try to volunteer if you can’t find paid work in your field). Think of this job as earning experience.
5. Imagine coming CLOSER to your goal as the weeks or months pass. Every cover letter you send should be a little better than the ones you sent the week before. Every interview should go a little smoother than the one before. You’ve learned more about your field in your part-time related to the field job than you knew when you first graduated from college. All these things are bringing you closer to your goal. Don’t think of yourself as someone who can’t find a job. Think of yourself as someone who has learned enough to get the job YOU WANT.
6. Keep up working on step 5 until you find your job. You can do it! All good things take time. Good luck.
Tags: Career
