Top 10 Tips for New Grads Seeking their First Job

by Robin Ogden and Chris Fogarty

Making the transition from college student to full-time member of the workforce can be a difficult time for many graduates.  Many graduates will accept responsibilities for their own lives and their own financial support for the very first time.  A surprising number of graduates are advised of the challenges of finding a good job in the current job market.  Many graduates are advised to simply apply for and accept any job that comes to their attention. 

Unfortunately, far too many new graduates are guided by this advice and settle for jobs in which they are undervalued and under-challenged. 

The team at FiredUP Careers disagrees with this advice.  We believe you can find a challenging job in which you will be valued and in which you can thrive.  We believe new grads can and should get FiredUP about their new careers and find the opportunity that allows you to Dig What You Do.  We offer the following top tips to new grads as they enter the job market.

1.  Know your skills, abilities and strengths.  This applies to both “hard” skills, and to those “soft” skills that make people good with other people.

2.  Know what you want to do and focus on jobs that will allow you to do what you love.  Remember that smart organizations hire for passion and train for skill.

3.  Know the kind of environment in which you can thrive.  If you know that tight, regimented routines with someone looking over your shoulder every minute don’t work for you, look for environments that value and reward innovation and creativity.

4.  Create a powerful professional pitch.  Develop your own brief statement of who you are, what you can do, what you are passionate about, and why someone should hire you.

5.  Dress for success.  Whenever you are interacting with a potential employer, dress for the role you are seeking.  “Be” the part, help the employer ‘see’ you in the position.

6.  Be yourself.  Pretending to be someone you are not will lead to problems in time.  Of course you should put your best foot forward, but be real.

7.  Learn how to interview.  Learn the etiquette and the expectations of interviews. Anticipate difficult questions and prepare appropriate answers.

8.  Never give false or misleading information.  Lying on an application or in an interview or otherwise giving false or misleading information about your education, skills, or experience will set you on a road to disaster. 

9.  Learn to stand out from the pack.  You may be applying for a job with hundreds of other applicants.  You need to be memorable in the right ways. 

10.  Believe there are great jobs out there and that you can get one.  Attitude is everything. Confidence is important. Plan to get the job of your dreams.

Our coaching experience has demonstrated the importance of these points.  If you need additional help, we have provided more guidance on each of these points and many others in our new resource FiredUP Interviewing, New Grad Edition. This CD is packed with innovative strategies to overcome limited professional experience and prepare grads to get their first job.

About FiredUP Careers

FiredUP Careers is a career counseling service for professionals who seek greater fulfillment from their work. Based upon the belief that “life’s too short” to be stuck in the wrong job, they help people understand who they are, what they want from their work, and how to balance work with the rest of their lives.  They want everyone to Dig What You Do.  Robin Ogden and Chris Fogarty, founders of FiredUP Careers are experienced career counselors with proven track records, who have been on both sides of the tables. In the last 10 years they have worked with thousands of job seekers.  Visit our blog for ongoing career tips at http://www.careeradvicetalk.com

Choose what you do and move into a career that doesn't take over your entire life and leave you exhausted, stressed, and miserable. FiredUP Careers can help you move into a new life of intelligent action both on the job, and off.