7 Tips For Recent Graduates Navigating A Brutal Job Market

You may have heard the news that the job market isn’t great for recent graduates. Overall, the job market is slowing, but still out performing expectations. However, employers are facing an uncertain economy and have predictably slowed their recruitment and hiring. That slowdown is adversely affecting graduates seeking their first full time professional job. The numbers don’t lie and the numbers aren’t good.

Not to minimize the very real extra challenges that await some graduates, but throughout history there have been a lot of times that were deemed “worst years” for graduates, so don’t panic quite yet. It means that you have to adapt to the landscape and take action, and so procrastination and paralysis are not options. Here are some things to consider about your approach to finding a job in a tough market.

1. Take a deep breath and think clearly about the best direction – for you. You need to acknowledge a set of unsettling realities. Employers are not hiring and they’re not firing anybody either. When a new hire is green lit, employers are investing in more experienced professionals. Finding a job may be more difficult than you imagined and you may have to work harder to showcase you value so potential employers believe you are a risk worth taking. Get over it and get to work.
2. Focus on job categories that are known for entry level jobs. With a little research, you can build a list of companies with a core business model to hire recent graduates. For example, Enterprise Rent-A-Car is known for heavy recruitment and staffing of recent graduates. Even if the results are not ideal for your chosen pursuit, you have to start somewhere! Don’t dismiss any opportunities without serious consideration.
3. Your alma mater’s career center is highly motivated to help you find a job. Employed alumni are happy alumni, and happy alumni are also often donors. They will help you. Cultivate  relationships with the career center’s advisors (all of whom were once in your position). Draw on their talents, connections, and recommendations. Use the center’s resources.
4. As an addendum to #3, take advantage of your school’s career center but don’t depend on it. Be proactive, not reactive. Have as many pokers in the fire as you can.
5. While you’re searching for that dream job, you can also pursue job opportunities that are just for the money. The paycheck on a less-than-ideal job will still cash. If you have any technical skills, you may be able to find entry level jobs (not replaced by AI) that are beneath your degree but above being unemployed. One important thing to know about any career is you will learn something, even if it’s just one thing, at every job you have that you will carry with you into the future regardless of how unimportant the job seems at the time or how temporary it is. Be open.
6. Reverse engineer your job search. Research what skills are in high demand and get them (e.g., classes or professional certifications). Self-directed work that’s targeted to the actual opportunities in the marketplace can provide you with a paycheck you’re hustling for the corner office. For example, lots of companies are hiring workers who know the computer language Python. Learn it!
7. Volunteer! Non-profits need help. Doing something is much better than doing nothing, and doing something good for others is the best of all. You help yourself. You learn new skills. You expand your professional network. There really are no down sides and may end being that “something” that helps you land your first job.

Philip Roufail contributed to this article.

Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, career coaching services, and outplacement services. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.

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