For many college graduates, the excitement of graduating can quickly fade into the panic of a prolonged job search. After years of developing the skills and knowledge base necessary for your major, there are few things more frustrating than being unable to put that expertise to work.
So how can you reorient your job hunt to your major when it seems to have stagnated? Here are five tips to get your job search back on the right track.
- Focus on different skills. Employers are looking for two basic things in candidates: skills and experience. As a recent graduate, you’re likely to focus more on the skills you’ve developed through your education. Rather than basing your search around the job you want, focus on jobs that require the skills you have.
“In addition to learning hard skills related to your major, you’ve acquired a bunch of soft skills too – and those soft skills can help you identify and pursue fulfilling career options that you may not have previously considered,” says Sarah Dabby, head of talent at ClickTime, a software as a service company. “The key is to understand all the qualities you bring to the table, find jobs that match those characteristics, and clearly communicate why you’re a fit to any prospective employer.”
- Hone your core skills. Of course, you shouldn’t simply give up on finding that dream job. Instead, look for opportunities that will help you develop the skills that will get you there – even if those opportunities aren’t strictly within your desired field.
“Just because you can’t find that ‘perfect job’ doesn’t mean that your time will be wasted in another position so long as you can see the big picture and see why the specific career will help you in the long run,” says Jenn DeWall, an international certified career coach. “For example, if strong communication skills are desired, look for opportunities that will build this skill set. Identify the aspect of the job that you are most passionate about, choose one to two items and use those to define and narrow your search outside of your degree.”
- Look for internships. Depending on your desired field, taking an internship before officially joining the workforce may be the norm. Even if this is not the case, recent graduates who are having trouble finding a job in their major should also look for open internship opportunities to gain more experience, build their network and minimize gaps in their resumes.
“The best course of action is to take an internship in your chosen area. Experience matters and more importantly ‘domain knowledge’ in a particular area really stands out when a hiring manager reviews an application,” says Todd Horton, founder and CEO of employee recognition company KangoGift. “The best advice is to get experience in your area or specialty, take on a challenging role and document the contributions you made. Real world experience along with a recommendation from a manager in the chosen field will go a long way.”
- Change up your tactics. When stuck on a problem, it always helps to change your approach. Today’s job seekers use a multitude of services to help them get hired, so if you feel like you’ve hit a dead end, reshuffle your strategy.
Michael Lan, senior resume consultant at Resume Writer, says to get out there and start networking. “Networking is an incredibly valuable tool for professionals of all shapes and sizes to connect and form working business relationships. This includes networking events, career fairs, family members and friends, connections from school, social networking and other professional organisations or conferences. The more people you know, and the more people know who you are, the more likely it is for opportunities that you’ve been waiting for to present themselves.”
- Stay positive. The most important piece of advice may also be the most difficult to follow: Keep a positive attitude.
“It is fairly common for people who are not able to find the job they want to become depressed out of mental and emotional stress. The key to avoiding this is to stay positive despite your current circumstances and situation,” says Lan. “Even if you’re seemingly stuck at what you believe to be a dead-end job, as long as you don’t lose sight of your goal and keep working hard to achieve it, more than likely, something positive will eventually come of it.”
Matthew Tarpey researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues for CareerBuilder.