7 Things New College Graduates Should Do Now

College Graduates

Find Out What a Successful Resume Should Look Like for a New College Graduate

New college graduates have a challenge, but the challenge gets easy when you understand the most important thing you can do. That is to create an outstanding resume displaying all of your best attributes.

Some of you will have full-time job experience, some volunteer experience, others intern experience, and some part-time job experience.

Ask friends who have graduated and were hired with a new graduate resume if you can see their resumes for ideas. Make sure they have similar experiences and job interests.

Get your resume professionally written, or study professional resumes online. Make sure you have multiple reviews of your resume by professional friends and family and ask if they would consider hiring you based on your resume. Be painfully honest, everything you have done is transparent.

Successful College Graduates Look for Jobs in Multiple Places

Start with your university job placement center, and follow up that search with online job portals. Then talk to your friends who have graduated and work at places you are interested in. The friend connection can be great, since they usually know the most important people in the company who hire new graduates.

Of course, another is the family connection. Some family members may have a business where they can hire you, even if it is temporary.

Find Out When School Loan Repayment Starts

Know when your first school loan payment is due, and understand your school loan payment grace period. If you don’t think you will have a job by the time your school loan payments come due, you need to look into the income-based repayment plans.

The income-based plans (IBRPLAN) are based on 10% of your income going to monthly payments. The government gives you a few years to start regular payments after you start your job with a regular income, but you must apply for it, through the IBRP. But, beware. If you get this program your unpaid
interest will be added to your balance. That will cause your balance to increase significantly.

Find Out if You Are Interested in Non-Profits

If your regular school loan payments will take you well past a repayment period of 10 years, you may consider working for a non-profit.

The government allows you to stop your loan payments at 10 years if A) you never miss a payment, and  B) you work for a non-profit

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If You Don’t Immediately Get a Job in Your Field, Take Something but Keep Interviewing and Researching

If you don’t get a job in your designated field, consider taking something that pays an income until you get a job in your field.

Working shows potential employers that you do have a work ethic. It will also supply money for job searches, interviews, and the purchase of proper interview clothes.

Some new graduates will have parents who can fund the essentials, but others will not. But, most importantly, it looks good that you are doing something until you get a professional job.

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Don’t Get Depressed, Eat Right, and Exercise

Don’t get depressed. Some of you will be hired quickly, but for others, it will take some time. But, what’s important, is that you keep looking, no matter what.

Talk to parents and friends about research tools. Spend time with family and friends having fun so you don’t get depressed. Hearing the word, “no” repeatedly, will be difficult, so be prepared, and keep moving toward your goals.

Research Every Single Company or Organization You Plan to Apply for and Dress Right

Apply with employers that you have a lot in common with, and look for the skills you have in their job descriptions. Example: If you are an art major, don’t apply for a computer science job, you are wasting your time and that of the company.

A friend of mine is a manager who interviews new recruits, and says a lot of people do just that. Lots of resumes and applications get reviewed and tossed because they have no qualifications for the job.

So, focus on jobs in your field so you don’t waste your time or the company’s time.

With online job portals, college graduates can access a wide variety of jobs, they can research the company they apply for in a google search.