By Denise Beresford
Join in the battle, but make sure you're equipped with the right
weapons for the big fight. Looking for jobs is a job in itself. It
takes time, dedication and, often, money. For example, travelling up
and down the country or state for interviews which may not amount to
anything, are often necessary evils. However, this article is going to
focus on the most economical ways graduates can look for a job.
- Visualize where you would like to work. Transport and relocating for USA jobs can be extremely expensive and draining. Make sure you know where you want to work - research the area if it's a new place, or cross out jobs that are located in placed you definitely won't want to work. This should cut back on costs spent on travelling for interviews and graduate forums. Graduate fairs also tend to be local so if you find an advert for one that is far away then don't think about splashing out the cash to get there. Wait and research whether or not there's an equivalent fair in your nearest city. Use job listing sites that allow you to filter by area.
- Make use of your career center. The career center is free and should be either on or near campus. You should make good use of it because the people there are trained and employed to help kick start your career. They make connections with companies locally, nationally and internationally and so have a plethora of suggestions. Therefore, go more than once! You're recommended to go every 6-8 weeks to and discuss your career prospects with your careers counselor, build up a rapport and log your progress - you may find you change your mind on what you want to do.
- Research. Before going in for an interview or before applying, research the company at its fullest. Get a good grasp of their aims so that you know for yourself whether or not you want to work for them, and to show them that you've done your homework and can add a personal touch to your reasons for applying. An HR agent will be able to tell if you've picked their company out of a hat and are just applying wherever there's an advert. When researching, it's important to review the company's policy, executive biographies, and the 'About Us' section.
- Don't wait around for a company to contact you. You could save yourself some time and money by cold calling a company you're really interested in, rather than waiting for an advert to pop up. If you have a job in mind at a certain company, but their website doesn't reveal any information about internships or graduate schemes, simply call them up and ask for the internship coordinator. Be polite and professional - the receptionist may not give you any joy but it won't hurt to try. This may be cheaper and easier than physically going into the company building itself and asking for careers information (even though it may make a good and enthusiastic impression, travelling to companies just for an impromptu visit may get pricey).