Don’t panic. Each year, many graduates face life after college without a job in hand. Studies show that within six or seven months, most grads have secured a job or opted for grad school. The important thing is to take action.
Here are some suggestions from employers:
Work your network. Talk with friends who have jobs. Find out what they did to get their jobs. Keep your network alive and well.
In fact, you may well get a job as a result of a friend telling you about a job opening at his company or telling his manager about you: Employers identify employee referrals as one of the best methods they have for finding and hiring new college graduates.
Consider a temporary assignment or contract work. Temp work may not be ideal, employers admit, but it can get you through the door, and keep you busy in a structured workplace. In addition, temp assignments may put you in the career path you’re seeking.
Temp work offers another bonus: You become part of a professional network that can put you in contact with opportunities. By being physically at the company, you can build networks and keep your name and credentials in the forefront.
Consider “stepping-stone” jobs. It may not be your dream job, but if it offers you a chance to build your skills and to continue your learning, it could help you step up to a better job.
Consider graduate school or a second degree in a related field. More education may make you more marketable. But use good judgment: Grad school is not a place to “hide out” until the job market improves. It’s an opportunity to hone and enhance skills and marketability.
Look at alternative career paths. Be open. What’s important is getting your foot in the door with a successful company, so expand your options in terms of what you’re looking at. For example, customer service not only can be your entrance into a company, but also customer service is a career in and of itself in which you can pursue the typical career path—individual contributor to supervisor to manager to executive. You can also use customer service to springboard to other career areas, such as technical support, marketing, or sales.