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Attending university is a great way to increase your job options. Not only will you have a credential, employers will know you’ve gained essential skills like managing your time, critical thinking, and communication. Nonetheless, searching for a job (especially your first job after graduating) tends to be stressful. Here are a few things you can do to minimize this stress.
1. Take Advantage of Campus Resources
Your university has all sorts of resources to help you succeed — while you’re a student and in your life beyond school. Specifically, the campus career center can provide you support for your future job search. Ask the staff to review your resume, do a mock interview to practise your skills, and search for the contact information of alumni in the same field you want to enter to gain connections or perhaps a mentor.
2. Begin Your Search While You’re Still at University
Don’t wait until you’ve graduated to start looking for a job. Many big employers start interviewing months before they need to fill a position, especially when they’re targeting recent grads for entry-level positions. This is something else your campus career center can help you with, but you can also search yourself on places like LinkedIn.
3. Hold at Least One Internship
An internship gives you the chance to gain experience in your field before you start applying for jobs. It may even lead straight to a job. You should apply for an internship no matter if its a requirement for graduation. If you have the chance, use more than one of your summers for an internship. This is especially useful if you want to explore a couple fields to decide what career to pursue. Plus, it will mean you build double the number of connections.
4. Master the Art of Cover Writing
One of the most intimidating things about applying for jobs is writing the cover letter. The problem is each cover letter needs to be unique for the position, meaning you have to start from scratch for each application.
The trick is to create a template you can reuse each time. Start by expressing your interest for the position. Follow this with two or three paragraphs about your experience, tailored to the requirements of the job description. End with a summary of the main points before thanking the hiring manager for his or her time.
5. Find Out How Much You’ll Earn
Although many job postings now include a salary range, it’s still common for employers to not include details about pay. This may mean you waste time on jobs that won’t pay what you consider to be a reasonable amount. It’s important to avoid going too far through the hiring process before learning the salary, but it’s also unnecessary to dismiss positions that lack salary information outright.
The first thing to do is research typical salaries for the position to decide if it’s worth applying. If the recruiter invites you for an interview, it’s fine to ask about compensation at this point — there’s no need to wait until you receive a job offer.
Don’t spend too much time thinking about your future job search while you’re still at college. It’s always good to be prepared, but it’s also important to enjoy your remaining time as a student. One way to do this is to find a better apartment. For Waterloo off-campus housing, there’s 308 King. You’ll enjoy amenities including onsite parking, bicycle storage, and laundry facilities. Choose between several floor plans, each with one bedroom and one or two bathrooms. Apply now.
