Sunday, March 1, 2015

The Job Search: Doing It Right



The job search process is unlike anything we've done in life thus far. We've worked hard to get to where we are: summer internships, portfolio building, intense coursework. And no it's time for us to show it all off.

Forbes wrote a great article about how what millennials can successfully make connections and take advantage of the resources around us. The article offers a lot of great advice, but my favorite piece from it was "Sometimes bigger - and more established - is better." 

The article goes into detail about how working for a larger company can end up being more beneficial to your career in the long run. I completely agree with this statement having experience working for both a large corporate company and a small startup.

While working for a startup can be beneficial and exciting, you make way more connections and learn more beneficial lessons working for a corporate brand.

The job search can be daunting and going through it has definitely been difficult and stressful for me. However, I have a few tips that can make the process easier and less scary.

My first piece of advice is to create an Excel sheet with all the current job openings that interest you. I did that over winter break, and it has really helped me stay organized and on top of dates and deadlines. It is a good place to write down companies you are interested in, and a place to keep the link to their job openings page in order to check it regularly. The Excel sheet has really made things easier for me thus far.

Next, is to be active on LinkedIn. I was totally confused by LinkedIn when I first created an account, but just like any social network, the more time you spend on it, the easier it gets. Something I have just learned over the past few weeks is how important it is to like and comment on things. When you do this you can get your name out there a lot easier. In fact, recruiters can then find you, view your profile and inbox you about job opportunities.

I have not had much success with websites that post job openings like Malakaye and Craig's List, so I would not recommend using those. I have found that simply looking on the websites of companies that interest you and being active on LinkedIn is the most effective way to find job postings.

So while the job search is freaking all of us out, if you take a step back and organize your thoughts and research, it can be a lot more enjoyable. The real world is waiting!

No comments:

Post a Comment