Step Up Your Job Search Game

With the common mistakes cleared up, you can now get ahead of the competition with a few extra steps. These action steps will make you stand out in the professional world and take you closer to landing a job.

Business Cards

Create inexpensive, simple business cards that include your contact information and objective. Even if you don't yet have a job, people need a way to find you. You don't want to pull out a receipt and write your number down with an eyeliner pencil or a ballpoint pen that bleeds. You’ll be ready to stand out from the crowd when an opportunity comes along. You can use VistaPrint to get free business cards. Below is an example of a business card you can have created.

Establish a routine

Create a job search routine where your working hours match those of the business world, the good old 9-to-5. By setting your day to the business world, you will able to respond to phone calls and emails as they happen. Contrary to popular belief, recruiters don’t look favorably on resumes and email sent at 1:00am. Also, this will make your job transition easier when you land a job. As long as you do it every day, you'll learn to work when it's work time and take a break when it's not.

Do SOMETHING every day

It could be something as minor as sending out one cover letter and resume or calling someone your friend referred you to or taking all the scraps of paper with phone numbers on them and organizing them in a business Rolodex - every day, do at least one thing that will help you find a job. Even if it is just an hour a day, put structure in place to keep you going. The Real World 101 Career Guide contains action steps that you can use to establish your daily routine and keep the momentum of your job search. Successful job seekers do not sit at home waiting for the phone to ring. They contact potential employers every day, researching routes other than sending out resumes and reading ads in newspapers and journals.

Build a Network

Form a group of like-minded job seekers, other grads and college students, to keep your job search on track. Meet regularly to share information on who's hiring. A job opportunity not right for you may be perfect for someone in your network, and vice-versa. Set up group phone calls during the day where all of you recap on your progress and hold each other accountable.

This is an excerpt from Finding Your First Job After College Guide which is included in our Real World 101 Care Packages. Visit our Care Package page to find out how to get one for yourself or for a lucky college grad!