Hey, 2013 Graduates: Quit Complaining and Take An Active Role in Your Job Search!

April 8, 2013

I recently came across an article by soon-to-be graduate Bijan Stephen when the headline, “Yale Senior: We Millennials Don’t Stand a Chance” caught my eye. Being a “Millennial” myself, I was curious, so I read on. In the article, Stephen essentially complains about how hard it is to find a good job out of school and how the future looks bleak for him and his friends.
Okay, yes, the economy is not stellar right now. And yes, the unemployment rate is a little high. But it is not the end of the world and there are plenty of jobs out there if you go out and look for them (especially if you went to Yale).
In the past, it may have been okay for Ivy Leaguers to sit back and wait for the offers to come to them, but times are changing and these days students from any school and any background need to take an active role in their job search.
For all the soon-to-be graduates out there, here are a few tips to get you started:

1) Attend Career Fairs

I got my first entry-level job out of school at a career fair (and this was in 2010 – the economy was not stellar then, either). Every school has them and a lot of great companies attend looking for students just like the Yale senior who wrote this article.
Sign up early and review the list of companies attending. That way you know which booths you’ll want to visit and can be prepared to speak to your skills and how they will impact each particular company. Be sure to bring plenty of resumes and dress professionally.

2) Visit Career Services

They are there to help you! Have them look over your resume or go through a mock interview with you. They may also be in the know about which companies are hiring entry-level positions that fit what you are looking for.

3) Apply and Follow Up

Chances are, your college or university has a job-posting site. Think about it — if a company is posting on that site, they are targeting students from that university, aka you! Apply to positions posted there, apply to positions posted elsewhere, and send your resume to companies that are of particular interest to you.
Then, follow up. If you don’t hear back on your application within a week or two, send an email to a contact associated with position and inquire about the status of your application. It’s okay to be aggressive, just don’t cross the line into pushy.
There are plenty of open positions out there. Otherwise, recruiters like me would be out of a job. The key is getting off the couch and taking an active role in your job search. Once you know where to look and how to apply, all that’s left is nailing the interview.

What do you think? Do Millennials truly have it tough or do they just need to get more active in their job search?

Senior Talent Manager, Engineering

<strong>Meghan Maher</strong> is Senior Talent Manager, Engineering, actively recruiting top talent for OpenView and its Portfolio Companies. Her tech background has helped OpenView hire for nearly 20 IT and engineering positions. Meghan began her career at AVID Technical Resources, where she was a Technical Recruiter for two years.