Don't Wait Until Graduation to Launch Your Career
It’s getting harder each day to land a job straight out of college. Companies have higher and higher expectations, many have slowed down hiring, and there’s an increased expectation for experience and new skills, especially in the age of AI. Your first job out of college is the hardest to get because you’re just starting out. To land your very first job, you need way more than a good resume and basic skills that you picked up during your degree. To land your first job, you also often need a network to help you stand out.
Every entry level job or internship gets hundreds of applications, and most applicants are submitting a tailored (customized) resume for that specific role. When you’ve just graduated, don’t have much work experience, and are up against hundreds of other highly qualified people, it's really hard to stand out. So what do you do?
Your Secret Weapon: Referrals
Knowing someone at a company puts you 100 steps ahead of other applicants. Why? Because they can refer you for the position.
From the employer’s perspective, someone has met you, thinks you’re great to work with, and is vouching for you. That signals you’re more likely to interview well, and if they give you an offer, you’re more likely to stay because you already have a friend on the inside. They’re easily 10× more likely to interview you if you know someone there.
Don’t be shy about asking for a referral. Most companies actually reward employees for successful referrals (some offer bonuses ranging from $4,000 to $12,000) because good talent is hard to find, and they believe that “good people know good people.”
Having a friend “on the inside” is also extremely valuable for another reason. This friend can tell you who the hiring manager is for the position, as well as who the recruiters are and/or which other internal stakeholders might be relevant or adjacent to the hiring process. Once you know who matters for the process, this tees you up to be able to reach out to them on LinkedIn, or even search for their email address in order to make a direct introduction. This is an advantage that few if any other applicants are going to have.
How to Find People Who Can Refer You
If you still have time before graduation:
I cannot stress this enough: networking is the most important thing you can do while in college! Whether it’s in or outside of your classes, start building relationships every single day. Build relationships with your professors. Talk to other members of your sorority or fraternity and learn where they work, what their parents do, or what their plans are for after graduation. JOIN CLUBS! Participate in those clubs and hold a position in the leadership structure. In particular, you want to build relationships with students a year or two ahead of you, and make sure to keep in touch (add every single person you meet on LinkedIn!). Older students are going to already be established in their careers by the time you graduate, and could be extremely valuable internal champions of your candidacy if and when you apply to their company.
If you’re close to graduation (or already job-hunting) and don’t have a large network:
Head to LinkedIn and look up alumni from your school. Introduce yourself, share a brief background, and kindly ask about a referral at their company. Don’t go in blind, though, make sure to do your homework first: browse open roles at their company and pick one that truly fits your skills and interests. It’s much easier for someone to refer you when you can say that you are genuinely and authentically enthused about the industry or position. Beyond this, just keep in mind that finding a job is oftentimes a numbers game, and this is especially true if you are trying to launch your career when you don’t know anyone. LinkedIn is your friend!
Summing it all up
Launching your career can feel like an insurmountable challenge, but remember that everyone you see with a fancy job now also had to start somewhere, and oftentimes it was in a less-than-glamorous position. Also bear in mind that starting your career at a company or in an industry you’re not that interested in does not lock you into that career path forever. More important than anything else is just getting started and landing a position in the first place, and the best way to do that is to know people. If you feel like your professional network is tiny or non-existent, the best time to start building it is right now. Find an event on campus or nearby and attend, meet people, talk, and break out of your comfort zone. I promise that your future success will all boil down to the number of connections you have and people you know.