Forage helps new graduates land jobs through job simulation programs

Graduation season is wrapping up and that means job hunting is in full swing.

Students entering the workforce are sometimes overwhelmed and often unprepared when it comes to applying for and landing a job. Many are unsure of what jobs to apply for and end up putting in an application for any open job opportunity they come across. But many career experts agree that’s not the right approach.

I had the chance to speak to career expert Kelly Bass of Forage, a platform that helps students land jobs at some of the world’s top companies

Q: First, tell us a little bit about Forage and how it can help students find their first “real” job after graduation?

Forage is an online platform that works directly with hundreds of Fortune 500 companies to make job opportunities more accessible to new grads. We create virtual simulations of open jobs so candidates can road test a career before actually applying.

And the best part is that these job simulations are free, with no prerequisites required. Our simulations are self-paced so you can complete them in your own time around your studies, family obligations or any other responsibilities you are juggling.

Each program is specific to a job role and is free to students and gives you first-hand experience of a specific role at a specific company. You can learn what to expect in a role and decide whether or not you want to commit to the company’s hiring process - or not, which can be just as valuable

Taking a Forage program makes you twice as likely to get an interview, 4 times as likely to get an offer.

Q: Many college students have summer internships. Any advice on how to turn the internship into a job offer?

A: In today's hybrid/remote environment - staying visible and over communicating is key. It’s important to over-communicate when you're in a remote environment because you don’t have the luxury of hallway or watercooler conversations - so sending notes as simple as “Good morning” or, “How was your meeting?”

Take your work seriously but don’t take yourself too seriously. Introduce yourself to key players on the team without waiting for them to come to you. try to have fun and build real human connections along the way.

Be your own champion. As an intern, there’s this default way of thinking that you don’t know much because you're “just an intern.” Don’t sell yourself short! These companies want interns because they need fresh eyes, and they need to learn just as much from the interns as the interns need to learn from them, so it’s a two-way street.

And if you don’t have an internship, there are other ways of gaining work experience - get a summer job, take virtual work experience programs and more.

Q: What sort of tips do you have for building out your resume?

A: Most recent graduates don’t have much work experience, but the relevancy of your skills holds more weight than where or when you acquired them. Therefore, if you have relevant skills you learned from high school, you can include them along with any skills you might have picked up in college. If you are struggling to fill your resume, consider setting aside time to leverage free online resources to improve your skills or even learn completely new ones. Majority of students starting their careers want more practical skills for the workplace. Which is exactly what Forage is for.

Forage offers free virtual job simulations that you can complete for free and showcase on your resume. You can even post your certificate on LinkedIn and tag the employer who worked with Forage to create the program. What better way to prove to employers that you hold the proper skills and the motivation to do well in a career they have available than by completing their specific program before you’re even hired!