Life After College: How I Fell Off My Course, and How You Can Climb Back On

I always thought I was doing everything right.  I got good grades in high school, did well on my SAT’s, and got into a competitive liberal arts school just like I was supposed to.  As far as anyone ever told me, I was on the right track.  At college, I continued to get good grades.  I found summer internships, like I was supposed to, I joined social and academic clubs, like I was supposed to, and I crafted a professional looking resume, just like I was supposed to.

Yet, after I graduated in May of 2012, I found myself still jobless nearly one year later.  I couldn’t understand it.  I thought, “What is wrong with me?  Didn’t I do everything I was supposed to?  I worked hard, and I paid nearly $200,000 dollars for this education, so that I could get the job I wanted when I was finished.”  At least that was the implied transaction as I understood it. 

What I’ve learned is there is nothing wrong with me.  The fact is that college just doesn’t prepare new graduates to enter the work force.  Sure, at college I learned how to write a great essay, how to pass a test, and how to take stellar notes in a lecture.  But the reality is none of those skills translate to acing a job interview, or building a professional network.  None of the classes at my school showed me the way to get a job doing something that I loved.

Then, in a profoundly ironic twist of fate, I finally got a job as the social media coordinator at 1 Degree Hire.  The guy who spent almost a year unemployed landed a job at a company that specializes in training college students and recent grads like you and me to achieve our professional dreams. 

Now I see I was doing everything wrong.  I was applying to any and all jobs I could find on Monster or CareerBuilder or Indeed.  I wasn’t doing everything I could to make myself standout from the crowd when it came to job interviews.  I wasn’t being assertive enough in taking advantage of the built in network of friends and family that all of us have.

I’m writing this, because I want to help people who are where I was only a few short weeks ago.  I remember all too well how miserable it was to feel useless, and like there was no way I would ever get a job.  I’m telling you, if you sign up to receive 1 Degree Hire’s three free instructional clips, you’re going to learn innovative and sure ways to make yourself a better candidate for any job you desire.

It really doesn’t have to be this way.  It’s not as hopeless as it seems, and if you’re willing to make a few small changes to your job hunting strategy, you can find that job you really want in the field of your dreams.

There are 3 simple things that I wish I had done sooner after I graduated from college, and began my job search.

First, I wish I had focused on finding a job in an industry that I actually cared about.  I should have concentrated on finding a job that I loved.  Instead, I took any interview that came my way.  I’d go into interviews, not really knowing about or caring about the job, and my lack of enthusiasm was apparent to the interviewers.  I was wasting my time and theirs.  The moral of the story?  You have to choose a job you really want, and then you have to go out and get it.

Second, I wish I had worked harder early on to develop a network of professional people around me to help me pursue my first job.  What I didn’t realize was how easy this would be.  The truth is, everyone has a network of friends and family already in place.  All you have to do is cultivate it by reaching out to the people who know and care about you, and letting them know that you would value their professional advice and help.  I also wish I had better utilized social media like LinkedIn right off the bat.  It’s so easy, and with a little guidance, it’s amazing how a little bit of cyber-networking can turn into job leads.  You can join professional groups in the industry of your choice, join discussions, make important connections with people in your field, and you can do it all from the comfort of your couch.

Third, I wish I had considered getting more internships, and developing my skills, in order to land my dream job.  After college, it’s very easy to focus only on the prize, landing that dream job, without taking a step back and looking at things one step at a time.  If I had pursued more internships, I would’ve gained more useful experience while simultaneously growing my network through the people I was interning with.  It’s also important to get out there and keep working, even if you aren’t getting paid for it.  The last thing you want is to find yourself a year down the road after college with a big blank spot on your resume, because you never got an internship to fill your time, and instead threw online applications at companies like a handful of darts at a board. 

If you’re about to graduate from college, I urge you to at the very least think about these three mistakes that I made.  It really is possible to get a job that you care about, one that you wake up in the morning excited to go to, right out of college.  You just need to have the right strategy.