21 Oct 4 Things Every College Grad Needs to Do to Land Their First Job

When you look for a job after college, you want to be prepared. Not only that, but you also want to know exactly what you want in a job situation. You have a degree now, so in some respects, you can call the shots. Sure, you don’t want to be demanding, but you want to have the mindset that you are the desired one. It’s a mutual situation, but if you take the upper hand, you can actually get more – for your time, salary and talent. However, there are also a number of things you will need to do before you land a job. The idea is to get yourself out there and boost your appearance so that you look job-ready. Here are four things every college grad needs to do to land their first job.

1. Create a Digital Resume

First and foremost, you will need to create your resume. If you don’t want to go through the old-fashioned motions of printing out your resume, you may want to find a digital resume platform that will allow you the opportunity to share your CV with anyone at any time. In fact, various employers can also find your digital resume if they search for it – you may even wind up getting scouted.

2. Clean Up Your Social Media Profiles

If you went to ACU Online or Hofstra University, there is a good chance that you have a social media trail. Indeed, some of those photos may not be entirely flattering. This is why you want to clean up your photos. If you have any pictures of yourself engaging in activity that may not be job-worthy, you definitely want to delete all those images. The key is to clean up your online presence as much as possible – this means that all your social media pages should be clean and you should ask blogs to take down pictures of you that may be compromising.

3. Get Some New Work Clothes

On top of cleaning up your online presence and updating your resume, you also want to purchase some new clothes. When you go in for an interview, you want your clothes to be crisp and new. You shouldn’t look like you just got back from a long road trip or from a big party. Indeed, you should show up to the job interview dressed professionally. You don’t need to wear a suit or anything – unless the job calls for it – but you do want to go for business casual.

4. Have a Clear Idea as to What You Want from Your Job

When you do meet with employers, you should have a very clear idea as to how many hours a week you want to work, how much you want to get paid and what benefits you expect. An employer will be a lot more willing to meet you somewhere in the middle or beyond if you are just honest and straightforward. In the end, sometimes bringing your A-game means being direct and truthful.