“You Don't Know JACK... But You Will” -- Career Advice for Recent Grads from Leah Moss
(The Stuff They NEVER Mention Before You Graduate)
by Rhonda BishopYWCA USA Advocacy AssociateLeah Moss, 23, founder, publisher, and editor-in-chief of JACK Detroit magazine had a difficult time landing a job after graduation, so she launched her own business instead. Here, she offers these five tips for recent college graduates who are still searching for a job:
1. Make the most out of your internships.Your most successful skill sets will be cultivated in your internships—don’t take them lightly! Internships come with less baggage then careers—take advantage of opportunities that are unfamiliar or of interest. Intern in politics, at your favorite art gallery, the circus—this is your only chance to work within your interests without the pressure of student loans, rent and adult responsibilities.
2. Don't rely solely on online job search sites.The blind job application process sucks. You have to get out there in your line of work, meet people, and print out business cards for yourself with your cell phone number and your e-mail address (even if you don’t have a job) and then who knows where that could lead -- if there is an opening at their company, if there’s a chance for an informational interview, if there’s a chance for a portfolio review—take it.
3. Don't refuse help.Meet as many people as you can and take them up on their offers to help.
4. If you want a grown-up job, use grown-up social networks.Join Linkedin. Seriously.
5. If all else fails, hire yourself.Consider hiring yourself -- start a business! But keep in mind that developing a business plan takes a lot longer to write than you’ll ever think. Take the amount of time and length you estimate and then double it.
Related Posts:
- The Young & The Restless: How One Recent Graduate Hired Herself (Leah Moss)
- Audio: Interview with Leah Moss, founder of JACK Detroit
Rhonda Bishop, a native of East Lansing, Mich., is an advocacy associate at YWCA USA. A graduate of Howard University in Washington, D.C., Rhonda majored in journalism and has been navigating the post-graduate voyage ever since.