Breaking Out
You can approach a career search differently than a college application. It does not all need to be online job applications—networking provides options.
When you applied to school, those applications were online. The “strategy” was to apply to the best schools and hope for acceptance.
As you approach graduation and begin thinking seriously about applying your education to a career, you can “call the shots” on your job search? It’s called “networking”. You don’t have to live your life after college by applying through job boards. You can have fun making new connections and creating opportunities through networking. Networking can be at live events or online—where you can meet professionals from anywhere in the world!
The benefit of networking is that you generate your own referrals by making connections and building relationships. If someone refers you, that’s the best because “a referred candidate may be given immediate attention by a hiring manager, potentially speeding them to the interview stage.”
Being boxed in is not her style. She chooses to networking to advance her career.
- You’ll write the perfect cover letter and resume that MAY be seen unless it does not make it past the applicant tracking system (ATS-software that matches key words in your application with the job description and determines if your application is seen by a recruiter). If it does, the next step is a rigorous 6 second scan by a human.
- Allocate an hour for each online application. That’s 3 hours for 3 applications. You can network and begin building a lot of relationships with a lot of people in those 3 hours!
- You will most likely re-enter your resume information, including job history, even after uploading it on their site.
- You’ll provide the names and contact details for references before knowing that the employer has an interest in you as a candidate.
- You will be asked for your desired salary which may eliminate you right off the bat. It certainly interferes with your ability to negotiate should you be lucky enough to get that far.
- Then, there’s the never ending wait to hear back. You’ll spend time pondering whether to reach out and see if you’re still in the running and the next steps. Otherwise, it’s a waiting game that may never end.
- If you do get a call, you are so happy that it all sounded good. You go through the initial steps and perhaps the interview and find out that indeed, it may not be the job you want at all.
Bottom Line: After your time investment applying online, your chances for getting the perfect job are less than 1%!
Students discussing who they’ve met online and the career opportunities that may result.
Creating Your Own Future
If you’re willing to change the pattern of applying to job boards, you can build your own strategy and create career options for yourself.
Career networking for opportunities and referrals provides you with career options. You’re empowered to meet the people that can introduce you to company leadership, people they know and those that can open doors.
With a referral, you have a much better chance at an interview directly with the hiring manager—the person that has a problem you can solve.
