Graduation season is upon us! While earning your degree is an exciting and proud moment, many young professionals can experience stress and anxiety while entering the workforce.
To help ease these feelings, we’ve put together a few tips and expectations for recent grads to follow while making this transition.
Be realistic with your job search
It’s important to do your research within your industry and understand the rates for entry level jobs. Try to speak with professionals within your field and gauge their salaries and job titles. Be aware of your worth, but remain realistic. The more you know about your industry, you’ll be more prepared to start your search and less surprised by any new information.
Consider finding a mentor
Don’t hesitate to find someone in your industry who really knows the tricks of the trade. Forbes reiterates this, saying, “Many unexpected changes have occurred, and it’s OK to feel confused about the next step. Continue learning to be where you want to be. You can talk to mentors in your desired field and even those outside of your field to gain a broader perspective. Read about others’ experiences and what they’re doing as recent college graduates. There’s so much you can learn from other people and their experiences, so make sure to dig into their resources.”
Many colleges and universities use alumni networks for this very reason. Consider joining yours and seeing who you can connect with.
Consider temp jobs
Our recruiters at Green Key highly suggest considering temp jobs as a way to get your foot in the door. This can be a great way to kickstart your career, especially within large industries, such as financial services. Temp jobs teach transferable skills and are perfect for recent grads beginning their professional journeys.
Strengthen your remote work skills
So much has changed during the pandemic, especially within the workforce. With so many companies switching to remote and hybrid schedules, it’s important to adapt to this type of work. As the first generation to immediately jump into this, it may be tricky at first, but learning how to alter your schedule and tasks to adjust to the other members of your team is crucial.
Be aware of social sleuthing
Be sure to consider your online presence while applying for jobs. Your social media profiles should remain private, as employers are sure to look you up. Your LinkedIn profile should also be clean, organized, and match your resume. Check out our blog post here to learn how to tailor your LinkedIn profile for the jobs you want!
Contact Green Key recruiters
We want to hear from you! If you’re a recent grad and don’t know where to begin, check out our practice areas and open roles. Get your ideal career started today!