As 2015 comes to an end, we will continue on into the 16th year of the century, and a number of us will soon be collecting our diplomas and venturing out into the world to start this next chapter of our lives. Houses, cars, families… a majority of the things we hold closest to ours hearts are all excavated within what seems to be a mere sliver of time. Within these components of our lives is perhaps the most valuable of them all, your career.
Have you uncovered what you actually want to do after graduation?
If you have, that is fantastic, but what are your plans to confidently acquire this position? As the world becomes more digitalized, so does the world of the near-endless job search. Thankfully, there are a vast number opportunities within the digital age that a majority of students are just overlooking, as if these opportunities aren’t applicable to them. The truth is, the digital age is granting new, tech-savvy graduates enormous advantages within the realm of the job search. Below I wanted to share how you can prepare yourself to take hold of these opportunities as they are presented to you.
Understand Things Have Changed
While the world of paper résumés and in-person interviews is still very much alive, technology is becoming increasingly prevalent in the digital job search age. Many employers are turning towards online résumé submissions and video chat services to carry out interviews. This may seem quite foreign to the unknowing eye, but these practices are actually surprisingly more apparent than you think. Therefore, it is a great idea to understand how to present yourself during a video interview to ensure these potential employers know that you mean business.
Clean Up Your Online Persona
Whether you are diving into the fierce territory of the job hunt or simply dipping in a toe, cleaning up your online presence is vital to the success of your endeavors. Adjusting Facebook’s privacy settings and removing your not-so presentable photos are just a couple of the many tactics to employ when cleaning up your social footprint. It is best to go into your profiles and think: would you hire yourself based on what you see?
Take Advantage of Social Engagement Opportunities
Once your online presence is narrowed down to a clean, yet still personable version of you, it is important to understand the benefits of engaging with potential employment prospects online. This can be as simple as following them on Twitter or commenting on a status they shared – anything to inform these prospects of your existence. Many employers will be extremely impressed if you are already aware of the conversations they are having online.
Do Your Research
Just as easily as these employers can uncover countless details about you from your online presence, you can find quite a bit about your potential employers well before even meeting them. For example, if you have a video interview scheduled, simply look up the individual who is conducting the interview. What college did they attend? Where did they grow up? Bringing up these little details within an interview can spark memorable conversations with these employers and show them that you truly do care about the position.
Be Ready to Keep Learning
As technology continues to advance, so does the rest of the world. Meaning the skills you crafted throughout your time in college many not always directly correlate with how these tasks are carried out in the not-so distant future. In fact, 39% of employers around the world say that graduates lack skills for even entry-level positions. This can be accredited to the fact that many workplaces implement their own best practices.
In summary, the after-college job search is becoming incredibly vast throughout, thanks to technological advancements. We as millennials have opportunities to implement our knowledge of these technologies into our job hunts, but it is important to understand exactly what you are getting into before diving in.
Thank you for reading. Find me on Twitter to continue the conversation! How has the digital age assisted you in your job search?