This morning I had an email from a discouraged university graduate who is having trouble landing her first job. She knows herself well enough to aim for an in-house position with a corporation’s public relations department. Seems the rough and tackle world of consulting isn’t for her.
How do you land your first job after graduation? I’ve had the question enough times. It is hard to get experience when you don’t have any - and few companies seem keen to take on fresh recruits.
First and foremost you have to network. Too often graduates mass mail CVs to employers looking for work. If I get your application 99% of the time I don’t have an opening just then. And while I may file the details too often it rests forgotten in a drawer full of other candidates.
Instead, ask for information interviews. While few people may have a job opening when you apply almost everyone is free to share their viewpoints. Pen a smart, targeted note to people in your preferred industry and ask for a half-hour of their time. You should prepare questions tailored to them that will help you better understand their background. Some examples:
- How did you land your first role in public relations?
- What were the most important lessons from your first job?
- How well did university prepare you for your first role?
- What advice would you give recent graduates seeking their first job?
- Are there other people you know who I might approach for information interviews?
Don’t just approach the old nuts (folks like me who have been around forever). Sometimes the best interviews come from recent graduates who are in their first jobs. And the younger workers tend to have contacts who know where new roles are opening. Best way to start is to approach your university’s alumni office or career development office.
I can’t stress enough the importance of doing every step right. Send a tailored letter with the correct spelling, title and address of the person. Follow up four days later with a telephone call - and if need be, leave a concise and precise voice message (”Good morning this is Mary Calm following up on a letter I sent last week requesting an information interview. I can be reached on 123-456 and I look forward to hearing from you.”).
Then send a prompt thank you letter - reflecting back one major idea you heard that made sense. You might want to have personal business cards printed (small batches at any print shop or online). And if you see an article a month later that reminds you of what that person said, then clip it and mail it with a short “thought this would be of interest” cover slip.
It is all about the details. Employers are easily impressed by someone with a good grasp of all facets of meeting and correspondence etiquette. Sadly it will make you stand out from the shocking number of people who don’t get the basics right.
Network with one person, they’ll recommend another and in time you’ll have a dozen people who know about you and are keeping their ears to the ground for possible roles. In time one will call with an opening suited to your interests.
Now - get started!
Walter Jennings - all the way from Sydney, Australia!
