5 Tips for Preparing to Enter the Workforce Mid-Pandemic
It is no secret that COVID-19 has thrown a wrench into the plans of millions of people in more ways than one. This is especially true for many college students, as they have been forced to stay at home and complete their classes from their childhood bedrooms instead of on campus. Graduations have become virtual, as have interviews, internships, jobs, movie nights, concerts, and more.
As I started my senior year of college this fall, I was fortunate to still be working at Skillsoft as an intern. I didn’t have to search for a remote internship for the semester. With that being said, I am still a senior and the looming need to start looking for jobs after graduation is weighing heavily on my mind. The chance of having to begin my first real job remotely is very high, and obviously not what I would have ever anticipated. The job market is also quite different than it was pre-pandemic. Since most positions are remote, there is more competition for most of the positions that are open. Being able to elevate yourself as a candidate has never been more important, yet you must achieve this all virtually. It is very easy to get overwhelmed with this, so I have put some thought into how college students can best prepare for this inevitable future we are entering.
1. Make sure your LinkedIn is up to date and you are using it actively and effectively.
This is a social platform dedicated to sharing professional updates and information. If you have an internship currently, make sure you are sharing projects you are working on if possible so you can keep of running list of everything you work on to later include in your resume. Also, share company updates to show you are engaged with the company and the work it is doing. If you don’t have an internship, share updates on projects you are working on in school. This is a great way to show you are engaged in your work and passionate about what you are doing. In addition to sharing these updates, find articles about industries that interest you or topics that you like related to your work interests and share them to your feed. This is a simple way to keep your name in the feed of your connections and start conversations.
Not only is sharing updates important, but so is engaging with posts in your feed. Spend some time reading, liking, sharing, and commenting on the posts your connections have shared to show you are engaging with connections and are interested in what others are doing.
2. Create a portfolio website that showcases some of your best work.
In every interview, and often before you even get an interview, companies want to see your work. An easy way to do this is by creating a website that showcases your work and tells people a little bit about who you are. Instead of digging through your documents and picking what work you like best, you can simply send a link to your portfolio. Not only is this simpler, but it shows that you have gone a step further to create a platform to showcase your work; that you are passionate and dedicated as a student and worker. If you want to see an example, feel free to visit my portfolio here.
3. Actively try to make connections with people.
Since most of us are remote and not able to see friends, professors, or colleagues in person, going the extra step to make new connections and maintain current or old connections has never been more crucial. LinkedIn is extremely helpful in doing this, but so is joining webinars, attending virtual events, participating in online networking sessions, and sending messages to people you may not know but find interesting and want to learn more about. For many people, networking can feel like the most awkward and uncomfortable thing ever, but it truly is essential to your success in the communications field especially.
4. Consistently check the websites of companies and job opening websites for open positions.
How I wish jobs could just fall into our laps, right?! Unfortunately, we all know that is not the case and you have to put in the time and work to find jobs. Can this be a bit exhausting? Yes. Will it pay off? Yes, quite literally. There are many job listing sites that are updated constantly with new openings all around the world. A few of the sites I often check are Indeed, ZipRecruiter, and CareerBuilder. With that being said, there are always countless local websites for finding jobs near you. If you are passionate about working for a certain company, check their website in addition to these sites as they may not post openings to external sites.
5. Use your school career resources and professors to your advantage.
College career centers are full of endless resources and are often forgotten about. In addition, schools often have their own job listings platform for students to use to find jobs both internally and externally. These centers offer a laundry list of free resources and activities to help elevate your preparedness for the next chapter of your life. At my school, some of the offerings include resume reviews, mock interviews, networking events, and more…all FREE. Find out what your career center offers and take full advantage of it while you can.
Follow these tips and your bound to be a “boss person”. Are there other tips you have for students entering the workforce for the first time? Let me know, and good luck to my fellow seniors!
