When LinkedIn first hit, I didn't really fall in line with trend. In fact, I seemed to avoid it. I eventually made a profile, but it was barely there and not at all showcasing my worth as a potential employee. So this week I decided to do some LinkedIn profile maintenance. I started with a simple enough article that plainly laid out what recruiters look for in a LinkedIn profile. Though I haven't completed everything on the list (like evidence that I am engaged and asking for recommendations), I did decide to spruce up my verbiage and add a few more details in. Having read a multitude of articles featuring the do's and don'ts of a LinkedIn profile I think this infographic sums it all up perfectly! I devoted about 3 hours to fixing my profile over this week and I am excited to see if this helps get me noticed by those on the other side of the job search.
Most college students have heard time and time again how important networking is. But, I can't be the only one who has, more than once, brushed off this advice all the while thinking that I would take on the world all on my own, blazing my own trail and making my own connections. This week I learned how wrong I was. The week got off to a very rocky start: I was not selected to move forward in the application process for a job I thought was my perfect fit. I had been fantasizing about where that one job would take me over the next few years and all the doors it would open. When I heard of the decision my daydreams shattered and I was crushed. I spent the next day or two feeling a little lost and defeated when it came to my job search. And today things started to turn around. A phone call from my mom has reignited my job search flame. The story goes like this: My aunt has kept in touch with a childhood friend for a number of years. A few years ago this friend decided to seek out and reconnect with her birth parents. And her mother works for the president of an organization that I could have only imagined working for. My resume is now being passed up a chain of individuals all in the effort of finding me a job. Though I am optimistic about my chances, that is not what this post is about. Instead, I simply meant to point out a very important thing about networking: You never know who may be able to help you sometime down the road. I may have never been given this opportunity had my aunt lost touch with that childhood friend. Moral of the story is don't burn bridges and allow people to help you. This week has truly opened my eyes to just how many people want to help me find a job, despite what I may have previously thought. Who knew my network was so big? With so many people looking for work these days, trying to find a job can feel a lot like poor Oliver Twist begging for more food. As graduation draws closer and closer with each passing day, a calm confident job search can quickly turn into a desperate frenzy of resumes and cover letters. For months now I have searched job boards high and low (Indeed, The Muse, and Simply Hired to name a few) in an effort to find my ideal post-graduate employment. I've researched an endless number of companies trying to craft the perfect cover letter to accompany my various applications while constantly tweaking my resume to highlight why I would be the best fit for each job. I'm sure many others have experienced what happens next: silence. At which point the process begins again. Currently, I am waiting to hear from four jobs, two of which indicated that I would receive word regardless of the decision and one of which provided a response date if an interview was granted. Though waiting is difficult (I am very much a planner and can't wait to begin planning for my inevitable post-graduation move), I know that patience is key in finding a job and allow that knowledge to encourage me to finish each application.
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