If you’re a 25ish-year-old recent graduate like me, job hunting is probably one of your Top 3 priorities in life right now. It’s a tough post-college world out there. We all have to pay our dues as the newbies in the job market, but I’ve found 2 practical job hunting techniques that actually led me to getting the sort of jobs I wanted.
1. Pound the Pavement
When I graduated with my Bachelors in History in 2009, I was considering a graduate program in Museum Studies as my next step. I literally printed off a list of every museum in a 3 miles radius of the campus I planned to attend and went door to door asking, “So, uh… How do you get a job here?” Most places encouraged me to check their websites for job opportunities or fill out an application. I was new to that city, so I had Map Quest driving directions from one stop to the next, and by stop #10 I was worn out. I almost didn’t stop at that last museum because the entire day (my 22nd birthday, I might add) felt fruitless. Since smartphones were yet to give me instant rerouting options, the only way I knew to get home was to follow the directions from #9 to #10 and then to the interstate. Fortunately, I did stop at that last museum. I knocked on the front door and asked about a job. They happened to be hiring. I interviewed a few weeks later, and worked there for over 3 years. Crazy, huh?
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| Me, in November 2009, right after I started that first job out of college. I felt so professional in that black dress. |
2. Put Yourself Out There
After finishing my Master’s program in December 2012, I began a “sabbatical” on the beachfront, which I am currently enjoying. Since I’m completely new to the region, I looked up organizations of interest online that are close by in my area. I collected contact email addresses from their websites and sent out a short note to each of them. Something to the effect of,
“Hi! I’m a recent graduate with a ____________ degree. I’m new to the area. I found your organization through the __________ website. I am hoping to find opportunities to share my expertise and benefit an organization like yours in the community. For more information about my skills and experience, please find my resume and portfolio at www.________.com. Thank you, Sarah.”
I received a few rejection emails, and most actually ignored me. But one organization happened to need a person with my skills to begin immediately and so I’ve been hired on in an interim position and I’m gaining incredibly valuable experience!
My career life has been pretty short so far, but these are two practical ways that have worked for me so far. Applying to positions on great websites like Idealist.org or Monster.com is definitely a good idea, but I have found that my own job hunting successes so far include personal contact with specific organizations. It pays off to make a little extra effort by honing in on the types of positions or organizations I’d really like to work for, and then letting them know I exist! It definitely includes the risk of rejection as most places are going to say no, but all it takes is one “Yes!” Best of luck to you in your endeavors!
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