On Launching Your Career: Discovering Opportunities
A well-planned discovery strategy will ensure a successful transition to launch your career.
As you launch your career, finding your first role post-academia is a multifaceted process that includes leveraging both your academic achievements and your professional network.
In 2022, Grand Canyon University’s Life After College Survey found that the top stressor for recent college graduates is to have a successful career. More than 30% of respondents listed this specific stressor as their top pressure as they embarked on post-graduate life.
Why this pressure? Many graduates are now facing the realities of a pervasive myth that may have influenced their decision to continue their academic path: that once you have a college degree, you have a job.
The reality is that it takes the average college student three to six months to secure employment following graduation – and in many instances, this first role may not be what was initially envisioned.
But fear not: with defined planning and strategy to discover the right opportunities for your background, interests, and aspirations, you will launch your career with the right expectations.
Setting The Strategy for Your Search
The job market is a very broad and diverse arena filled with opportunities for those looking to launch their careers. Before you go down the path of your job search, it’s important to set your strategy and take the time for the following considerations:
Define the Specific Parameters for Your First Role
Answering these questions will help you narrow your focus to the roles & industries that fit within your needs.
What is your preferred work commitment? Are you looking for a full-time, part-time, or contract role? What type of collaboration with others makes sense for you?
Do you need specific benefits or accommodations as part of any role you take?
Are there other existing commitments in your life that take priority or need to be balanced as you launch your career?
Is there a specific compensation threshold you need to meet or exceed? (Don’t let the world of social media unduly influence you; focus on your own actual cost of living and personal budget to set your threshold.)
Have you evaluated your personal core values for better alignment with your future workplace?
As you answer these questions, you will begin to set necessary filters for potential roles that meet your basic requirements as you get started. Over the span of your career, your answers may change or evolve; this is expected and encouraged as you grow as a person.
Narrow Your Scope with Research into Job Title Hierarchy
Many organizations employ a variety of job titles to describe similar roles. This can be due to functional differences between different role types (marketing versus software engineering, as an example), different role reporting structures (based on who the role reports to), and different organizational or industry customs when assigning role titles.
Generally speaking, nearly all companies utilize a common hierarchy for roles across the organization. At the top of the hierarchy is the board of directors, followed by the executive suite, or C-suite roles. This is followed by a number of levels of leadership and management, depending on the size, scope, and tenure within the organization. For your first role, you will likely find your fit in an entry-level or individual contributor role.
To find these roles, consider job titles with keywords such as:
· Assistant
· Associate
· Analyst
· Coordinator
· Specialist
· Representative
· Agent
· Generalist
· Administrator
· Technician
Need help finding more specific titles, particularly for technical roles? Utilize the OnGig Title Database to help narrow your scope to the specific job titles & hierarchy for your search.
Identify the Specific Role Type or Function
The final step in our job search strategy to is to identify the specific role type or function you’re looking for. For some, this may align to your chosen degree or educational path; for example, if you are a Marketing major, a Marketing function may be a good initial fit for you.
For others, a broader educational path or other interests may lead in a number of potential directions and career paths. Start with this advice:
The perfect role does not exist – not now, not ever.
Instead, focus on where you want to start first. Describe what you want to learn and do, and this will help you narrow your focus to specific functions to launch your career. By aligning your interests and aspirations, your first role will provide you the opportunity to learn the skills you need and provide you feedback into the specific aspects of the working world you enjoy (and those things you don’t.)
Attitude will control 98% (or more) of your work experience, no matter what function or role type you choose.
Your happiness in any role, type, or function will be almost exclusively determined by your attitude and your motivation to learn, grow, and explore. It doesn’t matter what role or function you choose; instead, take each day as a learning opportunity for your self-awareness and how you continue to create value for yourself.
Ultimately, this first choice is likely not the “be all, end all” role for you.
Making a choice for your first role or function does not commit you for the rest of your life. It doesn’t eliminate other options, paths, or choices across your career. As you gain experience, learn new skills, and explore the field, you will adapt and change your perspective. Jumping from performing arts to IT to Marketing and into Sales is a valid path if that’s the path you choose to take.
Aligning Opportunities with Career Strategy
Once you’ve set your strategy into place, it’s time to start the discovery process.
Engage in Career Counseling
The most effective mindset to discover the right opportunities for you is to treat this as a team sport and utilize the resources at your fingertips for career counseling. Many colleges offer career services to alumni, which can include job boards, career counseling, resume and cover letter review services, and networking events. There are other resources in your city as well as online; a simple search for “career counseling” can point you in the right direction. Look for resources specifically designed to help graduates like you find their first step on the career ladder. Here’s how to make the most out of your resources:
Career Counseling
Schedule an appointment with a career counselor to discuss your career goals, resume, and job search strategy. These professionals can provide personalized advice based on your degree, interests, and industry trends.
Workshops and Seminars
Attend workshops and seminars offered by the career center. These might cover a range of topics, including resume writing, interview preparation, networking strategies, and job search techniques.
Job and Internship Databases
Many colleges offer access to exclusive job and internship databases. These platforms can connect you with opportunities tailored to the needs and aspirations of students and alumni.
Engage in Networking Opportunities
Networking is a vital component of your job search strategy, especially as a recent college graduate. It's about building and nurturing professional relationships that can lead to job opportunities, advice, and insights into your chosen field. Here's how to expand your network effectively:
Career Fairs
Participate in career fairs organized by your college. These events are a great opportunity to meet employers, learn about different organizations and industries, and discuss potential job or internship opportunities.
Alumni Networking Events
Attend alumni networking events to connect with graduates who are established in their careers. These connections can provide valuable insights, advice, and potentially job leads.
Mentorship Programs
Inquire if your college offers a mentorship program. Being paired with an alumni mentor in your field of interest can offer you guidance, support, and an insider’s perspective on navigating your career path.
Engage with Your Alumni Network
Your college's alumni association is a goldmine for networking. Attend alumni meetups, seminars, and other events. Alumni are often eager to help graduates from their alma mater.
Join Industry-Specific Groups
Become a member of professional associations related to business administration. These groups often host events, workshops, and conferences where you can meet professionals in your field.
Utilize Online Resources for Discovery
Optimize Your Digital Profile
Ensure your digital profile is complete and reflects your skills, experiences, and career aspirations. Use a professional photo and include a compelling summary of your experiences and goals.
Engage with Content
Share and comment on relevant content to the industry, role, or function you’re seeking. This can increase your visibility and show your interest in your field. You can also write articles or posts to share your insights and experiences.
Explore Career Center Digital Resources
Explore your college's career center website for additional resources, including career guides, industry reports, and webinar recordings. These resources can be valuable for research and self-guided learning.
Surf Online Job Boards
Many colleges have online job boards where employers post opportunities specifically targeting students and alumni. These can be a goldmine for finding relevant openings. Leverage other online job boards, such as LinkedIn, Indeed, ZipRecruiter, and more for broader options and opportunities.
Set Google Alerts for Specific Organizations, Roles, or Functions
A favorite tactic from our field experience – set up Google Alerts for specific job postings, titles, roles, or organizations that you’re interested in. Set the alerts to daily and let Google do the hard work to find matched opportunities.
Use Boolean Search in Google to Find Hidden Opportunities
This is a new tip from our Notes from the Field experts to discover newly posted jobs and jobs that are not posted to external job boards. Thousands of organizations use applicant tracking systems (ATS) such as Greenhouse.io, Lever.co, Dover.com, icims.com, and others. Simply craft the following search into Google:
Combine “site:” with an ATS URL and your desired job title. For example, to find Data Analyst roles, simply search:
Site:greenhouse.io “data analyst”
This will pull every organization that’s using the Greenhouse.io applicant tracking system and show results for data analyst job openings. You can repeat this process for many of the common ATS systems, including:
greenhouse.io
icims.com
jobs.smartrecruiters.com
lever.co
myworkdayjobs.com
jobs.ashbyhq.com
dover.com
Bonus points: once you search, you can click “Tools” in the top navigation bar in Google and filter results to the past 24 hours (if you’re searching daily) or other timeframe that makes sense for your strategy.
Leverage Internships and Volunteer Work
Leveraging internships and volunteer work is a strategic approach to enhance your resume, develop new skills, and expand your professional network, especially as a recent college graduate. These experiences demonstrate your commitment to your career and willingness to go beyond academic achievements. Here's how to make the most of internships and volunteer work in your job search:
Detail Your Responsibilities and Achievements
For each internship or volunteer position, list your key responsibilities and any noteworthy accomplishments. Use action verbs to describe your contributions and quantify results whenever possible to illustrate your impact. Focus specifically on projects you completed, your role in the project, and how you achieved success.
Showcase Relevant Skills
Identify the skills you developed or honed through these experiences, especially those pertinent to the jobs you're applying for. This might include technical skills, project management, teamwork, leadership, or communication abilities.
Emphasize Adaptability and Initiative
Internships and volunteer roles often require you to adapt quickly to new environments or tasks. Highlight instances where you took initiative, adapted to new challenges, or contributed innovative ideas.
Focus on Soft Skills
Volunteering and internships often require strong collaboration, communication, and problem-solving skills. Provide examples of how you've exemplified these soft skills in your roles, showing your ability to work well in diverse teams and environments.
Express Your Interest in a Full-Time Role
If you performed well in an internship and enjoyed the work and company culture, let your supervisor know you're interested in exploring full-time opportunities. Even if there are no current openings, they may keep you in mind for future positions or recommend you to others in their network.
Concluding Your Opportunity Discovery
As you discover new opportunities for the roles, functions, and organizations you’re interested in, keep track of each opportunity in a unified tracker, such as an Excel spreadsheet. Include the details about the role, a link to the job description, key elements to highlight in your application, and any other information valuable for the application phase.
Next week, we will cover the application process, including the assets you need to prepare and tailor for each opportunity you find. Don’t throw away opportunities with a generic form fill – we’ll walk through the framework to get your application to stand out from the crowd.
Be Persistent and Positive
Embracing persistence and maintaining a positive attitude are foundational to navigating the challenges of job searching, especially for recent graduates. The journey to securing your ideal position can be demanding and, at times, discouraging. However, perseverance and optimism are key to overcoming setbacks and moving closer to your career goals. Here's how to cultivate persistence and maintain positivity:
Embrace Challenges
View challenges not as obstacles but as opportunities for growth and learning. Each application and interview, regardless of the outcome, offers valuable experience that can improve your future efforts.
Set Achievable Milestones
Break down your job search into manageable goals, such as sending a certain number of applications per week or connecting with industry professionals each month. Achieving these smaller goals can provide a sense of progress and motivation.
Celebrate Progress
Acknowledge and celebrate each step forward, no matter how small. Whether it’s landing an interview or receiving positive feedback, these moments are signs of progress and should be recognized.
Maintain a Routine
Treat your job search like a job itself, with a structured routine and dedicated hours each day. This can help keep you focused and reduce feelings of being overwhelmed.
Balance Your Time
While it’s important to dedicate time to your job search, ensure you also make time for activities that you enjoy and that help you recharge, such as hobbies, exercise, or spending time with friends and family.
Adapt Your Strategy
Be willing to adapt your job search strategy based on what you learn from each application and interview. Staying flexible and open to trying new approaches can open new opportunities.
Keep Learning
Continue to build your skills and knowledge, whether through formal education, online courses, or self-study. Staying engaged in learning can keep you motivated and make you a more attractive candidate.
Next Post:
On Launching Your Career: Tailoring Your Application
After identifying the opportunities you want to pursue – and aligning with your core values and needs – the next step is the application process. Why Application Preparation is Important In the digital world, the time and effort required to apply for opportunities is at an all-time low. This should be a good thing, right?