Tips for College Graduates on the Job Hunt

-Project A Positive Attitude: Attitude and personality are often more important than your resume. This is especially true for entry-level employees who in truth have little or no experience on the job to offer employers. Remember, everyone was an entry-level employee at one point in their career.

-Be Persistent: The job market right now is more competitive than ever and only the most pro-active candidates will have success. Do not wait for employers to find you, and do not be put off if a company does not jump at the chance to hire you. Make follow-up phone calls until you get in touch with someone. After the interview, always write a thank you note. Show that you are interested and enthusiastic whenever possible.

-Familiarize Yourself with the Company: Learn as much as you can about the company before you go in for the interview. Visit their web site; know the clients, read press releases, news clips and even their annual report if it is readily available. Dropping a few facts and figures in a subtle manner will show your interviewer you cared enough to do the research.

-Get Serious and Get Organized: Your job is finding a job. Do it from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and give it the dedication you would your career. Set up some sort of home office from which to conduct your operations. You need a clean workspace for research, scheduling and communications.

-Learn to Love Networking: Set up meetings with anyone, even if that person does not have a position for you at the moment. Not only does this get your face and resume out there, but it will put you in an active mind-frame. The more people you talk to the better because you can always learn something new.

-Show Interest and Make Person Connections: Small talk is big. Even in the most intense interviews, there will at some point be an opportunity to chat with your interviewers more casually. Remember that throughout this process you are selling yourself. If you make a personal connection with someone, that person may be more likely to want to work with you than another candidate with similar qualifications but less social finesse.

© Dale Carnegie & Associate, Inc. 2006. All Rights Reserved.