Use These Secrets to Get the Ideal Job After Graduation

Anticipating finding a job after graduation, but anxious that it will be an overwhelming process? It doesn't have to be. The following are the best things to do to secure a job when you graduate.

Have a good attitude. 

Even if you are academically ready for the job, it is important to remember there are less tangible qualities, like attitude, that are just as important. You can't expect a job to just fall out of the sky. You need to keep yourself motivated to find one. When you get leads, be sure to show your confidence, and that you are excited about the job and what you have to offer.

Cultivate contacts 

You might have heard that old saying that it is not what you know but who you know. Never has this been more true as in today's job market. It is important, then, to develop relationships. Make as many contacts as possible and work your system of contacts; network. Remember not to be someone you're not. Just be yourself. After all, the real you is who they will be working with. While you're at it, show off the qualities that you bring to the table. Also, show that you are worth their while-ask appropriate questions, be respectful, and demonstrate a willingness to help them out in return.

Create a strong resume 

If you wanted to invite people to your house, would you want the front area to look shabby and inhospitable? Of course not. By the same token you want to be sure you make a good first impression with your resume. Remember you only get one chance to make a good first impression. Keep it to one page. In today's world, employers don't have time for long resumes. Keeping it brief shows you respect their time. Be sure to highlight accomplishments and how they have added value to the organizations for which you did them. If you were the president of the class council, for example, you might highlight that you helped raise a school record-breaking amount f money for charity, or that you organized the most popular school dances in years.

Show professionalism 

First impressions are very important in an interview. A prospective employer doesn't know that deep down inside you are a good person and a hard worker. She will form her impression from your initial appearance. Be sure to have your hair neatly kept. Keep it well-styled and sharp. Dress well, also. It is better to be over dressed than under dressed. Make sure your appearance is neat and clean. Don't forget to make eye contact when interviewing. Carry at least one copy of your resume with you to give out to your prospective employer, even if you already sent it.

Manage your "brand" 

Just as a brand manager for a company jealously guards how that brand is perceived and how it is used, you must guard your image as a "brand." Be aware of your appearance in social media (yes, this means avoid pictures of yourself at the most recent wild party put on by your friends). Keep track of what is said about you online and what electronic bread crumbs you have left behind. Google yourself and search social media sites to find out what has been said about you, where your name or pictures have appeared, etc.

Why Colleges and Universities Are Using Virtual Fairs for Recruitment

When colleges and universities are trying to recruit their next college class, they aim for the brightest and the best who will want to attend their university. They are hoping to attract individuals who can enhance the campus. Finding the right prospectives and encouraging them to apply to their college or university is challenging, but has gotten easier due to modern technology. One of the latest trends is participating on websites that offer virtual college fairs for those planning to seek a higher learning degree. There are several different ways that college recruiters can use this format to their advantage.

Budget 

Virtual college fairs have changed the university recruitment budget. Where money was once spent on traveling to individual high schools, the budget can now be diversified to invest in brand placement in front of virtual visitors. Virtual college tours of the campus, social media marketing and attendance to individual fairs or large fairs with other schools gives student recruiters more bang for their buck brand-wise and a larger return on investment.

Reach More People 

For large universities that draw students from all over the country, websites with chats and virtual college fairs reach more prospectives than individual trips to various cities and towns. Setting up a few specific times to chat with students from the comforts of their own campus is more efficient and has a larger reach.

Communicating on a Different Level 

Most high school juniors and seniors do everything online. This includes looking at potential schools. The new generation of teens is drawn to virtual college fairs because it's something that can be done online and discussed with friends. By meeting students on platforms where they are comfortable, universities are able to communicate with potential applicants on their level.

Integrated Marketing 

In addition to using virtual college fairs to reach students, many universities are still using the traditional forms of marketing their schools to students for college recruitment purposes. Students that they meet online are sent print materials through the mail. Catalogs, pamphlets and letters are sent to the student at home to give them time to look through the materials and share them with their parents. The virtual fair is a starting point to find new possibilities. Some student recruitment teams are still visiting local high schools or nationally recognized prep schools to meet with students in person. Through the contacts they have made online, they are able to pinpoint which schools have a number of students that may be interested in an in-person visit, rather than going on past experience or just plain guessing.