Written by Alison Schneeman
Getting a job right now, especially as a young graduate, is incredibly difficult. The job market is competitive, internships are hard to come by, a Masters is the new Bachelors, and no one is interested in you unless you have some sort of connection. Some candidates looking to be hired may find that incredibly disheartening. On the contrary, one must learn to use new tactics to getting ahead in the corporate world. One of those new tactics is using who you know.
First of all, networking and using the people around you are highly encouraged, rather than frowned upon. The world of successfully employed business people is all about maintaining relationships and connections, and using those to your advantage. A relationship with someone is the best resume—words on a paper can only get you so far.
LinkedIn is one highly effective tool when it comes to networking. Connceting with parents’ friends, professors, former supervisors, successful classmates, etc. is a wonderful way to make a connection with a potential career opportunity. Not only can you connect with potential employers, but you can also research potential careers. Reseraching those connections that are working in the roles that you ideally want to have is a good way to find your career path. Looking at their work history, background, interests, etc. can help you narrow the road to get where they are. Then, after choosing what company you would want to be employed by or potential job opening you would want to interview for, you can reach out to your connection and ask for information, a face-to-face meeting, or simply to forward a resume along. Your connection with the company may even result in an interview.
After that initial connection, the rest is up to you. While your connection may vouch for you and give you a good recommendation, one must then perform. When it comes to the interview itself, preparation is the name of the game. No one wants to be surprised in an interview, neither the interviewee nor the interviewer. Research the company, prepare questions to ask, and have practiced answering the typical interview questions. Preparation also lends itself to confidence, which is one of the most important aspects of a potential candidate. Even when you are wrong, deliver it confidently and with vigor! Most likely, the interviewer is also nervous, but confidence will make everyone more comfortable. Confidence can also help influence the interviewer to like and trust you.
Aside from preparation, realizing that an interview is simply a conversation
to get to know one another is important. Many candidates get caught up in the details of qualifying for a role—do I have enough experience? Is my GPA strong enough? Are my references strong enough? While you need to have a solid background on your resume, personality traits are just as important. The interviewer wants to know if you can sit down and have a conversation. Both parties are simply trying to figure out if this job and company are the right fit.
Getting the interview is the hard part and having someone recommend you is extremely helpful. It does not mean you are not qualified for the position, it simply means you know how to network and reach out when you need help. Getting a job is not all about who you know, but it definitely helps. Then it is up to you to prove you can work hard,
GSOU All In 