START OFF WISE
Six biggest career mistakes college graduates make
An estimated 3.8 million students will graduate with an associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree in 2016, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. While some of the students will continue their studies, others will start their careers right away.
This year’s graduates will take the skills they learned with them as they start climbing their respective career ladders. However, the journey to the top can prove more challenging than expected, especially when a graduate becomes guilty of common career path mistakes. Here is a rundown of six of the biggest college grad career mistakes, along with tips to avoid them.
1. BELIEVING FIRST JOBS HAVE TO BE DREAM JOBS
If you’re eager to find work and start living the American dream, you might only pursue positions that can support the lifestyle you want to live. However, many people don’t find their dream jobs — or the highest-paying jobs — on the first shot. Your first job out of college is just that — your first job and a stepping stone to something better.
“It’s fine to have an end goal in mind when it comes to your working life - ambition will motivate you,” said James Rice, the head of digital marketing at WikiJob. “But the reality is that you’re unlikely to walk into that role straight after university, so don’t pass up on great roles that will give you the skills and experience you will ultimately need to land that dream job.”
2. WAITING UNTIL GRADUATION TO NETWORK
Many job-seekers fail to appreciate the importance of networking prior to graduation.
According to Elizabeth Venturini, a college and career strategist with CollegeCareerResults, some students mistakenly feel that they have to wait until they graduate to network for possible internships and jobs. In actuality, they should start networking as soon as they enter college.
“Everyone is a possible contact — friends, professors, administrators, organizations, speakers for special events,” said Venturini.
Grads who put off networking until after getting their degrees might not secure employment as fast as those who had four-year head starts. To stay ahead in the career game, Venturini recommends that all students take advantage of opportunities to meet people in their future fields of interest.
3. USING A COOKIECUTTER RÉSUMÉ
When you’re applying for the same position with different companies, you might be tempted to send out multiple copies of the same résumé and cover letter. However, hiring managers are good at spotting cookie-cutter or generic résumés, and this type of laziness can result in missed opportunities.
“A generic résumé means you lose out to candidates who made the effort to tailor theirs to the specific position,” said Rice. “It’s better to apply to fewer jobs and ensure you can demonstrate the skills required, than apply to lots and hope.”
Customizing a résumé might consume more of your time, as you’ll need to include language and keywords from the job description. But the effort pays off in that you’re more likely to stand out from the crowd.
4. BEING AFRAID TO TAKE RISKS
College prepares students for careers, but getting a job isn’t the only option after graduation. If you’re a natural entrepreneur with dreams of being your own boss and controlling your income, you might want to launch a business immediately after finishing school.
Eric Brantner, co-founder of Scribblrs.com, a website that offers blogging tips, says your 20s are the best time to take risks.
“The biggest mistake I see is college grads feeling they have to take the first big corporate job that comes their way for security,” said Brantner. “This is your chance to go out on your own and be an entrepreneur without the stresses of raising a family.”
This doesn’t mean you can’t or shouldn’t find a job after college. However, if you’re able to live at home or with a roommate, you might be able to work a park-time gig and devote the other half of your time to growing your own company.
5. ACCEPTING A BAD JOB
College grads shouldn’t expect their first jobs to be their dream jobs, but they also shouldn’t settle for bad jobs. Some grads are so desperate for work that they’re willing to accept any position that comes along.
Jim Wang, founder of the money blog Wallet Hacks, has seen many new grads make this mistake because they believe a bad job is better than no job.
“It’s important to get a job, but it’s also worth waiting if the only offers you have are for jobs outside your field or area of expertise,” said Wang.
6. LYING ABOUT CREDENTIALS
Exaggerating the truth on your résumé can get you a foot in the door of your dream company, but it might not get you any further.
“As an admissions coach and early career adviser, I see the pressure that many students have on them to exaggerate their GPA to get into specific GPA ranges for career résumé drops,” said Eric Allen, president of Admit.me, a website that offers admissions guidance to college applicants.
“If they don’t meet the GPA cutoff for a résumé drop, I encourage them to network their way into an interview and impress at the interview — GPA (is) a screening tool, but employers often value tenacity over a particular GPA, within reason,” said Allen.