6 Avoidable Errors New College Grads Should Watch for in 2007

6 Avoidable Errors New College Grads Should Watch for in 2007

Overall, 52 percent of employers responding to the Job Outlook 2007 Fall Preview Survey, conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers reported that they expect to hire more new college graduates in 2006-07 recruiting season than the

y hired in the 2005-06 recruiting season. This number is actually down from the 66.5 percent of employers that planned to increase hiring last year. However, it is still good news considering that the number of employers that expect to decrease hiring this year is just 5.4 percent compared to 18.2 percent last year. The remaining employers, 42.6 percent are planning to maintain their hiring numbers, which is up from 15.3 percent reported last year.

What does all this mean to the 2007 crop of new college graduates seeking to get started on careers? It means that opportunities are available for the prepared job seeker who manages to steer clear of the following, easily avoidable errors.

1. Not including impressive membership or affiliation information on the resume. This is not the time to be shy about meaningful activities outside of the classroom. Companies are looking for candidates who have successfully demonstrated that they can go beyond academics and t

ake on leadership roles while in school. Keep in mind that recruiters are looking at hundreds of candidates all with the same degree as the one you have worked hard to get. The new college grads that make a lasting impression are those who can distinguish themselves in other ways - not just by completing the degree program.

2. Not proof-reading resumes and job search communication for spelling, grammar or factual errors. If you are in college, chances are your campus has a career planning office with professional staff designated to help you as a new college grad put your best foot forward. Most have walk-in hours and in about 10-15 minutes can help you whip your resume into shape. In addition, numerous resume sites might be able to offer you a FREE resume critique to help you create a great first impression with a good resume by avoiding easy-to-miss errors.

3. Naming classes and not showing practical application of knowledge in projects. Somehow, somewhere students learned that recruiters would be impressed with a list of class names on topics relevant to the positions they are trying to fill. Imagine the difference between the recruiter?s responses to the candidate who lists ?Market Research II? as a class and the candidate who details a Market Research Project? The latter speaks to candidate behaviors the recruiter might very well be seeking while the other really says nothing about your skills or abilities as a new college grad.

4. Not developing a portfolio of work, accomplishments and outcomes. An impressive portfolio might catch the attention of recruiters looking for outstanding new college grads. Graduates thinking of using this as a job search tool should seek advice from their campus career center on how to put one together and how and when to introduce the subject of a portfolio in an interview. Although a standard in the creative world, more and more companies are willing to examine a body of work represented in a career portfolio. Even if you choose not to take your portfolio to an interview, the process of creating one, serves as a good reminder of experiences that you as a new college grad might have had throughout your college experience.

5. Not doing a Mock Interview. My guess is it would be virtually impossible to find a college career center today that does not provide a Mock Interview service for students, especially upcoming graduating seniors. In fact, many schools actually get the help of recruiters from their corporate supporters to come to campus to conduct these practice interviews ? at no charge to students. This is a great opportunity to connect with a recruiter inside a company in which you might be interested as well as to hone your interview skills in a calm, low pressure environment. Most recruiters are wonderful about giving immediate feedback and many new college grads have earned real interviews from these practice sessions.

6. Not participating in on campus interviews. Getting the opportunity to interview with select companies, from a variety of industries, is literally as easy as visiting your campus career centers and signing up. Every year, hundreds of recruiters conduct thousands of interviews on college campuses with upcoming college grads. Keep in mind that most of these interviews are conducted in the Fall semester. In most career centers, there is no limit on the number of interviews a student can sign up to do. A word of caution ?

Career centers take their relationships with employer partners seriously and frown on students who sign-up and later ?No-show? for interviews. Find out your center?s guidelines on violation of this policy since you might find yourself blocked for the campus recruiting program for good. As a new college grad, your campus career center is key to your career success and you do not want to burn bridges as you make the transition from college to work.

Happy job hunting and keep in mind that the prepared candidates always get hired first!
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BullseyeResumes.com provides free online resume advice for High School students and grads; College students and grads; Career Training and Vocational students and grads; Skilled/Hourly employees and Career Re-entry Professionals. Resume and Interview FAQs included for each group of jobseekers to enhance interview preparation and job readiness. www.bullseyeresumes.com

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