Getting Your First Job For Dummies

Find--and land--your first job!

Finding a job can seem daunting, especially when it's a brand new experience. There's a lot to know, and often a lot of pressure. Written by the founder of AfterCollege.com, Getting Your First Job For Dummies is designed to take the stress out of the job search process and help you get an offer.

In this book, you'll discover how to identify your talents and strengths, use your network to your advantage, interview with confidence, and evaluate an offer. Written in plain English and packed with step-by-step instructions, it'll have you writing customized resumes, conducting company research, and utilizing online job search sites, faster than you can say 'I got the job!'

• Determine what kind of job suits your interests and skills

• Write a compelling cover letter

• Know what to expect in an interview

• Effectively negotiate an offer

Whether you're still in school or navigating the world as a recent graduate, Getting Your First Job For Dummies arms you with the skills and confidence to make getting your first job an exciting and enjoyable process.

Auteur

Roberto Angulo cofounded AfterCollege, the largest online marketplace in the U.S. where college students and employers can connect. He collaborated with the Obama Administration on the launch of Summer Jobs+, which successfully created more summer opportunities for youth ages 16–24. He is also cofounder of US2020.org, a STEM mentorship program.

Résumé
Findand landyour first job! Finding a job can seem daunting, especially when it's a brand new experience. There's a lot to know, and often a lot of pressure. Written by the founder of AfterCollege.com, Getting Your First Job For Dummies is designed to take the stress out of the job search process and help you get an offer. In this book, you'll discover how to identify your talents and strengths, use your network to your advantage, interview with confidence, and evaluate an offer. Written in plain English and packed with step-by-step instructions, it'll have you writing customized resumes, conducting company research, and utilizing online job search sites, faster than you can say 'I got the job!'

• Determine what kind of job suits your interests and skills
• Write a compelling cover letter
• Know what to expect in an interview
• Effectively negotiate an offer Whether you're still in school or navigating the world as a recent graduate, Getting Your First Job For Dummies arms you with the skills and confidence to make getting your first job an exciting and enjoyable process.

Contenu
Introduction 1

About This Book 1

Foolish Assumptions 2

Icons Used in This Book 3

Beyond the Book 3

Where to Go from Here 3

Part 1: Preparing Yourself Before the Job Search 5

Chapter 1: Mapping Out Your Job Search Strategy 7

Getting Your First Part-Time Job 8

Securing Internships 9

Finding Your First Job after College 10

Knowing the Importance of Your First Job 11

Getting exposed to an industry 11

Doing the job itself 12

Building your professional network 12

Setting a Goal for Yourself 12

Having expectations 13

Creating a timeline 13

Organizing Your Search with Online Tools and Apps 14

Using Google Calendar 15

Taking notes with Evernote 15

Using Google Sheets 16

Expanding your vocabulary with Thesaurus.com 16

Chapter 2: Highlighting What You Bring to an Employer 17

Identifying Your Skills 18

Translating your major into specific skills 18

Listing your soft skills 20

Uncovering your hidden skills 21

Getting feedback from your friends 21

Identifying areas for improvement 22

Detailing Your Experience 23

Taking note of volunteer work 23

Listing school projects 24

Showcasing notable sports and hobbies 25

Sharing your background 25

Chapter 3: Figuring Out What You Want to Do 27

Taking Self-Assessments 28

Playing Mercer Match 28

Using Paddle 29

Getting Insights through Career Discovery Tools 32

Utilizing AfterCollege's Explore 32

Leveraging LinkedIn Career Insights 35

Identifying Jobs of Interest 36

Talking to friends about their work 36

Job shadowing 37

Writing someone about shadowing 38

Using the Occupational Outlook Handbook 38

Part 2: Starting Your Job Search 41

Chapter 4: Researching Employers 43

Comparing Large and Small Employers 44

Evaluating the advantages of a large company 45

Considering the advantages of a small company 47

Knowing if a startup is right for you 48

Learning about startups on Crunchbase 50

Working for a nonprofit 51

Finding Employers with New-Grad Programs 51

Rotation programs 52

Nursing programs 52

Sales programs 52

Identifying Employers of Interest 53

Gauging employee morale on Glassdoor 53

Gleaning employee insights on LinkedIn 54

Chapter 5: Getting Ready to Search for a Job 55

Enlisting Assistance from Your Network 56

Networking with LinkedIn 56

Leveraging Facebook 58

Going to alumni events 59

Talking to your teachers and professors 59

Getting help from family and friends 61

Obtaining Recommendations 62

Securing past employer recommendations 62

Writing someone for a recommendation 62

Approaching teachers for recommendations 63

Crafting your own recommendation letter 64

Requesting endorsements via LinkedIn 65

Asking for recommendations via AfterCollege 66

Using Your University Career Center 68

Attending career fairs 69

Signing up for on-campus interviews 70

Practicing with mock interviews 70

Utilizing other resources on campus 71

Deciding to Use Headhunters and Staffing Firms 71

Chapter 6: Searching for Jobs Online 73

Familiarizing Yourself with Search Techniques 74

Conducting a basic job search 74

Using keywords 75 Performing Boolean sea...