After graduation, the inevitable will happen. College graduates are going to look for a job. This job hunting is not going to be easy but what's great right now, in the United States, is that unemployment is down.
Parents, if you're reading this, your newly college graduate son or daughter has a chance in landing a job even though underemployment is up right now, as told by Today.
If you want your child to succeed, here are some tips to from Jim Citrin, author of "The Career Playbook" and "The Parent's Guide to the Career Playbook," to help your kid understand that the degree they hold in their hand may not be useful in their future job:
1. Dress for Success: This is crucial for fresh graduates. The dress code should appropriate according to the culture of the organization. You can never go wrong with a business attire. However, if it's a start-up or a company that wears ripped jeans, then business casual is alright. Make sure the grad does his homework before setting out his clothes for the next day.
2. Summer jobs are Key: Did he ever go to a summer internship in line with his field? Building that resume needs to start early. It's not entirely about what kind of interest you want to build up during highschool through college but rather the essence of working hard. Employers respect hard workers. Citrin advices that undergrads should get a of different experiences in high school and college, a blend of "real-life" work, like working in a store or restaurant, construction, babysitting, caddying at a golf club, working in a gas station... and then starting to find internships during college summers and even winter breaks.
Remember that there is a small chance that summer internships can lead to full-time jobs. So think of them as a source of experience and learning instead.
3. Social Skills: Everyone should have it. Manners, communication and social interaction is just as important as technical skills. To make sure your kids have it, here's a checklist:
- Treat everyone with respect - from the server to the CEO
- "Please" and "Thank Yous" are a must.
- Writing Thank You notes after every interviews are thoughtful.
- Execute a firm handshake with eye contact.
- Remove verbal crutches such as, "you know," and "like," and "I mean,"
- Be careful not to commit typos or grammatical errors in e-mails.
- Be super responsive on emails which are the way work gets done today.
