21 Career Advice Tips for College Graduates

Congratulations! You graduated college now it’s time to get a job! A typical job search nowadays usually takes between 3 - 6 months or longer. Many new college graduates will spend the summer tenaciously applying for positions and going on interviews. Some will land jobs right away, while others may find employment months later.  Going to college you live a sheltered life because you are not aware of the realities of the real world.  Your parents shelter you and you live in a micro-society at college that seems so distant until graduation day arrives and reality sets in. 

Now it’s time to be an adult and make decisions that will affect your future. Each daily decision you make will affect your future. If you decide to spend all your money each paycheck, buy a luxury car, go into debt or default on your student loans, all of these bad decisions will come back to haunt you in a tragic and costly way.

Graduating from college you may have to start doing things you didn’t do in college such as attending networking events, keeping track of dates and appointment such as job interviews or training classes, creating a budget to track your spending and setting goals for the future. 

A common saying is “It’s not what you know, but who you know”. Sometimes this is true and sometimes it doesn’t matter how you know, if you are the best candidate for the job you will get hired. Here are 21 career advice tips for college graduates.

Prepare.

Do research on the company. Write down questions to ask on the interview. Don't take the first job offered unless you are in dire need of employment. Ask for a signing bonus.

Employment. 

Contact staffing agencies or consider relocating to another state. Work with at least 3 recruiters to help you find a job. Provide them with writing samples, highlight your strengths, mention classes you exceled in and inform them of community service or organizations you are a member of. Apply for at least 5 – 10 jobs a week until you get hired.

Stay encouraged.

Avoid going to graduate school because you are frustrated with the job hunt. This will put your further into debt and you may miss out on a good opportunity because you are in school.

Memberships.

Join at least one professional organization and attend social and industry related networking events.

Volunteer.

Volunteer in a field you are interested in working even if you get hired.

Use social media.

Many employers look for candidates on social media websites. Use social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn or Craigslist to find employment.

Credit.

If you have bad credit disclose that information during the interview or on your job application. You also need to have a plan to improve your credit score or provide an explanation of why you have bad credit.

Ask.

Talk to your school counselor or former counselor to learn about possible job opportunities or job leads. Tell everyone you know and meet you are looking for a job.

Dress the part. 

Dress like an executive. Borrow clothes from a friend or relative or go to a thrift store or consignment store to fit professional suits and shoes. Dress conservatively when working unless you are told otherwise.

Interview.

Hide your tattoos and remove your piercings.  For men remove earring(s) in your ears. For women have only one pair of earrings in your ears.  Don’t wear loud or noisy jewelry. Avoid using your phone or texting during the interview. Turn your phone off or on silent during the interview. Sit up straight and make direct eye contact during the interview. If you don’t know the answer to a question be honest and say so and avoid giving the “blank stare look”.

Training. 

Search the internet for interview tips, free online quizzes, and training classes or read books on how to prepare for an interview and how to advance in your career.

Connections.

Use your social connections, alumni, membership organizations or social organizations that you are member of and ask about employment opportunities.

Socialize.

Attend networking events, local Chamber of Commerce events in your area, membership open house events, alumni events or membership events to make connections that may help you gain employment.

Profile.

Create a simple email address for employment. Clean up your social media profiles and remove videos and pictures of you in bathing suits, questionable poses, pictures of you drinking or making signs in the air, dancing or making advances towards someone.  Remove posts on your profiles that contain profanity, sexist remarks or remarks that may seem offensive, rude or questionable. Consider changing how you communicate on social media if you want to get hired for a full-time job. Avoid talking about who you had sex with, how much you like to party, who you don’t like or how drunk or high you got the night before. Delete all previous posts that have this type of content. This may prevent you from getting hired.

Contact.

Keep your contact information up-to-date with recruiters and on job websites and list your email address on your social media profiles. Avoid putting your phone number or address which can be captured by spammers. If you choose to list your email address use the standard spam free email address format “name at ISP provider dot com, i.e. lisa at yahoo dot com”.

Resume.

Use a standard resume format. Avoid using highlight, color or italics. Use bullet points and keep your resume to one page or less. Keep your resume up-to-date and tailor your resume for specific jobs.

Mentor.

Get a mentor who can provide advice and lessons learned on how to be the best employee and help you achieve your career goals. A business mentor can help you become an expert in your career and personal life. Mentors also provide valuable advice, help you solve problems and help you think strategically about your career.

Support.

Create a support network of friends, relatives, co-workers or others who can encourage you and provide advice to help you achieve your career goals. If your friends are not on the same path as you are consider getting new friends. You should have at least 3 friends who are more successful than you are who can help you move up the career ladder.

Edit.

Proofread all application materials prior to submission and ensure that you are qualified for a position prior to applying. Customize your cover letter for every job you apply for.  Knowing how to properly use grammar and spell or use spell checking tools will definitely help you when writing a memo or email when looking for employment and after you get hired. Avoid using slang, texting abbreviations and hashtags in the workplace, in workplace conversations or at offsite work events.

Stand out.

Find the most senior person in your office and learn everything they know. Volunteer for additional work or large projects or volunteer to work late hours or on the weekends.

Be creative.

Think outside the box and be creative. While you are looking for employment consider starting your own business either part-time or full-time.  If you are aware of a problem think about creative ways to solve it or find something that you are passionate about and use that to start your own business.

15 Essential Money Tips for College Grads

Congratulations! You graduated from college and received your degree. Graduating college is a huge accomplishment because many drop out before finishing. Now you have to face reality and face the real world.  First, get a job. The unemployment rate for college grads in 2012 was 6.3%.  Monster.com has a special section on its website for recent college graduates to help them find jobs. USAjobs.com has federal job listings by college major.  

Another factor college graduates have to worry about is the debt accumulated while in school.  If you are unable to find a job, you are also unable to pay your debt.  When you find a job focus on paying down debt.  The average starting salary for college grads has decreased over the years which makes it even more important that college grads effectively manage their money. 

If you are unemployed and have federal student loans sign up for unemployment deferment which will pay the interest on your student loans until you become employed.  When you become employed you can setup graduated payments based on your income for federal student loans. 

Figure out what to do with your money but don't spend it all.  Forty-percent of Americans live paycheck to paycheck and 70% of Americans live above their means. It can be tempting to buy everything you want and spend your money on everything you see but slow down and pace yourself.  Here are 15 essential money tips for recent college grads.

1. Pay with cash. Pay for purchases with cash. If you pay for an item with a credit card you end up paying 2-3 times the original cost of the item due to interest and finances charges if you don’t pay the balance at the end of the month.
2. Debt. Setup a debt payoff plan to prioritize your debt.  Get current on past due bills by paying off the smallest bills first, then use the money paid towards a previous bill and apply it to the next bill and continue this process until all your debts are paid. Send extra towards your balance each month by sending a payment with each paycheck.
3. Retirement. Sign up for your company's retirement plan as soon as you are hired for your first job. Do research to see what plan has the best options to help you achieve your retirement goals. Also consider setting up your own IRA.  You have to be willing to leave your money untouched for the next 5 to 10 years; otherwise you won't be able to see the benefits of your money growing.
4. Buy insurance. Buy health, life and disability insurance. Many Americans go into debt due to medical bills and lack of insurance. Disability insurance will help if you get sick while working and will ensure you can still pay your bills during recovery. Life insurance is helpful if you have your own place and have debt, especially if you parents have co-signed for a loan or credit card.
5. Student Loans. Start now paying back student loans. The greatest interest accrues during the first 3 years of your loan so pay as much as you can on your loans during that time.  Consider using student loan forgiveness programs at finaid.org.
6. Budget. Create a spending plan or budget to track spending and manage your money. Reduce spending by 30%. Create an emergency fund that is enough savings to pay your bills and monthly expenses for at least 9 to 12 months.   
7. Clothing. Share clothes with friends who wear the same size. Shop at outlet stores, discount stores, consignment or thrift stores.    
8. Shopping. Don't spend money you don't have. Shop at discount stores.  Buy generic versus name brands.  Use coupons, rewards cards and buy items on sale as you need them. Create a shopping list and spending limit and stick to it.
9. Decorations. Don’t buy everything at once. Buy furniture and decorations for your home or apartment in stages.  Shop at discount or wholesale stores.
10. Save.  Save on a regular basis. Save at least five dollars a week if you make a modest income.
11. Food.  Prepare low cost meals that are easy to fix are: tuna fish and crackers, soups, casseroles, stews, stir-fry, meatless meals, and cold or hot sandwiches. Take your lunch to work and eat breakfast at home. Eating out adds up quickly.
12. Housing. Stay at home for at least a year after graduation. If you have to live on your own buy an efficiency or studio apartment, loft or rent a room.  You can get a roommate but you have no control over whether they pay their rent or pay on time. Your housing costs should be no more than 35% of your total net income after taxes.
13. Skip the car.  Don’t buy a car your first year of employment.  Catch public transportation or borrow your parents’ car or a friend’s car when needed.  If you must buy a car buy a used car. Consider car sharing services such as Zip Car, Uber, Supershuttle or SideCar.
14. Credit. Order a copy of your credit reports at annualcreditreport.com once a year and fix any errors on your credit report. Dispute errors online or by postal mail with supporting documentation.
15. Career.  If you have bad credit disclose that information during the interview or on your job application. Find the most senior person in your office and learn everything they know. Take employer offered classes. Keep your skills up-to-date. Volunteer for additional work or large projects. Volunteer to work overtime, late hours or on the weekends. Don’t be afraid to ask for a raise. Join a professional organization or attend networking events.

6 Tips for College Grads

You graduated from college and received your diploma. Now what! Now you have to face reality and face the real world. First, get a job. Next, figure out what to do with your money but don't spend it all. Forty-percent of Americans live paycheck to paycheck and seventy percent of Americans live above their means. It can be tempting to buy on impulse and spend your money on everything you see but slow down and pace yourself. Here are 6 tips to help you live below your means and stay out of debt.

1. Setup a debt payoff plan. Setup a debt payoff plan to prioritize your bills including student loans and credit card debt. Start by paying off the smallest bills first, then use the money paid towards a previous bill and apply it to the next bill and continue this process until all your debts are paid.

2. Pay more than minimum monthly payment. If pay the minimum monthly payment you will end up paying 2 to 3 times what you actually charged due to the interest and finance charges that accrue on your balance. Try to send extra towards your balance each month.

3. Pay with cash. Pay for purchases with cash until your credit card balances are paid in full. If you pay for an item with a credit card you end up paying 112% the original cost of the item.

4. Start with your company's 401K as soon as you are hired for your first job. Do research to see what plan has the best options to help you achieve your retirement goals.

5. Diversify. Control your risks by investing in various mutual funds that are a combination or low, medium and high risk to limit your losses.

6. Buy insurance – health, life, disability. Many Americans go into debt due to medical bills and lack of insurance. Get at least basic health, life and disability coverage. Coverage is cheaper for individuals.