Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Just Graduated. No Experience? Hah!

http://www.youtern.com/thesavvyintern/index.php/2013/05/08/your-college-experience-is-real-world-experience/
http://blog.simplyhired.com/2013/05/how-a-new-graduates-best-intentions-can-go-wrong-in-the-job-interview.html

You do too have experience. You are either in college, actively participating in classes, extracurricular activities, informal groups, retreats, and more. You've worked X number of hours a week while holding a solid grade average. You've worked the table at a recruitment event, where your department is seeking to attract new students to the university. You've contributed articles to the Index, the Niagara University newspaper. 

So don't be shy about taking the stuff you've actually done in the last four years and promoting it as worthy of consideration by someone who will consider hiring you.

Just don't arrive on the page (your cover letter, resume) or in person (interview, networking event) full of hot air about what you will do, how eager you are to learn in the near future. Instead, find ways to demonstrate a mix of eagerness, talent, and accomplishment.

If you're a new grad, nobody expects you to have 10 years' experience in the field. But in order to get a second look (an interview), you do need to demonstrate that you've got something to offer beyond hot air.

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