8 Challenges of Finding a Job After College

8 Challenges of Finding a Job After College via Pixabay 1. Finding your niche Now that you have spent four years studying one broad topic, it’s time to get into a special corner of it. Finding your niche is one of the most difficult things when applying for jobs. You aren’t sure exactly what you want to do but don’t want to commit to anything long-term in case you end up hating it. Try exploring different aspects of your field. Once you find something that really interests you, narrowing down the job search will be much easier. via Pixabay 2. Years of inexperience One of the most frustrating things is reading a job description that you know you would be perfect for and scrolling down to see that you need five years of experience in the field. It’s almost unfair to judge someone on their experience because you may be a perfect candidate, but can’t help that you have just graduated from college and lack office experience. Be patient. Look for jobs that are entry-level so you can gain the experience you need in order to apply for your dream job later on. Things take time. 3. Dealing with recruiters If you’ve put your resume out there on LinkedIn, you’ll know the struggle of dealing with recruiters. Though helpful for some people, they mostly give false hope to people in need of a job. Recruiters browse the internet for resumes and will contact someone who they think may be a good fit, but that doesn’t mean they are only talking to that one person. There may be one job opening but the recruiter is talking to hundreds of people for that one position. When talking to recruiters, try not to waste your time in going on interviews because they typically are dead ends, unless you are one of the lucky ones. via Pixabay 4. You’re not qualified It’s hard to admit, but college doesn’t actually prepare you for the real world. You won’t be talking about the roles of gender in movies while in your interview for an accounting position. You’ll notice that there are many qualifications that you did not receive while in school that are required for your field. Take some free online courses to further your education after graduating. It’s important to always be learning something new. Once you are qualified, start applying for your dream job! via Pixabay 5. Staying organized Nowadays it’s easy to apply for a job. With a click of a button, your resume and cover letter have been sent to a company for consideration. Because it has become so easy to apply for jobs, it’s important to stay organized and keep track of where you have applied. Keep a chart of where, when, and how you applied for a position so you can keep track and then follow up with your applications. If you don’t follow up and make your name known to the hiring manager, you are less likely to earn an interview. via Pixabay 6. Personal branding It’s time to go through those social media accounts and delete all of those pictures from your nights of partying at frats and drinking at tailgates. Companies don’t want to hire wild college students, they want to hire young professionals. Clean up your social media and make yourself a website. If you have pieces published online, create a portfolio for companies to look over and see the work that you have done. via Pixabay 7. Going on interviews, but no job offer It’s the most discouraging challenge of finding a job after college: going on interviews and feeling confident but never hearing back whether you got the job or not. You feel so close, yet so far because you are still unemployed. Don’t give up! Going on different interviews gives you practice so that when you finally interview for your dream job, you are prepared and a pro at interviews. Also, going on interviews means that you are definitely qualified for the job and it would be yours if someone else didn’t come in and maybe have a better answer to a question or connected with the interviewer on something. 8. Don’t give up The job hunt is hard, but that’s to be expected. You will find one, so don’t worry. Never give up and always believe in yourself. It’s all part of the process of life and you will learn from this experience. You will learn how to handle rejection and how to be persistent to get something that you want.