Career Advice for New Graduates

College graduation may be the end of one journey, but it’s the beginning of another: your career.

It’s an exciting time, but it also can be a daunting one. Where do you start? How can you stand out in a crowded job market? And how can you highlight your work experience if you don’t have much in the first place?

From resumes and networking to locking down your social media accounts, OneMain senior recruiter Davida Black is here to address the burning career concerns of new grads with insightful tips that can give you a competitive edge, soothe your anxieties and get one step closer to that elusive new grad win: a foot in the door.

Resumes and references

Since new graduates typically don’t have a lot of work experience, what’s the best way to illustrate your qualifications for a job?

I always tell new grads to reinforce skills on their resume that are related to the job. A great thing to do is take the job description and put it in EdWordle.net, which makes a word cloud, highlighting the most prominent words in the text. You want to ensure the most repeated words are in your resume. You should do this no matter what kind of job experience you’ve had.

You could have been working at a fast-food restaurant for the last five years, and if you’re applying for, an IT role, you can still incorporate some of the skills you acquired on the job. You can focus on collaboration, on customer service, your communication skills or your ability to be the go-to person. To some degree, it’s a little bit of creative writing, but it does allow you to focus on the core skills that companies are looking for.

What else should new grads have on their resume? And what are your thoughts on including GPAs?

If you’ve done volunteer work, add that to your resume. If you’ve had internships, have that on your resume as well. As for GPAs, I always recommend leaving them off. Unless you’ve got a 4.0 and you’ve just recently graduated. Definitely remove it from your resume after one year, though.

Overall, I generally advise people to omit GPAs unless it’s specifically requested because it can become an unconscious bias. Recruiters and employers might look at a someone with a 3.0 and compare it to someone with a 2.0 and that candidate could be overlooked.

Should new graduates slightly tweak their resume for each job they apply for?

Yes, definitely. They should have one basic resume template and revise it to match each application. That’s the best way to get attention.

If your resume says, “I’m interested in being a software engineer,” but you just applied to a finance job because it sounds interesting, recruiters could knock you out because the job they’re hiring for is not what you say you want to do.

When potential employers request references, whom should recent graduates list?

Managers from internships and jobs you’ve had. A favorite professor, a coach – those are all good references to have if needed. But be sure to only provide references when they’re requested. Don’t list them on your resume, and don't say “references available upon request.”

Social media and networking

What about social media accounts? Do potential employers check accounts, and how should new grads prepare for that?

I advise all recent grads to make sure your social media accounts are set to private so nobody can see them unless you want them to. Make them 100% private or clean them up.

If you want your Instagram to be public because you’re a social media influencer, that’s absolutely fine. But make sure you don’t have anything that’s going to embarrass you. If it would be embarrassing for your grandmother to see, don’t have it on social media.

How important is a LinkedIn profile, and what should new graduates be highlighting in their profile?

It’s very helpful to have a LinkedIn profile because many recruiters use it to search for candidates. New graduates should make sure they have a professional picture and include many of the same things they have on their resumes.

There’s also some little things they can add, such as a personal statement. Something that might say, “Here’s who I am: I’m hardworking. I love to learn. I’m dedicated to finances and have a passion for auditing and finding mistakes.” That kind of statement can be very valuable to employers.

They should also indicate on LinkedIn that they’re open to new opportunities and looking for a job. That makes you readily available to recruiters.

You may also want to join associations specific to your career, and include the links on your resume or application. For example, if you are a software engineer include your github account.

Do you suggest that new grads have someone look over their resumes and LinkedIn profiles?

You always want to have someone with good proofreading skills take a look at your resume. Every college has a career center that will look at your resume and often provide professional LinkedIn headshots. I would highly recommend that you use your college resources. Have your career center look at your resume. Have them proofread it and make sure it highlights the types of work experience employers are looking for.

How important is networking early in your career and what’s the best way to do it?

Your best bet for networking is college career fairs. You can network with recruiters and potential hiring managers at events. Whether it’s in person or virtual, it’s a great way to make a great first impression and meet prospective employers. Collect their business cards. Connect with them on LinkedIn. Send them a nice message to say, “Thank you for taking time to talk to me.”

You should also consider attending groups specific to your career goals. Regular attendance will get you noticed by experienced attendees and as a bonus you get to hone your career skills.

When you’re entering the job market, reach out to your personal and professional contacts – people like professors, coaches, mentors, community leaders, even your parents – and let them know you’re looking. You may be surprised what could come of it.

Do people still meet for coffee? When the threat of COVID is over, is that a good way to network?

People still do that, absolutely. It comes down to timing and how you phrase it.I think it’s more along the lines of, “Hey, I would love to pick your brain and learn more about what you do.” People always love talking about themselves. Ask people more about what they do and how you might be able to get into that career. I might say, “I would love to meet you for a cup of coffee 15 minutes before work. I’ll come out where you work..” I think making that effort is definitely a good thing.

Is it appropriate for candidates to reach out to recruiters via social media or email to introduce themselves if they’re interested in an open position?

Absolutely. I'm almost always looking for recent graduates so I can take a look at their resume or LinkedIn profile and see if I have a job or provide them with a little bit of advice.

Negotiating and interviewing

What about negotiating salaries? Is that something you can do even if it’s an entry-level position?

It’s always appropriate to ask if the salary or any of the benefits are negotiable, even if it’s entry level. Let’s say an employer makes you an offer for $35,000 and you say, “I was really hoping to make $38,000. Is that something we can talk about?” That’s totally appropriate. Now if the offer’s $35,000 and you come back and say, “I was really looking for $50,000,” that’s probably not going to happen. But a lot of it just depends on how they do it. If it’s done respectfully, absolutely. No good recruiter is going to look at a candidate who tries to negotiate in a negative way as long as it’s done respectfully.

What if you’re presented with a question during an interview that you don’t know how to answer?

This comes up often even with experienced applicants. If you don’t know something, it’s OK. We don’t expect you to match the job 100%. Let the recruiter or manager know you’re not familiar with a term or that part of the work and tell them how you would find the answer.

When preparing for the interview, look at the job description and write down examples of how your experience matches every responsibility. And always be prepared to say why you want to work for the company and, if applicable, why you’re leaving your current company. Also, realistically know your worth, and be prepared to give a salary range of what you’re looking for when asked.

It can be a competitive job market. How should new graduates make themselves stand out from the crowd?

It’s the little things that so many people don’t do that’s going to help you stand out. Things like a thank-you note. Nobody sends thank-you notes anymore. If you send a thank-you note after an interview – and email is totally fine – you’re going to earn a lot of respect. Even if you don’t get that job, people are going to remember you and may think of you for a different job.

I probably phone screen 40 to 50 people a week, and I would say, on a monthly basis, I probably get no more than four, maybe five, thank you-notes. A simple thank-you note can really make you stand out from all of the other applicants.

The world is your oyster

You put in the work and graduated college. That’s a huge achievement on its own. Now it’s time to take a deep breath and dip your toe, then the rest of you, in the job market. Remember: You know more, and have done more, than you think. Now get out there and find your dream job – our career site is a great place to start.

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This article has been updated from its original posting on July 15, 2021.