Back and a quick summary!

Holy moly! I was gone or a while guys! Sorry for the lack of quick updates, as I am trying to figure out exactly how to present the blog and what we're planning on doing for everybody. With that said, this post will be a quick summary of the past several posts and my views on the experiences that we are all having.

The first and biggest similarity between all of us is that we are recent college graduates. It's barely been 3 months since we've walked away from college and we're all a bit stressed. Another similarity is that we're all looking for entry-level jobs. This means that other than requiring a bachelor's degree, the job requirements are retarded things like "work in a group" or "be able to work under stressful conditions" or "be able to follow instructions" or "know how to use Microsoft Office." All of these things are fucking ridiculous, and the commonality between all of this is that we obviously meet these requirements. This means that the only advantages you can create for yourself are the following:

1. Make a really professional cover letter. It's the first thing that gets read - often, it determines the first impression they have of you and sets their perception of you for the rest of process. If you write "y'all" or "plz give me a job" in your cover letter it's just as bad as writing "dude" or "im actually really racist please hire me."
   
2. Have your resume match the job you're looking for. If it's a science research job don't include credentials like "fluent in german and have great sales experience."
   
3. Keep on talking to people in the business. It does not mean cold calling people, but let people who might help you network know your goals. It's the most important thing. Let them know what you're interested in and that you're willing to prove this to them through actions, not words.
   
4. Keep on applying and getting yourself known! Advertise that you're not a slacker and that you're actually doing stuff. Everyone is in the same boat and if you don't apply to jobs you won't find a job. The more you apply the faster you'll learn and the more you can contribute to this website!
   
5. Keep up with the industry - it helps you gain knowledge of which parts of it are picking up/slowing down. Plus, you won't have to study as much when you do get that interview.

There are so many more but these are the first five things you can do to give yourself the most effective boost. Unfortunately, most of this is still chance, but if you're truly dedicated to the job, people will notice and hopefully we'll all find employment soon! I'll have a much larger, more fun post on Monday. I'll be studying at the airport for four hours so I'll have plenty of time. Remember, if you have an article please send it to me at jobhuntard@gmail.com. It'll help all of us!

-Paul

P.S. Janelle sent me a great great article about the importance of talking to people in the business. Point 3 is definitely proven in this article.