October 6, 2010

How new grads can beat the competition for entry-level positions

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By Kristen Fife
NWjobs

Q: I graduated a year ago, and I'm wondering if you have any advice for finding out who is hiring for entry-level positions, and how to get in touch with them before they're filled?

Kristen says: The first thing for you to do is to start researching companies in your field to see who hires entry-level professionals; not all companies do. To do this, use tools on job boards such as Monster and CareerBuilder that allow you to set up agents for entry-level jobs. Another search criterion you can use is to see who hires interns.

If you had a co-op or internship while you were in school, definitely reach out to your former supervisor or the recruiter/human resources representative who worked with you. In Washington, you can also contact WorkSource; they keep lists of companies and have the ability to search their files by "years of experience." You can also use area Chamber of Commerce member directories to find companies in your industry.

Once you have identified your companies of interest, call the main switchboard and see if they have a "campus recruiter." A campus candidate is usually defined as someone out of school (undergrad or graduate) for a year or less. Your school's career center should also have specific contacts for you to follow up on. You can also use LinkedIn to find recruiters at your target companies.

The next step is to start getting yourself noticed by recruiters, industry professionals and hiring managers. Professional organizations and meetings, LinkedIn groups and leveraging your collegiate resources, such as professors and advisors, are all going to be the key to getting yourself recognized.

You can also start contacting seasoned professionals in your target companies to request informational interviews. It is imperative to keep in mind that nothing is going to take the place of face-to-face interaction with industry professionals. The internet can help you get your search started, but you are going to need to follow up in person if you want to be noticed before anyone else.

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Recruiter's Inbox, entry level, networking

1 Comments

Ankit Garg on October 10, 2010 11:10 PM | Reply

liked the way kristen suggested to proceed...starting from here ..wondering if you have any idea in ASIC verification/VLSI designing basically ELectrical Engineering entry level position offering companies list or something to go ahead and obtain one immediately.

Thanks:
Ankit

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