"Organizations are very interested in hiring young people because they have a lot of energy and are willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done," Chan says.
But no matter how well-positioned these young people are, they--and all job seekers--will have a better chance of success if they avoid these common job-hunting mistakes of new college grads:
1. Not being proactive
enough
Emily Bennington, the author of "Effective Immediately: How to
Fit In, Stand Out, and Move Up at Your First Real Job," says,
"This isn't the time to sit back and be casual in your approach.
Create a hit list of five to ten target companies, and really
utilize your network to locate an 'in' at each."
2. Relying solely on the
Internet
In a recent Yahoo! HotJobs poll, 57% of respondents said
networking was a factor in landing their current or most recent
job. Brad Karsh, president of JobBound, says, "When thousands of
candidates are applying to the same jobs online and posting
their resume to the same job boards, candidates need to stand
out by making connections and networking their way into a
company." Job boards are an important tool, but Karsh says new
grads also need to focus energy on networking.
3. Not creating wide
networks
Career expert Liz Ryan agrees: "Use your parents',
grandparents', and friends' networks to help you in your
post-graduation job search," she says. "Don't be shy--reach out
to any long-ago Scoutmaster, choir director, or babysitting or
leaf-raking boss. ... There's no statute of limitations on
networking." (Read more Yahoo! HotJobs articles about
effective networking.)
4. Not creating
customized resumes
Ryan says, "Don't send out any resumes that simply list your
courses, the degree you've earned, and your part-time and summer
jobs--use this opportunity to make a stronger statement about
what you want to do with your adult life." And according to Jay
Block, the author of "101 Best Ways to Land a Job in Troubled
Times," younger job seekers often haven't thought about what
they have to offer an employer (as opposed to what they want to
get from one). With this mindset, they create resumes
that are "boring biographies" instead of effective marketing
tools. (Read more Yahoo! HotJobs articles about
crafting better resumes.)
5. Misusing the Internet
Tory Johnson, CEO of Women For Hire and the author of "Fired to
Hired," says, "New grads don't use LinkedIn--it's not sexy like
Facebook or
Twitter. But it's the best resource for getting names and
building a professional identity. Don't overlook it."
6. Failing to follow up
Johnson says, "It's not enough to send resumes and pray the
phone rings." She cautions that job seekers can't expect a
resume to be discovered in that "big black online hole." "Hustle
to follow up," she says.
7. Setting expectations
too high
Johnson says new graduates too often focus on looking for the
perfect job, instead of a first job: "Especially in this
economy, the first job should be about finding a position where
you'll learn a great deal, you'll be super busy, and you'll be
surrounded by lots of people."
8. Appearing
unprofessional
Make sure you're ready for employers' scrutiny, says Tim
McIntyre, president and CEO of The Executive Search Group. That
means you should "sanitize your MySpace page--right now. It will
be checked," he says. He notes that many college students will
need to change off-color voicemail greetings. Ryan adds, "Don't
assume that Facebook's privacy settings will keep your youthful
antics away from curious eyes. Rid your profile page of any
photos of the 'three Bs' (beer, bongs, and bikinis)."
9. Not taking the job
interview seriously
Even when you're applying for an unpaid internship, you need to
adhere to common standards of professionalism. McIntyre says
those standards include demonstrating you've done your research
on the company and dressing appropriately. Block adds that new
grads are often unprepared for tough (but standard) interview
questions, such as "Where do you see yourself in three years?"
and "What are your weaknesses?" (Read more Yahoo! HotJobs
articles about
effective interview tactics.)
10. Not using the
college's career office
"A career office can help [students] identify networking
contacts, learn important job-search skills, and significantly
improve their resume and cover letter," says Wake Forest
University's Chan. Ryan agrees, but adds that this is just a
first step. The career office's job is to "to prepare you for
your job search, not to conduct it for you," she says. "Use
LinkedIn, reach out to everyone you can, and begin researching
employers who'd be likely targets for your job-search." (Start
your job search now.)