With all the talk of degrees, debt, and no internships or jobs, even freshmen are worried. HR leaders say what matters most in a competitive job market is having experience and a visible, authentic personal brand. Despite all the free advice on this, concerned families are paying thousands for early career coaching because they know that students naturally procrastinate and that without a clear plan, easy steps, and accountability their freshman won't graduate with those advantages.
Their reasoning probably holds true for most students, unfortunately most students can't afford a coach. That's why we created GradPlan.com.
70% of recruiters engage with candidates on social media daily and 89% say social media helps them understand a candidate's values. WorldMetrics.org
73% of hiring managers use social media to evaluate applicants, mainly to confirm cultural fit and verify application details. Resume Builder Survey
82% of hiring managers are more likely to choose a candidate with volunteer experience.
85% of hiring managers are more inclined to look past resume flaws when the candidate includes volunteer work, yet only 30% list it on their resumes.
92% of employers agree that volunteering improves leadership and professional skills.
41% of hiring managers consider volunteer experience equal to paid work experience. LinkedIn, Global Recruiting Trends
Volunteers have 27% higher odds of employment, and the employment boost is even stronger for individuals early in their careers. AmeriCorps
Not all degrees lead towards a competitive entry-level job market, but if yours does you need to seize every advantage you can get.
Work with your old high school or a campus organization to create mentoring opportunities aimed at increasing student engagement and success. Inspire younger students by sharing stories about your own successes and failures.
Skills: empathy leadership, emotional intelligence, communication, motivation, networking, interpersonal skills
Align class projects or form collaborations to improve organizations you are part of, support the work of education and workforce development leaders, or help any program better serve students.
Skills: leadership, problem solving, critical thinking, collaboration, networking, teamwork, communication, work ethic
Create your own internship or learn how to use tools, data, workforce development initiatives, or resume and interview strategies to become a stronger job candidate. Then create opportunities to educate and lift others.
Skills: adaptability, empathy leadership, teamwork, motivation, problem solving, critical thinking, interpersonal skills
Helping younger students avoid pitfalls and find success, especially those you share a connection with, is highly rewarding. The feeling of pride and success that comes with it will motivate you to continue working on projects that build evidence of soft and essential skills employers are seeking. It's an easy and strategic place to start.
Increasing student engagement and success is one of our country's greatest challenges and likewise with employees and employers. Projects that reflect being engaged is one of your core values help build a strong base for your brand. And projects that produce metrics about your impact give your resume and interviews a boost.
Gaining skills, experience, and social capital through volunteering helps you overcome the anxiety and self-doubt that comes with being a first-time job candidate. Creating your own volunteer work is also great practice for creating gig work. A degree matters, but experience, leadership, and initiative build confidence and set you apart.
GradPlan.com delivers an affordable solution by operating like an enrichment program. We'll point you to resources that will help you start building your advantage. Every month you can attend Zoom meetings dedicated to discussing the particular step or project you're currently working on. Multiple time slots for each of the 9 steps and 3 project styles are available each month giving you flexibility to build your advantage however works for you. Open office hours and a selection of recorded meetings are also available.
Helping you use free resources rather than creating our own is another way we make our solution so affordable. The meetings are not about us presenting a unique curriculum. They are highly interactive and designed to help you stay on track. Students ask questions or share what they are working on and the trained facilitator and other students offer their advice and share tips.
A big advantage of our format is that it provides opportunities for students from different campuses, majors, and backgrounds to collide and form connections. You can come early and stay late or jump into breakout rooms for small group conversations. In addition, there are countless ways to create meaningful volunteer work by collaborating to improve Gradplan.com or serving other members. Participating is an easy way to build up your LinkedIn connections and gain experience.
We know applying for jobs isn't what you want to think about as you start college, but neither was applying for college in 9th grade.
If you were one of the students who started early and stayed on track, you likely earned scholarships and are at your dream school. If you started late and fell short on extracurriculars, you were likely stressed and missed some opportunities but you still got here.
If your path leads to a competitive entry-level job market you need to be following the advice of HR leaders. Whether you have time to pace yourself or you need to hustle, we hope you'll join our community so we can help you graduate with a job search advantage.
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