Feeling anxious about life after graduation?

With all the talk of degrees, debt, and no internships or jobs, even freshmen are worried. Hiring managers say that what matters most in a competitive job market is a visible, authentic personal brand validated by experience. Despite all the free advice on this, concerned families are paying thousands for early career coaching because they know students naturally procrastinate and that without a clear plan, easy steps, and some support their student 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.

Introducing GradPlan.com

We are a subscription-based professional development community for college students. Our members will be competing in challenging entry-level job markets and want to graduate with an advantage. Intentionally designed Zoom meetups and volunteer work are backbone of our collaborative community. They make it easy for students to work on building their personal brand, gaining experience, and telling their story.

GradPlan.com is similar to professional organizations they'll join once they're working and is more affordable and accessible than private coaching. Students have free access to all the advice they need. We believe they just need help putting a plan to use them in motion and a community to help them stay on track.

Why It Matters

Employers Are Paying Attention

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.

Deloitte, Impact Survey

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 toward a competitive entry-level job market but if yours does you need to seize every advantage you can get.

The Strategy and Goals that Unite Our Community

A Step-by-Step Plan

Build the Foundation for Your Authentic Personal Brand

  • Identify your values, interests, and story
  • Craft your LinkedIn Bio and Profile
  • Grow your online presence and network

Strengthen Your Brand Through Quality Volunteer Work

  • Align work with brand development
  • Turn class projects into work experience
  • Earn credentials that validate your skills

Practice Telling Your Story and Increase Your Visibility

  • Translate skills to your resume effectively
  • Build impact stories for your interviews
  • Keep your profiles current and visible

Quality Volunteer Work

PeerTakes

Leverage your personal assets, connections, and social credibility

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

Impact Collabs

Use your firsthand knowledge to improve student services

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

Teach It Back

Share your knowledge to help other students succeed

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 

A Job Search Advantage

Soft and Essential 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.

Brand Values and Metrics

Increasing student engagement is one of our country's greatest challenges. The global cost of disengaged employees is $8.8 trillion annually. Creating projects that reflect engagement is one of your core values strengthens your brand. And projects that produce metrics about your impact will give your resume and interviews a boost.

Social Capital and Confidence

Gaining experience and social capital by working with other students and 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.

How it Works

Use Your Sample Plan as a Guide to Set and Manage Your Goals

You will recieve a sample plan and list of free resources based on the questionaire you submit at sign up. Our workgroup meetup facilitators post a monthly schedule of their events. Each meetup is dedicated to discussing one of the 9 steps or 3 project styles you might be working on and multiple sessions times are available. Utilize your free resources and join Zoom meetups to collaborate with students who are working on the same step. 

Participate in Zoom Meetups to Stay Motivated and On Track

Meetups help you block out time to focus on the step you're needing to accomplish. Meetups won't include a presentation unless noted on the calendar. You'll learn a lot and stay motivated just by listening to students ask questions related to that step and hearing the advice the facilitator and other students have to offer. Facilitators also post open office hours you can pop into to ask questions and a library of select recorded meetings is always available.

Use Zoom Meetups to Grow Your Network and Networking Skills

Meetups connect students from different campuses, majors, and backgrounds. Interacting will help you practice skills like introducing yourself and asking to connect on LinkedIn. Partnering and using breakout rooms during meetups is encouraged. You can join any session on the calendar and ask to go straight to a breakout room with your group for things like interview practice or to collaborate on a volunteer project.  

It’s déjà vu!

We know applying for jobs isn't what you want to think about as you start college just like applying for college wasn't what you wanted to think about in 9th grade.

But 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.

Start following the advice from hiring managers sooner rather than later. Whether you like to pace yourself, need to catch up, or have to really hustle, we hope you'll join our community so we can help you graduate with a job search advantage.

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