With all the talk of degrees, debt, and no jobs or internships, even freshmen are worried. In times of uncertainty, focusing on things you can control helps. In a competitive entry-level job market, employers say building real‑world project experience, soft skills and a strong online presence matters more than a degree alone. Campus career services are free, but some families are paying thousands for early career coaching because they know that without a clear plan, easy steps, and motivational support their student isn't likely to follow through.
Their reasoning probably holds true for most students, unfortunately most students can't afford a coach. That's why we created GradPlan.com.
We are a professional development community for college students. Most of our members are on paths that lead to a competitive entry-level job market. The shared strategies and goals we facilitate help them do what's required outside the classroom to build a job search advantage. A step-by-step plan, quality volunteer work experience, and highly interactive Zoom meetups make it easy for our members to work together on building up their skills and experience, their professional brand, and their visibility.
Students have free access to career services and all the information they need. The gap we're filling is a framework that inspires them to use it. The unique space we created to keep students motivated and help them do great work costs less than $20 a month.
Employers value professional development communities and employees who seek opportunities to improve their skills. When they see Gradplan.com on your resume or social media or hear your impact stories in interviews, they'll know your values are aligned and you've been developing the essential and soft skills they're looking for.
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.
92% of companies report that soft skills matter as much or more than hard skills in today’s business world. Deloitte Insights
84% of employees and managers believe new employees must possess soft skills and demonstrate this in the hiring process.
The most valuable soft skill for recruits is communication and the most valuable skill for advancing in your career is leadership.
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: communication, collaboration, empathy leadership, emotional intelligence, motivation, networking, interpersonal skills, work ethic, teamwork
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: communication, leadership, collaboration, problem solving, critical thinking, networking, teamwork, work ethic, interpersonal skills
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: communication, leadership, 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 is one of our country's greatest challenges. The global cost of disengaged employees is $8.8 trillion annually. Adding projects to your resume that reflect engagement is one of your core values helps strengthen your brand. And projects that produce metrics about your impact will give your resume and interviews a boost.
Gaining experience and social capital by collaborating 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.
You will recieve a sample plan and resource list based on the questionaire you submit at sign up. Our workgroup facilitators post a monthly schedule of their Zoom events. Each meetup is dedicated to discussing one of the 9 steps or 3 project styles you can choose to work on and multiple time slots are available. Start working your plan and join Zoom meetups to help facilitate your progress or collaborate with others working on the same step.
Meetups are interactive Q&A sessions and links to resources open for discussion are listed on the events calendar. Signing up helps members set aside time to be productive. If you are too busy to stay thely pop-in for a few minutes, at least some progress is being made. The past events calendar provides easy access to the Zoom recording and transcript. Some clips that standout might make it into our video and podcast libray.
Meetups connect students from different majors, backgrounds, and even campuses. Interacting is a way to practice skills like introducing yourself at a job fair or networking event. Forming groups and working in breakout rooms on things like interview practice or to collaborate on volunteer projects is encouraged. Signing up for the same meetup again before you leave makes finding a time to work together again easy.
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 did just a little every month, 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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