What is the best way to find a job for a recent college graduate?

There are many ways to find jobs for recent graduates, some of the most common are through Job Fairs, Campus Recruiting, Internet Job Boards, and Networking.

Many experts believe that the best way to find a job is though networking. Over half of all positions that need to be filled are never advertised because they are filled through referrals. Many churches have set up networking groups to help people improve their resume and interviewing as well as help people network with potential employers.

I have found that a great way to network is through your college's alumnae network. If your school has an alumnae database, find graduates that are working in companies that you would like a job at and call or email them. It is important that you build a relationship with the person before you ask them for a job or else they will have no invested interest in you. It is good to start by telling them how much you love their company and asking them questions about it. A lot of times if you ask them for help on your resume, they will forward it to the HR department on your behalf.

Public Internet Job boards are an alluring place to find a job, but it often is not worth the effort. Because they are so accessible, any job that is posted is flooded with hundreds or thousands of applications. A much better way to find a job is though University Job Boards. If a company has come to your school asking for resumes from their graduates, then they are interested in the type of students that attend the university. You also have a leg up because fewer people have access to these jobs.

It is often good to apply to companies that are small or struggling if you need to find a job. They will be more willing to hire someone who has the 'unemployed stigma' and they might be more desperate to fill certain positions. There will be less competition for these jobs because other see them as risky (which they are) so they will not leave a more stable position for a risky one.