It’s not impossible to get hired before you finish school – many students do it. Domenic Sgambelluri, our Alumni of the Month for October 2017, did it. This is his advice on how you can too:
“Get your resume reviewed by someone else. Preferably your school internship/job coordinator, career services centre, etc. Two, three, four sets of eyes and advice are better than one.”
Prepare your application materials. Keep your resume concise, but include the URL to your LinkedIn, where you can provide more detail. Include only school projects that are related to the job you’re applying for.
“Apply early and often! Don’t wait until four weeks before the end of exams of your final year to start looking. Everyone else will already be interviewing.”
Most post-secondary students graduate in April, creating greater competition.
“Go to the career events/fairs that your school holds! This may seem like a waste of time, but companies are there with job vacancies looking for fresh talent. The job market is hot and the fight for talent is real. Your skills are desirable.”
Many employers will offer conditional offers of employment to graduating students because they prefer recent graduates possessing the latest education. Top companies value diversity and innovation, and new graduates provide these.
“Network. Get used to people telling you ‘it’s not what you know, it’s who you know’. This statement often holds true. Get out there.”
At any moment, you could meet the right person who can connect you to your career-launching, life-changing opportunity.
“No opportunity is too small or insignificant. If someone offers even a one day per week internship that requires an hour bus ride each way, take it or someone else will.”
A short-term entry-level position could turn into a permanent role. Many employers offer internships to recent graduates confident enough to bet on themselves, and give them the chance to prove their value and indispensability. If your program curriculum didn’t implement work-integrated learning, you’ll likely need to acquire some related experience. A company could offer you a short-term opportunity that exceeds the average time it takes for a recent graduate to secure a full-time position, so any related experience is better than no experience.
“Don’t become discouraged if you don’t find a job as soon as you would like. Keep taking advantage of all of the opportunities presented to you, including your resources. The right job is out there for you and good people don’t stay unemployed/underemployed very long.”
Domenic is now a member of the talent acquisition team at the City of Brampton. He serves one of Canada’s fastest-growing and ninth-most populous municipality, a city with 209 distinct ethnic backgrounds and 89 languages represented. Performing high-volume, full-cycle union and non-union recruitment, he finds the best candidates for the Flower City.