Did you know that even if you will be a college freshman this fall, the countdown toward your career launch is ticking? 

Tapping into the right steps to develop a plan for career success can feel daunting, but it is important to note that you cannot simply copy what your friends are doing because you likely have different career aspirations.

Do not start sweating yet. You can get ready for your future career and make this semester count. Check out these tips on how to find entry level jobs and get your career ready for takeoff.

What is an Entry Level Job?

Entry-level jobs are the jobs you get when you graduate — as in, the ones that are designed for recent college graduates. In most cases, your colleagues or supervisor will train you to do the skills you need to do your job.

When should you start preparing for your first entry-level job? It starts early. However, if you got moving at a snail’s pace with your job search, you can still get moving even if you are in your senior year of college and still get the best entry-level job for your skills and talents. 

How Long Does it Take to Find an Entry-Level Job?

So, how long does it take to find an entry-level job? That varies depending on the individual — and it could take months. However, learning how to find an entry level job can be easy and fast with assistance, particularly when you get assistance from Campus to Career Crossroads.

How to Find Entry Level Jobs

Let’s walk through the important steps you will need to take to get your first entry-level job. And no, it does not start with reviewing LinkedIn. You will have to do some prep work before you get to that point.

Tip 1: Make your résumé look professional.

Skip the template — it will not cut it. A good recruiter can spot a template quickly. Templates often limit the customization and personalization needed to craft a compelling résumé. Even more concerning, some templates contain those old-fashioned objective statements. 

Did you know that putting an objective statement at the top of your résumé makes you look outdated? Trust me, a company will not hire you based on your objective statement. The company only wants to know what kind of value you will bring to the position. Your résumé should convey demonstrated successes and abilities related to the position and why they should hire you over your peers.

Pro tip: You do not want to pull an all-nighter to write your résumé — a hiring manager will know you did that right away. Schedule time to write your résumé when you do your best work. 

Tip 2: Check over your cover letter.

Think you do not need a cover letter? Think again. 

Cover letters provide the necessary information to give you a competitive edge. Cover letters should not look like carbon copies of your résumé; they should introduce completely new information. You should creatively and articulately demonstrate your connection to the job, company, and why you will excel in the position. 

Learn some key attributes of an effective cover letter:

• Attention-getting opening
• Focuses on accomplishments
• Demonstrates your connection to the position and the company
• Concision (a few short paragraphs)
• Effective call-to-action closing

Overall, cover letters should engage a prospective employer and keep his or her attention. Keep in mind, you want to customize your cover letter (and your résumé!) for every application. Not doing this can cost you the entry level job you are after, whether you are trying to understand how to find entry level remote jobs or another job altogether.

How do you customize your cover letter? Look into the key skills and experiences you need for the job and pop them into all your information.

Tip 3: Review your contact information.

Now that you have your résumé and cover letter looking sharp, make sure you convey a professional image when recruiters call you. Is your voicemail set up? Does it have a professional greeting? Is your voicemail full? One of the biggest frustrations for recruiters is when they want to speak with an applicant and they cannot leave a voicemail.

Does your email address set a professional tone? If not, get another email address immediately. Also, I encourage all clients to check their spam folders a couple of times per week, especially when job searching. It is amazing the amount of job-related emails that can get caught in a spam filter!

Tip 4: Get branded. 

You need to create a professional brand early on in college that identifies you as a person employers will want to hire. Personal branding for students helps you separate yourself from thousands of other college graduates, some of whom do not even understand what branding means. This can give you a major edge and it offers a huge strategic asset.

Your personal brand tells people what you want them to know about you. You will also have a better understanding of your strengths and direction as a prospective employee.

Tip 5: Do a social media audit.

Want to know a powerful secret from a recruiter I know? She said, “We check social media accounts. I have learned a lot about candidates from the digital footprints they leave on social media.”

Yikes. Just think about what would happen if an employer decided to follow your Snapchat account. You might want to think twice before you snap those party pictures. Even Instagram or Facebook stories that disappear in 24 hours can be saved indefinitely with a simple screenshot.

Before you head back to campus, review all the active social media accounts you have created. If you have dormant accounts, close them. You want to review all of your posts and comments you have posted. Immediately delete anything questionable!  

Tip 6: Boost your LinkedIn profile.

In my opinion, LinkedIn represents one of the most underutilized career tools for college students. Not having a profile sends a red flag to potential employers that your lackluster profile means you are not serious about your career launch. 

LinkedIn offers more than just jobs. It also offers access to over 700 million professionals on its platform. You can connect with the vice president of human resources, hiring managers, or future coworkers. Always personalize each connection request! Doing so shows forethought and effort. 

LinkedIn can also help you understand the career path certain professionals took to reach their current position. You may also learn how you compare to employees in similar entry-level positions.

So, how to find entry level jobs on LinkedIn? 

Develop a LinkedIn profile and create a robust, descriptive profile as soon as possible. Include your phone number and email address in your profile contact information. You want to ensure that connections and recruiters can contact you!

Then, optimize your LinkedIn profile for the job hunt and join groups relevant to your entry-level job. Set job alerts based on location, experience level required, job type, company, and industry. 

Set your LinkedIn profile to “open to work” ” and advertise that you are interested in finding a job. Recruiters love reading information about people looking for a job in their industry, your experience and qualifications, and a call to action (how they can contact you).

Tip 7: Hone your interview skills.

Interviewing for internships with top employers requires a different skill set than most college students have been exposed to through part-time work. Most students overestimate their abilities to interview for professional positions. Do not wait to discover that you need interviewing help after you burn a few important interviews. 

Positions with top employers that provide 401(k) matches, paid health insurance, and the highest entry-level salaries require exceptional interviewing skills. Learn the top 10 job interview secrets that get you the job.

Tip 8: Listen to on-campus speakers. 

I always feel envious when I hear about all the amazing speakers my college clients can choose to listen to each semester. Attend at least two campus speakers per semester. These can change the trajectory of your career launch and can even connect you to opportunities and people in the speakers’ industries. Many of these campus speakers also have a LinkedIn profile. Stay in touch with them! 

Tip 9: Join a professional association.

Joining one or two professional associations can change the trajectory of your career launch. Some professional associations even have a discounted student membership rate such as the American Marketing Association. Numerous professional associations even have an online career center with posted positions. 

One of the most vital skills to career launch involves your ability to network. The networking connections you get through an association membership could make all the difference in helping you land your next opportunity. Professional associations provide year-round networking opportunities, from golf outings to holiday mixers. 

Tip 10: Contact alumni from your college.

You need to get connected to your college’s alumni office! Alumni love helping and hiring graduates from their alma maters whenever possible. Contact the student liaison in the alumni office at your college. They should be able to provide you with some names of alumni who would enjoy helping you out.

Check out alumni newsletters such as NYU’s Alumni Newsletter. Past alumni newsletters provide a wealth of information and include active members and alumni success stories.

Bonus tip: You can search for people by the university they attended on LinkedIn. This may offer another outlet to network with alumni in a desired major or city you want to live in after you graduate. 

Tip 11: Build relationships with your professors.

Professors want to get to know their students, but many students never contact them or make it a point to visit during office hours. How to find entry level jobs starts with understanding your professors and their professional backgrounds. You never know when you may need a professor to write a letter of recommendation for a job opportunity or even a grad school application.

Bonus tip: Professors appreciate and know students who arrive early to class and sit in the front row of their class!

Tip 12: Post your résumé to job sites.

Job sites are often dedicated to entry-level positions only. You can search job listings using a searchable database and post your résumé on them so employers can look for you. While applying to job sites may seem like putting your résumé into a black hole, it is still worth posting them, especially if you put together an impressive résumé and brand.

Tip 13: Network hard, all the time.

You have heard the term, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know,” haven’t you? You must talk to as many people as possible. Your uncle, your friend’s dad, your favorite professor’s father-in-law — yes, sounds crazy, but in most cases, that is where the magic happens. Someone knows somebody who is looking for you. 

Just think of the “six degrees of separation” theory, or the theory that any person on Earth is connected to any other person through a chain of acquaintances with no more than five intermediaries. Keep that in mind as you learn how to find a good entry level job. 

So, how do you network? It is easy to tell you to do that, but it does require a certain level of gumption to contact people and to market yourself, so what should you do? 

If someone shares the name of someone with you, you can try: 

• Emailing contacts people share to point-blank ask for a time to meet: “So-and-so shared your name and I’m interested in learning more about your business. Is it possible to set up a time to have coffee?”
• Calling the contacts people share to ask the same question!
• Connecting with the recruiter on staff where the individual works to ask about opportunities.
• Asking the individual who knows the other individual to contact them on your behalf.

Do not give up if you do not hear back — people are busy, and it often takes more than one try to reach someone! Many students give up too early.

Need Help with Your Career Launch?

Whoa — that is a lot, right? 

We can help. Campus to Career Crossroads can work with you (no matter where you live!) to help you launch a successful career. Our one-on-one career services professionals customize a plan based on your goals and strengths. Working with an experienced professional saves you time, money, and stress.

It is easy to get in touch with Campus to Career Crossroads. Call directly at 724-309-6648 or contact us now through our contact form. 

FAQs

Take a look at some frequently asked questions about launching your career. 

How can I find a job if I do not have experience?

Here is the deal: You do have experience, even if you do not think you do. You have college experience, potentially internship experience, even on-the-job experience with other jobs you have, such as working as a shift supervisor at McDonald’s. Even if it is not directly related to your current experience, you still hopefully have some experience that you can put on your résumé. 

How to tell if a job is entry level?

So, how to find actual entry level jobs?

Most job boards will make it clear that a job is entry level. They may explicitly label each job as “entry level” or say that the job is for recent graduates. You can also read between the lines on job posts to determine whether they are for recent graduates. It will also clearly be labeled “internship” if the posting is for an internship.

Why is it so hard to find a job with no experience?

Again, you will likely have some sort of experience, even if you have only had an internship. Capitalize on the things that you did in your internship, such as communication skills, writing skills, presentation skills, etc. Whatever you did in your internship is direct experience that will carry over to a skillset that employees are looking for in their new hire.

If you are having trouble finding a job, reach out to Campus to Career Crossroads and we can help you enhance your search and develop a career plan!