This is the time of year when college grads start to seriously interview for jobs.
If they’ve listened to me, students should have a pretty clear idea of what area they want to study by the beginning of their junior year.
Often, though, that choice is forced on them by needing to declare a major and to start taking mandated, focused classes.
By their junior year, they should’ve participated in several internships in career areas of interest, have job-shadowed leaders, and even hopefully had a summer job in the field.
Every year, the saddest thing I hear from seniors or even grads is, “I don’t know what I want to do.”
Shame on them, their school career centers, teachers or anyone else that should’ve given them more guidance.
For me, the next most unsettling trend is seeing some job offers being rescinded or the start date being postponed for months. Often this is due to the optics of a company laying current employees off in certain areas and then hiring brand new employees at the same time.
Hiring firms need to be sure they have the right skills at the right time and then create a talent pipeline for years to come. At the same time, prepare for an anticipated economic slowdown in the near future.
So, treat your job search just as you would any other class you’re taking. Devote time to research, meeting, and networking. Practice your interviewing skills for jobs that are of moderate interest. You’ll likely need to kiss a lot of frogs to find that prince of a job.
And you just might be wowed when you least expect it.
The over-confidence of a few years ago
We’re seeing job stability jump to the top as a key issue when hiring, followed closely by salary and benefits. The over-confidence of a few years ago has since evaporated.
Gone are the mantas of, “I don’t care if the company is a start-up and poorly financed,” and “Hey, if it bombs, there are lots of headhunters chasing me down.”
For the past two years, the job market was so tight that employers often made job offers two weeks after interviewing and there was bidding war for interns and graduating seniors.
We’ve also heard stories about not being able to hire enough truck drivers at $90,000 a year, but that plenty of MBA’s are being hired for $60,000 a year.
Depending on the field, it’s still a very good job market, but clearly not as good as before.
But now it’s time to interview. Pay attention to these trends from Robert Half, a leading HR consultant, based on a survey of employers on what new job-seekers should expect to see:
· Multiple interviews. Employers typically conduct four interviews with an entry-level candidate before extending an offer. But the process moves fairly quickly, with companies taking five weeks on average to make a hire.
· Soft skills. One in five managers attributes their hiring mistakes to placing too much weight on technical skills. To avoid making the same misstep, employers are asking situational questions to learn more about a candidate’s traits and interpersonal abilities, such as self-motivation and collaboration, which are especially critical in hybrid and remote work environments.
· Preparation and follow-through. Beyond skills, managers said several actions can tip the scales in an applicant’s favor. These actions include researching the company (67%), maintaining a respectable online presence (51%), and sending a thank-you note after an interview (49%).
· In-office time. While remote work gained prominence during the pandemic, less than 29% of entry-level jobs are d as hybrid or fully remote. However, off-site opportunities are more common for technology, finance and ing positions.
· Hiring bright spots. College graduates can increase their chances of finding work by exploring roles and industries with the most jobs available.
Yes, there are plenty of jobs out there and yes, they are paying well and have reasonable stability. But grads will have to be better prepared and work harder to find their dream job.
Moving home to your parents’ basement should not be an option. Especially in San Diego.
Blair is co-founder of Manpower Staffing.
