How I Apply for Post Grad Jobs

Hey everyone! This is my first blog for my social media and web optimization course. I am a senior graduating in May 2021. The job market scares the living crap out of me, so here is what I do to make sure that I optimize all of my time in order to send in high quality applications to a high number of employers.

1. Think outside the box

The University is a great resource to utilize when looking for post grad jobs! But, it can be an over saturated market. I have found that Handshake and the career fairs do not supply me with applications for the kinds of jobs I would like to apply for. As a communications major with an emphasis in public relations and a minor in corporate communications I am looking to start my career at a public relations firm or working in a communications specialist position. In my opinion, the university does not supply sufficient job opportunities for students in the communications program, this is actually something I feel really strongly about. For example, I attended the career fair during the fall 2020 semester where there was only one job position that even included the word “communication.” To combat this, I took my career into my own hands! Linkedin jobs is a good place to start, make sure you are staying up to date on this as job applications open and close fast. Other places I have found success are Indeed.com, Ziprecuriter.com, and even Google Jobs. I earned interviews for jobs posted on each of these platforms. 

My last tip for this section would be to not sleep on the power of a good Google search. For example, I would google “public relations firms near Madison, Wisconsin” and click on the first firm. Next, I would see if the site had a tab related to careers. From there, I would see if they had job openings that they did not list on job boards. If there is not a careers tab, there is usually a careers link in the footer of the home page!

2. Get some good bones

When it comes to resumes and cover letters, I have always been told that personalized is better. Especially in a field as large communications. I have a close friend who is applying for a job in the finance field, it doesn’t seem like he needs to personalize his resume as much as I do. This is because the communication field is insanely broad.

When I started applying for jobs I created a master resume that included absolutely everything I’ve ever done at every job and all of my extracurricular activities. This ended up being more than a page long. Now, I copy this resume and edit it to fit each job description. I do this to make sure my resume matches the job description as closely as possible. I do not want the reason I do not get an interview to be because my resume didn’t make it past the automated system.

3. Stay organized!

I use the MacBook notes application to stay organized. Stay with me now – this part might be a little confusing. I will include screenshots to help with my explanation. In the screenshot below you see all the tabs I have in my notebook. Lets get some tabs I don’t use as frequently out of the way:

• Brain Dump is where I write anything down that does not have another place to go.
• LinkedIn is where I drafted my introduction and bio for my LinkedIn profile.
• The To-Do tab honestly does not get used much, I usually write what should go there in my planner instead. That way all my tasks are in one place. 

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The Interview Questions, In Process Applications, and Complete Applications are the tabs that I use the most! With interviews being online, I try to utilize this to my advantage. I write down notes about how I want to word my thoughts out in a smart way, and questions I want to ask the interviewer all in the Interview Questions tab. The In-Process Applications tab is jobs I want to apply for but haven’t finished yet. In this tab, I keep track of how far I am on each application. 

The Completed Applications tab is where I write everything I would possibly need to know after I submit my application. The screenshot below is an example of this. I am currently in the application process for an integrated marketing communications firm in Chicago, I blacked out the name of the firm and the CEO. Here I write when I applied for a job, which was 11/24/2020. I also wrote about when I first interviewed and how I felt about it. One of my mentors told me it is just as important for me to interview the company as it is for them to interview me, that is why I keep a little diary-like this about each job.

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The Thank You Notes, References, and Cover Letter tabs are self explanatory. I write my cover letters in word but keep little notes here. Lastly, I have a tab titled “Waterstone.” This represents my past internship at Waterstone Mortgage Company. This is where I keep the contact information, dates I started and ended my internship, and more! Basically anything I would need for an application process.

4. Use your resources!

This may sound crazy, but TikTok isn’t just jokes and dances. I follow a number of career accounts that have helped me! These tips include ideas for questions to ask the interviewer and zoom interview etiquette. I have found there is always something new to learn and always a way to improve your job application process!