Job Hunting - Get the Edge

Write a cover letter for your resume. Address it to Dear HR Department.  Do NOT put a picture of yourself on your resume. Tailor your resume to the job for which you are applying.  

Delete the content which is not relevant - like your high school clubs. Find a summer internship to get you started. Most internships are paid. Plus, you will walk away with references you can use later.

Research the company. Don't just study the website - also google the news and the leaders.  Prepare yourself to answer tough interview questions.  They want to know if you can reason through a tough problem. Listen very carefully and answer all questions briefly but completely. They do not want your life history - they just want to know if you can do the job with dedication and excellence.

Stand in front of a mirror and practice your answers until you can speak with confidence.   "I have a wide variety of interests currently." or "I will do my utmost to support this team's goals."  Hold your questions until they ask you if you have any. Then ask them "How are you organized here?" or "Who would I report to?" as well as "How much travel is involved?" 

Start your Linked In profile. Connect to people in fields that interest you. Build a career network.  Join groups in LinkedIn that interest you. Search open jobs on GlassDoor.com, Indeed.com, LinkedIn and Facebook. Use the people you know to meet more people in your chosen field. Research the kind of questions employers are asking.  

 Read and reread "How to Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie. 

Employers need good honest people or they can't run their businesses.  But they are inundated with applicants for junior slots.  Keep at it.  There is a place out there for you.  While you are waiting, take an online certification course which is relevant e.g. a PMP or a technical certification.  Study MS Office. Join a professional society and go to their conferences with a student discount.

Got a job!  Tell us the great news!  

Set a budget for rent - it should be about 25% of your net pay (take home pay).  Your landlord will pull your credit report, so pay off your all credit cards  the month before you apply for a lease. Car loans or student  loans may keep you from qualifying for a lease. You will probably have  to commit to at least a year on  most leases.  Short term  furnished rooms may be available near work.  You may have to  share a place or sublet a furnished room until your credit card debts are paid down. Find a rental on Craigs List