I received a few great tips from readers of my column today about how to land a job out of school, which can be difficult– especially for folks with liberal arts degrees or little help from college career offices.

Here they are:

Todd O. wrote: Good topic! Another aspect I would add to your column is the need for graduates to take a job even if it wasn’t exactly what they’re looking for.

Early 90’s was a recesion-esque economy (pre-internet) and the only offer I received was from a large company who wanted me to move 2,000 mi from home and learn to buy ingredients for animal feed! Needless to say this wasn’t my dream job but accepting their offer ended up being a great move because my subsequent future employers recognized the quality of that company which helped my interviewing tremendously.

It wasn’t easy or pretty but after 3 yrs of animal feed I eventually moved on and used that experience to my benefit and I now have a great position in a job sector I love.

To college grads, don’t look at just the job you’re interviewing for now but look down the road to see how the experience of a “less desirable” job may make you an competitive candidate down the road.

Gordon C. wrote:

One area I have found useful in the job search process is the courses offered by the State of Minnesota, Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development. With an emphasis on what works (what’s effective) and with a variety of resources to choose from, this organization tailors its approach to the various needs of the job candidates.

Ryan G. wrote:

I graduated in the Fall of 2005. A semester before I graduated, I realized our college was doing very little to prepare us for the inevitable career search, so I took it upon myself to start searching for jobs three months before graduation.

By the time I had graduated, I already had a number of call- backs and offers. My advice is to not wait until you’re graduated to start looking! What’s the worst that can happen-someone offers you a job before you’re graduated and you have to turn it down?

What job-hunting advice do you have for newly-minted grads?Any job-hunting no-nos that got you in trouble or caused you to turn down a qualified prospect?

This entry was posted on Friday, November 2nd, 2007 at 4:46 pm and is filed under work. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.