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Benefits of Job Searching with a Recruiter
Headhunters, Career Consultants, Unicorn Finders. Whatever you call them, recruiters are in high demand as the surge of open roles overtakes the lack of talent in the candidate pool. As a candidate in this market, you’re probably receiving calls, emails, text messages, and more from various recruiters who are trying to pitch you a role they’re working on. If you’re searching for a change in your career, here are 5 reasons why you should work with a recruiter on your next job search.
Additional Opportunities
Due to the high-impact nature of their available roles, employers don’t advertise their available positions and instead elect to work with a recruiter to source potential candidates. As a job seeker, if you choose to work with a recruiter during your search, you’re more likely to have access to those prized roles.
Save Time
Finding a job can be a long, tedious, and sometimes frustrating process but by establishing a working relationship with a recruiter you can save time and energy in your job search. As recruiters, our job is to find candidates whose background and experience match our open roles. We streamline the process for you and only offer opportunities you would be well-suited for.
Expert Advice
At DRI, we pride ourselves on being industry experts. This means we understand the culture, role, and expectations of your intended employer. We’re here to coach you through your interview and negotiation process to help you land your dream role. With over 39 years of experience in interviewing, consulting, coaching, and negotiating, we can confidently offer you advice and insight to help you land your dream role.
Confidentiality
Many times, candidates are looking for new opportunities while still employed. When you opt to work with a recruiter, you can ensure that there is little to no risk of your current employer finding out as we don’t blast your resume out where your employer could potentially find it.
Shared Interest in Your Success
When working with a recruiter, you can be sure that you both have the same goal: to place you in a job that is a perfect fit. Recruiters are invested in your success as it guarantees an accomplishment for us as well. We’re not here to waste your time as our end goal is find a career match for you.
A good recruiter will help to alleviate the stress of job searching, not add more. At Direct Recruiters, our team of recruiting experts are dedicated to helping you find the best career fit for you. If you’re interested in learning more, reach out to our team of talented recruiters today.
#BreakTheBias this International Women’s Day
March 8, 2022
By Celeste Gable, Marketing Coordinator
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary definition, bias is “an inclination of temperament or outlook especially a personal and sometimes unreasoned judgment.” Biases, even those unconsciously promoted, are hurtful to the marginalized community that the bias represents. This International Women’s Day, #BreakTheBias invites society to stand up against judgments and stereotypes and celebrate a world of gender equality where being different is valued.
In a perfect world, once industries achieve gender balance, bias will decrease and gender gaps will close but it’s not that simple. Women account for 47.7% of the global workforce but only 27.1% of women hold leadership roles. Despite the fact that women score higher than men on 17 of the 19 most important leadership skills, according to a survey from Harvard Business Review. People tend to think that having more women present is all that’s needed to promote change, but traditional organizational structures and systems need to change to benefit everyone. Below are 3 ways to combat workplace bias to create a more inclusive company culture.
Turn the Unconscious into Conscious
Biases are so ingrained in our society and culture that many people don’t realize they are contributing to harmful stereotypes. The first step is to make people aware of how what they are saying or doing is harmful to the subject. While sometimes uncomfortable, this is an important first step in rewriting the narrative to be more inclusive. By having these conversations, (yes more than one is necessary), you empower those around you to reflect on their thoughts and actions and actively work to be more inclusive to those around them.
Control How Others View You (And How You View Yourself)
As women, we can also promote stereotypes by feeding into narratives about women in the workplace. We must combat these stereotypes with deliberate strategies to empower ourselves and others. It’s important to know your skill sets and boundaries. Knowing what you bring to the table and your self-worth can help to inspire confidence as a leader. That includes saying no. Many times, we are hesitant to say “No” due to our ingrained people-pleasing nature. To be recognized by the executive team, we overload ourselves with tasks and projects to equal or exceed our male counterparts’ contributions.
This can lead to burnout and mental health issues. According to a 2021 statistic from McKinsey, 42% of US female workers suffer from burnout, compared to only 35% of their male coworkers. Overall, burnout statistics and the rise of chronic mental illness has only intensified due to the idea of “always on” culture promoted and strengthened by the pandemic and remote working.
Find Allies and Be an Ally
Friends and mentors are important for everyone but especially for women in the workplace. Align yourself with like-minded individuals with similar goals to dismantle exclusive systems. McKinsey states that “women are twice as likely to do DE&I work, especially surrounding recruitment, and more likely to be allies to women of color compared to men.” Today, it is extremely important for people in leadership positions to inspire, mentor, and support those not in positions of power to create a more equitable and inclusive workplace culture.
Cherie Shepard, Partner and Founder of DRI’s Women’s Group shares why it’s so important to have a group dedicated to the empowerment of women.
"In conversations with the women in our organization, they share their gratitude and appreciation for having a Women's Group. It allows them to create and cultivate relationships with the women of Direct Recruiters – regardless of industry or station. The times we set aside throughout the year for our meetings and activities allow us to bond as a team, especially with a hybrid and remote workforce. This is a reminder that we are together; working to raise one another up and share in each other's successes and life events. These are the touchstones we have to remind one another that we are here for each other.”
In the end, dismantling these systems that no longer service the modern workplace is a job for men and women alike. Confront your biases, include women and POC in conversations, and work towards a common goal to create a more diverse and equitable corporate culture. This International Women’s Day, I urge you to reflect on your thoughts and actions and actively make a change to #BreakTheBias.
2022 Recruiting Trends to Win the War on Talent
December 23, 2021
By Celeste Gable, Marketing Coordinator
2021 is wrapping up quickly and what a whirlwind it has been! As we reflect on all the hiring challenges we have faced, we look towards the future and predict what trends will be happening in 2022. While each trend is uniquely adopted by any organization, below are 5 trends that Direct Recruiters is predicting will affect your hiring procedures in 2022.
It’s Still a Candidate Driven Market
As 2021 comes to an end, the lack of available candidates and the surplus of jobs will carry into the new year. Many employers need the same skillset and talents, so candidates have multiple options from many different places. This has created an opportunity for candidates to leverage better salary and benefits and employers have no choice but to comply. Recruiters and talent acquisition specialists must work harder to standout against the influx of calls, messages, and emails. In 2022, expect to see more creative recruiting tactics. This could include better sourcing tactics, more data driven marketing, or stronger brand communication. In the end, those who move quickly to secure qualified candidates will win the war on talent.
Focus on Retention
In the last few months, we have seen an increase in The Great Resignation as many employees leave their jobs to pursue other opportunities. In an already strained labor shortage, losing these valuable employees creates an even greater issue. 2022 will ensure a renewed focus on employee engagement to increase retention and loyalty. A testament to strong company culture will be less about making the office a fun place and more about ensuring all employees feel seen and heard by their colleagues and managers. The organizations with strong values and a plan to invest in employees will succeed in the competitive market.
The Future of Ai and Automation
Even with new stresses and challenges, resilient recruiters are adapting to the ever-changing market. With the help of AI and Automation, recruiters can use more tools to access more of the available market. Using Ai tools to source, screen, schedule, and chat with candidates during the hiring process allows recruiters to draw in a larger candidate pool for the hiring managers to choose from.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are Must Haves
Employees continue to align themselves with organizations who reflect their own morals. In 2022, companies will realize that diversity and inclusion isn’t just a feel-good initiative but is central to a company’s success. According to McKinsey’s Diversity Wins report, companies in the upper quartile for ethnic and cultural diversity on executive teams were 33% more likely to have industry-leading profitability. And companies in the upper quartile for gender diversity on executive teams were 21% more likely to outperform on profitability and 27% more likely to have superior value creation. DE&I is becoming increasingly prioritized within organizations who are in search of people to fill roles like “Chief Diversity Officer”, and “Head of Diversity & Inclusion”. Hiring diverse candidates and being transparent in your DE&I efforts will help your company succeed in 2022 and beyond.
Remote is Here to Stay
Many companies postponed their returns to the office this past year and they’re in no hurry to return in 2022 either. Remote hiring, onboarding, and working is here to stay. By hiring remotely, you have access to a larger and more diversified talent pool by not limiting to location. You are also able to recruit, hire, and onboard candidates faster using digital supplemental materials like training videos and virtual meetings.
No matter the industry you are in, change is unavoidable. By understanding the trends that will shape the workforce in 2022, hiring managers and organizations will be in a better position to face the challenges head on.
Best Practices for Quitting a Job You Just Started
December 16, 2021
By Celeste Gable, Marketing Coordinator
Starting a new job can create mixed emotions. It’s normal to feel overwhelmed with feelings of excitement and anxiety but what happens when the excitement fades and the anxiety remains? Admitting you made the wrong choice in choosing to accept a job can be scary and finding out the job doesn’t meet your expectations can be disappointing. Before beginning the job resignation process, reflect and make sure that there are no other options. In the end, you have to move forward. Here’s how to diffuse the situation in the best way possible
Resign In Person… but also In Writing
You will need to draft a resignation letter when quitting your job for it to be considered official. When writing your resignation letter, make sure to use professional language. If you include a reason, make sure it acceptable. You should avoid criticizing comments about the company or coworkers. It is standard to give at least two weeks’ notice, however it is recommended to render a month of service before the resignation date to give your employer time to find a suitable replacement.
Have an Action Plan
Leaving a job after only a few months is tricky but sometimes it’s the best option. Make sure you have a plan in place that reflects the reality of starting the job search over. While two weeks is considered standard, a company is not obligated to keep you on or pay your notice after a short tenure. Make sure your prepared to potentially lose your income on the day of resignation.
Honesty is the Best Policy
An exit interview is standard for any resignations. These are designed to help your employer understand what happened so they can improve in the future. Be honest with your employer in a professional and respectful manner. Many times, people may choose to leave a job due to office environment, management team, or job tasks not being what was promised. Be prepared to explain why you’re leaving and offer any feedback to assist the company in the future.
Whether you have plans to stay within in the same industry or not, it’s best to avoid burning bridges. Finish the time at your job with a positive and professional attitude. Sometimes the jobs we end up with don’t meet expectations or sometimes it isn’t a good fit. It’s not illegal to quit this quickly so when you find yourself resenting your current position, its best to get back out there and keep looking. For both employer and employee, it’s better to cut the relationship off soon after discovering that it just doesn’t work.
DRI Interviews Stephanie Daley, VP of Market Expansion at Wana Brands
Medical Cannabis Practice Leader, Max Resnik, recently interviewed Stephanie Daley, VP of Market Expansion at Wana Brands, as part of our Thought Leader Interview series. Max and Stephanie discuss business acquisitions, the expedited growth of Wana Brands, cannabis misconceptions and the future of the cannabis market. Watch the full interview in the video below.
The Art of Negotiation
November 18, 2021
By Celeste Gable, Marketing Coordinator
Hiring Managers rarely make their best offer first, and candidates who negotiate their salary tend to earn more than those who don’t. Most often, people who at least attempt to ask for a higher salary are perceived more positively because they are demonstrating the skills the company is hiring them for. So where do you start? In this blog, we will outline our best tips for negotiating salary.
Do Your Research
Before beginning the negotiation process, and in most cases, before the first interview; conduct some preliminary research. There are many resources available online that can provide estimations of salaries based on role and location. If working with a search firm, the recruiter should be able to advise you on a salary range for the position you’re interviewing for. At Direct Recruiters, we offer free, downloadable Salary Guides for a variety of industries that we serve.
Don’t Talk Money Too Early
You should never ask about salary during the first interview. While we all want to earn more money, no hiring manager wants to hire someone who’s only motivation is money. In many preliminary interviews, the hiring manager may ask about your salary requirements. This where your research becomes helpful! Try to give a range that’s indicative of someone in your position and with your experience applying for this role. Your goal when negotiating is to find the balance between what you’re worth and the employer’s budget.
Sell Yourself with Confidence
As you go through the interviewing and negotiating process, remember to continuously sell yourself. Perhaps you have certain skills and experience that would eliminate the need for an outside vendor, leverage that. Justify your request with confidence. When you make request, don’t go on and on stating why its justified. Offer a short and simple explanation for why the amount is appropriate.
Negotiate Extras
If the employer is unable to adjust the salary offered, try asking for other valuable options that might not cost as much. You can try to negotiate for yearly salary reviews, sign-on or performance bonus, or more vacation days. For the best negotiating strategy, ask for a few benefits or perks you don’t want that badly. Then you can concede and agree to the employer’s terms without those added benefits if they meet all your other requests.
In an ideal negotiation situation, both parties will walk away from the engagement feeling satisfied with what they have gained. This is especially true when you’re dealing with salary negotiations. You want your employer to feel secure in the price paid for your services so that your working relationship begins on a positive note.
DRI Interviews Joe Wentzell, VP of Revenue for Cure Solutions
Max Resnik, Medical Cannabis Practice Leader at Direct Recruiters, had the opportunity to connect with Joe Wentzell, VP of Revenue for Cure Solutions, during MJBizCon in Las Vegas. Together, they discussed retail strategies in cannabis, how Joe made the industry leap and the pandemic’s impact on the space. Check out Joe’s insights in this latest Thought Leader Interview on the cannabis space.
Cure Solutions is a multi-state management company operating in the medical and adult use cannabis space. Currently operating retail, cultivation, and processing facilities in Colorado, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Oklahoma.
Joe Wentzell, VP of Revenue for Cure Solutions
You came into the cannabis industry from the bicycle world. What’s it like navigating this space and how are things different?
There are some important similarities between the two industries. I came into the cannabis industry through retail and bicycle retail specifically; both industries have an extremely passionate employee and customer base who are often choosing these products to improve their health and wellbeing. And even though employees in both industries are subject matter experts, often, customers and patients are so well-informed that they can give our employees a run for their money. Recruiting, developing, and maintaining well educated and enthusiastic employees in retail is often a challenge. My prior experience leading large specialty retail teams in the bicycle industry was helpful in navigating that challenge.
Did you experience customers trying cannabis for the first time during the height of the pandemic? What was that like?
Prior to the pandemic, we provided a physically close and high touch retail environment where our employees could answer questions and spend time with patients, especially new patients. Once all of the social distance measures were put into place, we lost a lot of that opportunity to educate. We gained a significant number of new patients during the pandemic who only knew the quick transactions of a socially distant shopping experience. It was really exciting, and I think we’ve learned about all the different ways we can reach people, whether that’s through Zoom conferencing to provide education, or through online ordering and curbside pick-up.
In Pennsylvania for example, the regulations require that the first point of contact a patient has is with a pharmacist. Pre-pandemic we were limited by how many patients could get time with a pharmacist. When the state allowed for remote consultations we were able to double the amount of consultations each pharmacist could have in a given day.
As to patients trying cannabis for the first time during the pandemic: that has been an important theme for us throughout the pandemic. We met a lot of new patients who turned to cannabis to help them deal with some of the challenges that the pandemic imposed on us all, particularly in the early days. And one of the most important things we were able to do for these new patients was meet them where they were in their personal cannabis journeys. For instance, when talking about potency. As you know, many people believe that higher THC in a product means higher quality. But when we’re talking about patients who are new to cannabis, that’s just not true. For new patients, generally speaking, less is more. I think the worst thing you can do for a new patient is sell them a product that’s too strong, and then they have a negative experience and don’t get the relief they’re looking for, and then conclude that cannabis is not part of the solution to their challenges.
How do you approach a customer in Ohio, who’s a patient, versus a recreational customer in Colorado? Is the strategy different?
Yes, absolutely. It’s the difference between patients and customers. You have to understand where they’re coming from, and what their needs are. They approach cannabis differently, starting with how they even find the brand or the dispensary they choose to support..
I want to note that Cure, at its heart, is a medical cannabis company, from its roots in Colorado in 2009. It's our belief that if you treat all patient / customer interactions from a health and wellness perspective, you won’t go wrong. Starting with that mindset is who we are and from there each interaction begins with understanding what the patient’s current knowledge of the products is, and what it is they are trying to achieve with the products they purchase. Getting to the essence of those questions requires people that are willing to work hard and take the time to listen to the customer. In other kinds of retail, salespeople are taught to maximize the value of every sale. But that’s not always the right thing to do, and so sometimes we have to work with new staff to unlearn that lesson. To succeed, we have to earn our patients’ trust every time they visit us. And that’s hard, but it works!
With that in mind the challenge isn't so much treating medical and recreational customers differently, it's trying to scale processes in states that have drastically different regulatory environments. To solve that problem, it requires a lot of hard work and finding small opportunities to replicate processes. There’s not as much opportunity to be efficient, therefore, It requires more time and more people to operate in each of those states than would be required in a traditional multi-state retail environment.
What do you make of where the space is today and maybe where we are at the next MJBizCon?
The pandemic marks a turning point for cannabis. To me, the fact that dispensaries around the country were immediately designated essential businesses reflected a fundamental shift in how the public and our lawmakers view this industry. Beyond acknowledging that cannabis industry workers are essential to their communities, at a time when public health was top of mind for everyone in America, access to safe, regulated cannabis was at the heart of our states' public health strategies. I think that our industry's track record of safety, compliance and patient care over the past two years have done more in service of broadening access to cannabis than any ballot measure ever has.
To my earlier point about educating new patients, going forward, I think there’s a lot of opportunity for educational platforms to help brands engage directly with patients as well as dispensary employees. And I think that the pandemic really gave us an opportunity to explore those in more detail and more rapidly than we may have done prior to the pandemic . At Cure we are now merging some of the high touch shopping experience with the efficient and convenient shopping experience that emerged during the pandemic. As a vertically integrated operator we also recognize the need to get product and brand information in the hands of many employees that may not necessarily work for one of our dispensaries but who nonetheless need to have an in-depth understanding of our products. The fact that we are here talking today shows how far we have come since the start of the pandemic. Next year the pandemic will hopefully be in the rearview mirror and we will see the benefits of combining the lessons learned during the past two years, the growing acceptance of cannabis in our culture and in our politics. The future is bright and it’s exciting to be a part of that evolution.
You’re relatively new to the space. What would you tell someone who wants to get into this industry?
I think this space has so many opportunities for people who have experience in other worlds. There’s a lot of different ways of approaching a multitude of challenges that we face every day. Grab onto one of those challenges and come prepared with a solution for solving it. I think that if you can show you can think flexibly and bring some experience that we haven’t thought of yet in this industry, then there’s a place for you. That’s for sure.
DRI Interviews Ron Basak-Smith, CEO and Co-Founder of Sana Packaging
Max Resnik, Medical Cannabis Practice Leader at Direct Recruiters, had the opportunity to connect with Ron Basak-Smith, CEO and Co-Founder of Sana Packaging, in Las Vegas during MJBizCon. Together, they discussed sustainability in cannabis, how Sana Packaging is leading the charge and how Ron views the potential for federal legalization of cannabis. Check out Ron’s insights in this latest Thought Leader Interview on the cannabis space.
Sana Packaging is a sustainable packaging brand that designs and develops cannabis packaging for a circular economy using plant-based, reclaimed, and recycled materials.
Ron Basak-Smith
CEO & Co-Founder
Sana Packaging
Ron, what drove you to launch Sana Packaging?
I’ve always grown up outdoors. It’s been a huge focal point in my life and place of peace, happiness and enjoyment. And so, the current world we live in it seems like there’s environmental issues all around us. Being a human being on earth, going around and seeing the waste that I, myself, create and all the products I consume, and we all consume, there’s just not a way that properly manages that.
And so, the cannabis industry being another place that I’m very passionate about – the cannabis plant has been super helpful to me – it was just combining those two passions. I was able to approach my co-founder with this concept at the University of Colorado Boulder, and from there, we were able to build the business. The cannabis industry has been super receptive to better packaging, more sustainable packaging.
What makes your packaging different?
There’s a big difference in the cannabis industry around the types of packaging available and can be used because of regulations around child resistance. And then each state has various rules around opacity, wall thickness, etc., and so first we had to design packaging that meets the needs of the plant, the consumer, and then we try to pick material types that help support the faults that we see within each system.
For example, we see recycling. Everyone’s trying to recycle, right, but we don’t have enough companies using recycled content, and that’s a huge factor leading to the ocean plastic we see. So, we try to then support recycling industry by using ocean plastic to manufacture products. By doing that, we’re hoping that the recycling system in the U.S. will be effective basically in managing these materials. However, we’re going to need companies to manufacture products out of it. So, there’s this oversupply of recycled material and this under-demand of people buying recycled content. And that’s really where we come in. We believe that industries can help support that.
What can we do better to help this cause of sustainability?
Try to localize your mindset around sustainability. When you think about all these issues, they all vary from location to location, and that’s what’s really happening – we’re altering the world and different parts of the environment in different ways. What might be great for the air might not be great for water consumption or vice versa. There’s all these different tradeoffs that need to be considered when thinking about sustainability, and I think everyone kind of wants the easy fix. But in the world of sustainability there’s a tradeoff, so we’ve gotta start having conversations about what tradeoffs we’re making versus what we’re perceived to be fixing.
What do you make of the last year for the industry as a whole?
I think the whole event of COVID has shown that people are using cannabis. Whether the world is in a perfect place or a not so perfect place or anywhere in between, that’s just a known. I think that was happening whether there was a legal market or non-legal market or decriminalized market. It’s just been known people are using cannabis. And so, through the pandemic and seeing it deemed as essential in many areas, that’s huge, right? We know that when things are getting real bad, there’s going to be a need for cannabis all over the country. That’s one huge thing. Also I think it’s been a long period of time since COVID started, and I think it’s been adoption in the industry. More states opening up, more states maturing and so I think that’ll just continue to happen.
Care to place a bet on legalization federally?
I think it’s going to take longer. Now, I think there’s so many incentives for it not to go federal from each state level, like in terms of their tax set ups and the money being invested at each state level in terms of grow ops, etc., which I assume will change once federal legalization happens. Then, there will be a huge shake up. Some states may win. Some states may lose. Who’s incentivized? Who’s not? It’s going to happen eventually, but it’s likely to take several years. Let’s see what happens with banking. It’s one I thought would’ve happened already.
7 Things to Leave Off Your Resume in 2021
October 21, 2021
By Celeste Gable, Marketing Coordinator
Job seekers often do themselves a disservice when they send out resumes that include unrelated or confusing information. Hiring Managers don’t have the time or patience to sort through resumes having too much or inaccurate info. Just stick to the basics and make sure you leave off these 7 things on your resume:
Irrelevant Hobbies and Interests: Love camping? Hiking? Fishing? Great, but unless the job you’re applying for is to be a park ranger, most hiring managers aren’t interested in how you spend you free time. When including hobbies on your resume, make sure its relevant to the industry you’re applying for.
Too Many Soft Skills: Soft skills are a good thing, to a certain extent, but too many can cause the candidate to lose credibility. Including both hard and soft skills demonstrate tangible and intangible traits that can help the hiring manger or recruiter understand your work ethic. When including soft skills, make sure they’re demonstrated and not just stated.
Headshot: There’s no reason to include a headshot on your resume. Some hiring managers even find it to be unprofessional. Instead, include your LinkedIn URL or a QR Code to your portfolio. Here you may have a picture of yourself.
Personal Pronouns: When writing your resume, try to leave out personal pronouns like “I,”, “me,”, and “we.”. It’s your resume so it’s implied that everything is about you.
The Wrong Kind of Email: Including your email is important when filling our contact information on your resume but using your personal email can be tricky. Its best to have a professional, simple email, that is easily associated with your name. Stay away from casual email addresses like soccerchick85@hotmail.com that can be seen as inappropriate to unprofessional.
Your Mailing Address: Including your mailing address used to be standard practice. Now, it's unnecessary information. If you’re applying for out-of-state jobs and looking to relocate, it might be best to leave out because some employers only want to consider local candidates. Instead indicate your plans of relocation within your contact information.
Job Positions Older than 10-15 years: Unless you’re a recent graduate or a senior executive, you should include no more than 4 or 5 positions that span more than 10-15 years. The older the position, the less likely the hiring manager will care about it. Instead of filling your resumes with dozens of outdated, irrelevant positions, use that space to detail your most recent positions. Quality over quantity.
When applying for positions, its best to tailor your resume to reflect the advertised role. If you’re applying for a tech-based job, it might be better to emphasize your skills with data learning programs. If applying for a communications role, highlight your soft skills and accomplishments. Writing a resume can be difficult when choosing what to include or not include, but use your best judgment. Quality over quantity wins every time.
Graduated and Jobless: What Now?
September 30, 2021
By Celeste Gable, Marketing Coordinator
The class of 2020 graduates entered a very different economic future than their predecessors the year before. The recession caused by a pandemic has been especially hard on young workers. Well over a year past their graduation and 45% of the class of 2020 are still looking for work, according to a survey conducted by Monster. The challenges of a pandemic economy are evident in the labor market outcomes for these 2020 college graduates.
What’s the best way for grads to get back in the game?
Keep resume fresh and fine-tuned. Make sure you are presenting the latest and most compelling information to employers. Ask friends and mentors to critique your resume and cover letter and provide feedback. Use the gap between graduation and full-time employment to learn a new skill or volunteer your time.
Contact your college career office. Set up a meeting to explore options and make sure that you have tapped into all the resources available. Most offices have a roster of available jobs and internships. Online job posting sites like Handshake, LinkedIn, and Indeed are good resources too.
Ask employed friends to help you. Perhaps you have a friend or two in your field that would be willing to speak with their own company hiring officials about any upcoming hiring needs. Turnover is at an all-time high, so companies are hiring at increased rates. It doesn’t hurt to ask!
Network, network, network. It is absolutely true that most graduates who find work after they have left campus do so through some form of networking. Ask your career office and/or alumni office for a list of contacts in geographic and industry sectors of interest. Follow and connect with relevant experts on LinkedIn. In addition, contact relatives. Everyone knows someone.
Have a strong online presence. Make sure you’re LinkedIn profile is complete and up to date. Use your online presence to attract hiring managers and recruiters. Join groups for your college and career fields of interest. Reach out to fellow group members for informational interviews. Nowadays, most companies advertise their open jobs on their social platforms. Make sure you are following them for all their updates.
Consider temporary employment jobs, entry level positions and internships. Once your foot is in the door of a company, meet as many of the staff as you can and try to make a favorable impression. You never know where this could lead.
If you’re about to graduate or a recent grad, share your story on social media. Tag us! @Directrecruiters on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram and @dri_inc on Twitter!