We’re nearing the mid-point in the Spring semester, and that means many students country-wide will soon be graduating and trying to land that dream job — or, at least, some kind of job. Finding employment post-graduation is hard enough ordinarily, but fresh-faced graduates will have an extra difficult time finding employment in a world gone virtual and in an economy still on the recovery in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Here are a few tips to help distinguish yourself from all other potential applicants, and some alternatives on the off-chance no employers bite in those initial months after graduation.

Handshake

If you aren’t aware that you already have a Handshake profile as a UNF student, you are missing out on innumerable employment opportunities. Handshake is a job portal where you can search for full-time, part-time, internship and on-campus opportunities. Potential employers can also message you to express interest in your experience and major if it happens to be a good match for what they are looking for. You can upload cover letters, resumes, and add skills. You can also like and follow employers you are interested in, read reviews from previously hired students and bookmark jobs that are interesting to you but you might not have time to fill out a full application for.

The caveat: You have to fill in the details of your profile and add that experience in order for employers to notice you. UNF has no way of knowing you worked for Publix for the last six years, and neither will your possible future employer unless you add that to your already-made profile.

LinkedIn

Having a LinkedIn presence can be enticing to employers who are recruiting and want to view what experience you have. LinkedIn is very similar to Handshake, but think ten-times bigger. There are thousands more employers scouting on LinkedIn than on Handshake (though, don’t knock Handshake as a potential outlet to find work). 

The downside is that LinkedIn requires you to make “connections” to unlock more and more job opportunities, or have you pay for the premium service. Still, it never hurts to fill out your profile, add your work experience, and begin networking in your specific area of interest or related areas.

Social Media & Blogs

While LinkedIn is considered a sort of social media for professionals, there are also job opportunities posted on Facebook and Twitter. Search for groups related to the career field you are interested in or associations that those careers typically hire out of. For example, say you are finishing out a degree in English and you want a career in writing. You could find writers associations on Facebook to join that potential employers might recruit out of.

In the age of the internet, never underestimate the power of the blog. There are many hosting websites where you can start your own blog that showcases your work, whether that happens to be projects, presentations, conferences, or research essays you have undertaken during your time at UNF.

UNF Career Services

The newly launched UNF Career Services provides many services for helping students with finding their way into careers, including individual career counseling, resume assistance, interview skills preparation, and networking training — just to name a few.

You can request appointments for career advising here.

Not ready to enter the workforce just yet?

Graduation can be scary sometimes — especially if you don’t know where your feet are going to land after.

Of course, there are many other options and no one should ever jump head-first into the decision, but military service is always an option. It may even be the key to learning new skills that open up new opportunities. You will probably also get the opportunity to travel and see parts of the world you might otherwise never get to see.

Another option is to continue your education. You might decide that a bachelor’s degree could carry you, but a master’s degree will carry you farther. That extra time might be what you need to find the perfect employment opportunity, and that graduate degree might be what you need to differentiate yourself from the pack when it comes time to apply.

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