Canada is enjoying its lowest unemployment rate in decades, but that doesn’t mean the job search is easy for recent grads. Current Statistics Canada numbers note that 11.1% of candidates between the ages of 15 to 24 are unemployed. If anything, the market has become even more competitive.
A lot of the trouble with the recent grad job search comes down to practical experience. There’s a catch-22. Employers want candidates who have previous experience even though many recent grads haven’t had the chance to gain experience while obtaining in-demand skills and knowledge in school.
However, adapting to the current job market is possible if you follow the three tips below.
1. Use Your Campus Resources
Make sure you get the most out of the campus resources offered to you as a recent grad. Some post secondary institutions offer their career centre services long after graduation, so pay your career counsellors a visit.
The services offered by your career centre can range from reviewing and revising your resume and cover letters and conducting mock interviews to offering counselling for strategies to gain the positions you want. Ask your career counsellors about any upcoming job fairs as well. You may have access to multiple recent grad fairs and networking events.
2. Take Part in Informational Interviews
Speaking of networking, you might’ve heard that many job opportunities out there aren’t advertised. As it turns out, in 2018, most of those opportunities aren’t advertised, with at least 70 percent of employers not listing their jobs online. To get your first role out of post secondary education, a strategy that you’ll find yourself using more often is networking via informational interviews.
Old-fashioned face-to-face networking is effective at uncovering connections to positions that otherwise would’ve been difficult to find. Informational interviews are an effective networking strategy because you can reach out to people you admire who already work in your chosen field while gaining information about different companies and roles in the industry.
Professional networking doesn’t need to be awkward. Informational interviews will help keep your career goals on track.
3. Apply to a Staffing Agency
The right staffing agency for recent grads is one that offers temporary, permanent, and temporary-to-permanent positions.
Whether you want to gain practical experience to add to your resume or you want to test drive a specific position before making a commitment, staffing agencies have options for you.
Temporary and temporary-to-permanent placements offer you a major advantage. These types of placements can help you obtain the practical experience needed to prove to future employers that you not only have the skills for their positions but can demonstrate them proficiently as well! Consider applying today if you want to kickstart your job search.
Follow these three tips and you’ll find that your first job search after post secondary no longer seems so daunting.
