Those who have graduated college...

[Cammin4V]

What did you do right after college?

Did you take a vacation? Move back home and work for the parents until you found a job? Immediately jump into the job market? Drink? :beer:

If you jumped into the job market, how early before you graduated did you start applying for jobs, and sending out your resume?

I have a little less than a year left, and it seems like time is flying. I have a few jobs in mind, but am not really sure how early to start applying, since its a ways away before i graduate. I DO NOT want to move back home. I've already done that once, and i don't think i could do it again.

Anyways, just looking for a few pointers on people that have already been through this.

 

[blk04cobra1]

I was doing the college job fairs and resume thing my senior year...I took about a month off right out of college, but by July after graduating had a full time gig...wasnt making what I thought I should, but ive been out for 3 years now and make about $75k/year and have a performance shop on the side...so im on my way to a personal goal of $100k/year by the time im 30yrs old...it's frustrating for the first few months of searching, but maybe you'll get lucky and find one on your first few try's...good luck

 

[mustangcobra93]

I was already working for my company while in school so once school was done I went straight to work full time. No vacation for me.

 

[DKS2814V]

I pretty much applied my entire senior year of college for jobs that I wanted. I took about three/four months off, got bored as hell, drank my liver to oblivion and ended up getting a pretty sweet job here in Dallas. Needed a change of scenery and I'm diggin' it now...

If I were you, make two resumes. Electronic and a nice one you can show people... WHORE them bitches out. Give them to EVERYONE. Even if you don't want the job, the interview experience will help A LOT. You'll know what people want to hear, and what you need to say when you need to say it.

Move home for a little while, then figure out what you wanna do. Being miserable with a job you aren't happy with, beats being at home bugging your parents.

 

[FordSVTFan]

After college, I went to grad school. But I would recommend that he figure out where (geographically) you want to live/work and then in what field you are qualified. Then start pumping out resumes, get on monster.com and indeed.com and if you can hook up with a "head hunter" do that too.

You will never be hurt by starting your search too early or being too prepared.

Good Luck.

 

[Narcosynthesis]

I was in uniform a week after I graduated in 1999 and have been ever since. No vacations for me. I wish I made more money, the hours I work in the Army are long, and the pay is average. At least the benefits are good.

 

[Slo3kgtVtr]

I did all the regular applications and job fair's my senior year, but I didn't want to move out of state for a job, so I took a job as a car salesman just to pay for the apartment and regular living costs untill I found a more stable job. If you can't find the job you want, don't stress yourself, it'll come.

 

[DBK]

I quit a pretty high paying job (certainly higher than the bullshit you'll get offered straight out of anything less than the Ivy Leagues) to finish school, so I'm all lined up to get back into that when I finish this last semester. I really just went back because I know my old man wanted me to get the degree. Seems kind of dumb to quit a job that'll pay you more than the degree you'll get will, but I digress. It's not glamorous work and the hours/stress suck, but I don't really care at this point. I'll get back into what I was doing before and have time to look for a more long-term job while stashing away a decent cash pile...

 

[SnkBtn99]

Spent my Senior year at an internship in a major company. Spent the entire year searching for a job. Graduated and went right into the job I lined up from interviews

 

[CHIZ]

i'll finish up in may with a degree in marketing and a minor in biology.....i'll start sending out resumes during christmas and throughout the rest of the year.

 

[WhistlePig]

I started sending out resumes the November before I graduated. It took a while for people to bite on it. I finally got offered the job I am currently working in April and spent all summer training. The hunt can get discouraging, but you just have to stick with it.

 

[Steeltwo]

I graduated Dec of 01. So 9/11 pretty much killed the computer world for a good year.
Went back to school for the spirng of 02 for a second degree cert and from there went into a internship.

After that ended I went home for 3 weeks until the place I interned at called and said they had a LTE job for 3-4 months. Did that, the job went to 6 months and one guy quit in that time. So I got the job after interviewing vs 160 other people. 100 were qualified, out of the 10 interviewed I was the youngest, had the least experience and probly the least intelligent. But having worked there, they knew I was compatible with everyone else, so they picked me an another lady(two jobs opened)

after I got the job, i got too see the resumes(minus personal info). out of the 10, 6 had B.S., 1 M.S, 1 PH.D one with a Tech school degree. All had enough experience to be the network administrator and one guy worked for NASA as their head of IT(crapped my pants reading that one).

had I not been an intern, I wouldn't have gotten the job.

as for resumes,
I was sending out resumes from Nov of 01 until Aug of 02. And I only had 5 bite out of probly 100 resumes.
The computer world was HORRIBLE then, it's much better now.

 

[Coiled03]

You should start networking as soon as you start college, and probably ought to be interviewing by the end of your junior year. There isn't much "applying" to be done when you're graduating. You do your interviews, and if the company wants you, you get a job offer.

Don't you have a career services office that can help you with all this?

 

[Champ10187]

sorry to jack your thread but what kind of degrees did you guys graduate with and what exactly do you do know? I'm only a freshman in college so i'm kind of in the same boat. not exactly sure what i want to do but i feel i have alot of the same interests as most of you guys.

 

[bunk22]

I earned my degree in March of 93, was commissioned in the US Navy and waited a year and a half to start flight school. So in essence, I had a paid vacation for I didn't do much during that time but have fun. Gotta love Navy planning :rollseyes Regardless, had a hell of a time :-D

 

[pg97]

After graduation, I quickly realized that my degree in Psyc. qualified me for a top flight career in either the food service or house keeping industries. I started my own business. If that is something you are considering, now is the time.

 

[Slo3kgtVtr]

sorry to jack your thread but what kind of degrees did you guys graduate with and what exactly do you do know? I'm only a freshman in college so i'm kind of in the same boat. not exactly sure what i want to do but i feel i have alot of the same interests as most of you guys.

I first got my Associates in business management, then got my BA in Business with my minor being small business management. I know all the core things needed to run my own/someone elses business (which is what I'm doing now), but I got more from general electives as far as useable knowledge.

 

[Crowley]

I started work right out of college. I got a EET (Electronic Engineering Technology) B.S. degree with a computer option. Started out doing software eng. .. went to Unix sysadmin and now I do Information security .. I started the job search about 6months out from graduation and had the job before I graduated ..

Crowley

 

[Coiled03]

sorry to jack your thread but what kind of degrees did you guys graduate with and what exactly do you do know? I'm only a freshman in college so i'm kind of in the same boat. not exactly sure what i want to do but i feel i have alot of the same interests as most of you guys.

I graduated with a BSME from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in 2001. I'm considering returning to graduate school for my MSME in vehicle dynamics, or engine design.

Currently, I'm an application for the largest manufacturer of construction and mining equipment in the world (can't say the name on here...don't ask why).

 

[maddrabitt]

I started working towards getting my securities license when I started my last semester. Glad I did, made me realize how big of scum the people I was going to be working for were. Got out of school, kept my part time job for the summer, then around October I started my new job.