Read this article to learn how to land job in IT after college.
You’ve seen the headlines and you know the backstory. Right now there are plenty of college grads that are applying for jobs in IT and are coming up short. Fortunately, you found your way to an article that will give you full proof tips to land a job in IT after college. Read below and soon enough you’ll be landing a job in IT.
Intern
I hope that you are a college student reading this article because I want to let you in on a little secret. You need to land an internship in a IT related field in order to dramatically increase your chances of landing a job in IT after college.
Here’s the truth, employers love hiring candidates that have experience. In a world where every applicant has similar education, the one that shows they have the most hands on experience is most likely going to be offered the job. That being said, do your due diligence and land yourself an internship in an IT related field in college. Your future self will thank you.
Network
Have you worked in a company and the manager asks the employees something along the lines of “Hey, do you know anyone that would be a good fit for this job opening?” Well if you haven’t, this a common example of how many companies make hiring decisions and it’s a great transition into my next point: networking.
Networking is the best thing job applicants can do to put themselves in a position to land a job. In the example above, if you had networked with someone in that company, you likely would have been a candidate for that job opening.
The key to networking is simply introducing yourself to other professionals and forming a genuine connection with them. Your goal in networking is to tell as many people who you are, what you stand for and the services you can provide; all the while meeting people in a genuine fashion – you don’t want to sound cheesy. Networking is everything, and if you really want a job in IT, be sure to sign up for IT networking events.
Use Social Media
As it turns out, social media has more uses than sharing your favorite YouTube videos with family and friends. Social media is a great tool to use to not only network, but to introduce yourself to companies you would like to work for.
My best advice is to interact with companies on social media and start a dialogue with them. If you apply to work for a company, be sure to let them know on social media. The hiring manager will be impressed with your creativity and likely give you time of their day which in turn you can use to land yourself an interview.
Work an IT Job in College
Most colleges have IT jobs that students can work at over the course of college. If your end goal is to land a professional IT job, you should take jobs that only help you reach your end goal.
While in college, apply to work for the IT department. This is a great way, along with internships, to build relevant experience that you can leverage during your interview. Remember, experience is what hiring managers look for.
Apply for the Job
Any University of New England graduate will tell you that if you want to land a job, you first have to apply for a job. Landing a job in IT is no different; if you want a job, you need to get off the couch and apply for one.
My best advice to you is to only apply for jobs that you are genuinely interested in working. Often times applications are tedious and your time is precious. Additionally, make a plan to apply for 7 jobs per day. Over the course of the week you will have successfully applied for 49 jobs which dramatically increases your chances of landing a job.
