[MKSixer]

Originally Posted by NorCalAthlete

1. Research, research, research
2. Take a sniper shot, not a shotgun blast approach
3. Be a doer, not an idea guy
4. Anyone can point out problems; try to focus on actionable solutions


1. Research. Research the company you're applying to, the position, the team. Find the hiring manager / recruiter on LinkedIn. Find their Facebook / Instagram / Blog / Youtube channel. What are they interested in? What catches their eye? What are their side hobbies? What charities do they donate to? What's the company mission? What's the market / competition like? What products do they sell besides the obvious? Why do you want to work for them? What's an improvement you could make to their products - or a market they could expand into? What's a gap they have that you've identified? Etc, etc, etc. I highly doubt you've done this for 3 companies a day - most people don't even do it for a single company they "really really really want to work for" and that includes FAANG.

2. Once you've compiled all this, start hunting their job postings. Find one at least closely related to what you think you can do - don't worry about meeting 100% of the requirements, but aim for at least 70-80%. Then tailor your resume to that job posting. You may end up with a few different versions of your resume - that's fine. Get the meat and potatoes in there and then dress it up with tweaks for each position / hiring manager you're trying to appeal to. Reach out to someone at the company you know on LinkedIn or Facebook and see if they can give you a quick intro to the hiring manager or recruiter. Personality and culture fit DO matter. Once you make the connection, save the job listing link / # and have it ready along with the corresponding resume. Give it directly to the recruiter / friend / manager if the conversation goes well. Or try to have it passed along to them. You may need to be persistent - being local always helps.

3. Active language / projects that demonstrate quantifiable progress on something. It's easy to spot the bullshitters - "facilitated this" "helped with" that etc. Put it in terms of "I did [x] with [y] to achieve [z], utilizing [a] and [b]" When the interview - even if it's just an initial phone screen - comes, have stories ready about projects / times you've been that person of action. Even if you failed and it didn't pan out. You can always spin failure into lessons learned and fail forward.

4. Following on from #3 + #1. If you can identify what you think is a gap with the company, come up with a potential solution, and propose that as the reason you want the related position, it will come across well even if they disagree or are already working on closing the gap. Or even if you've misinterpreted the way they're taking the company (though that might be a small yellow flag, so do try to learn what you can about their industry and competition).

There is almost always work for those who DO and take action. You may indeed have to move for it - that's good that you're already accepting that and being flexible. It can help to target large companies with offices in multiple states - especially if they're primarily located in heavy population centers (VHCOL areas). Often, they have a difficult time getting current employees to move to remote locations for roles, so for example if you look up someone like Google, Facebook, Cisco, WalMart Labs, etc they have offices spread out across the US. Contrast that with Amazon, who are primarily in Seattle / SF Bay Area and anything outside of that is data center or distribution center. Apple similarly is primarily just the bay area, though of course they have Apple stores everywhere if you're looking at that. Picking a field as well will be useful - a discipline like Global Supply and Logistics will have far more location possibilities than software engineer, but sales will have even more locations available.

Figure out what you want to try and get your foot in the door for that first job. Be hungry, helpful, and knowledgeable, and you'll gain mentors in no time who can show you the ropes and boost you further.

Good luck.

Originally Posted by NorCalAthlete

You guys are too generous lol but thank you. I’m laying in bed drunk and typing this all out on mobile or I’d drop in more links and videos and stuff.

Back on topic :

1. “Sales” consists of a lot more than just “in the spotlight” people. Particularly in tech or big business, any salesperson tends to have a sales team supporting them - they may be in the spotlight but they rely on sales engineers, architects, technical marketing managers, etc that all fall under the “sales” umbrella. So don’t count out sales roles just yet.

2. I’ve never been one much for social media either, but I recognize and acknowledge the role it plays these days. It’s absolutely still possible to get hired the old fashioned way, with a handshake over beers after you just met someone, but given the current pandemic circumstances it would behoove you to get savvy real quick. Particularly when you already have a starting point - your POC at the finance company. Consider it a dry run if nothing else. Look up their LinkedIn, google their email, see who their coworkers are that they’re connected to, branch out from there.

3. A 3 hour interview is no joke - see if you can contact the recruiter and ask for any particular topics to brush up on over the next few weeks.

4. 55+ hour weeks isn’t great but it’s not terrible for a first job either. Particularly if you can get OT rates. I’d be wary on legally requiring you to work excessive hours, but it’s not uncommon unfortunately for a “company culture” to strongly encourage such behavior and expectations.

5. But hey, if they’re gonna pay well, fuck it. I’m assuming you’ve taken at least a couple statistics courses by now and understand a standard distribution. I’m blanking on some of the terms but the top 5% of stuff - you could consider that jobs that pay well, that you love doing, and that you’re good at. At the bottom, you have the jobs you hate, suck at, and don’t pay well. A lot of people will tell you “do what you love” or chase your passion. I say “do what you don’t hate, as long as it gets you everything you love.” Maybe that’s money, access, whatever, but point is it opens up the other 90% of shit in the middle. I’m a fan of Mike Rowe’s philosophy of “passion isn’t something you find or pursue, it’s something you bring with you to everything you do.” You’re young and starting out - your passion may change once you have to do it for work. So instead, try to learn to enjoy amd be passionate about whatever you’re doing. Derive satisfaction from success and competency - whether that’s as a plumber or an accountant, project manager or engineer. Take pride in your work. Figure all that out and 55 hours will fly by.

6. Speaking of hours though one of my pet peeves is busy work and inefficiency. I have a saying - “bureaucracy is the epoxy that lubricates the gears of progress.” Spend a bit of extra time chopping down or streamlining the workload for your coworkers and managers and see if you can’t get everything they want done in less time than they expect - and spend the extra time enabling everyone else around you to do the same. Take it as a challenge to improve the things that aren’t necessarily in your job description and it’ll be worth it one way or another - even if only as a good story and resume bullet for the next job if they don’t appreciate your efforts after a couple years.

These should be printed and distributed to every college student or job applicant on the planet.

You sir, win the internet today. Congratulations.

Nothing more needs to be added. Stellar job!!

[4Hockey4]

I could add mucho to the great advice here, but if you are willing to relocate, apply to Capital One in Richmond for the rotation program. Pay is good, training is amazing, and quite frankly, C1 is a top company to work for.

Its a 2 year program, and you spend time in Richmond, Plano TX and McLean VA. Here's an example:

https://campus.capitalone.com/job/pl.../1786/16931770

I can't quote salaries, but its strong and they pay for relo to each place, help you get set up etc. Also their benefits are silly good...wife spent 4 years there, and I consulted for 2.

What do you want to do ? Small entrepreneurial or large corp ?

[Nickco43]

Originally Posted by 4Hockey4

I could add mucho to the great advice here, but if you are willing to relocate, apply to Capital One in Richmond for the rotation program. Pay is good, training is amazing, and quite frankly, C1 is a top company to work for.

Its a 2 year program, and you spend time in Richmond, Plano TX and McLean VA. Here's an example:

https://campus.capitalone.com/job/pl.../1786/16931770

I can't quote salaries, but its strong and they pay for relo to each place, help you get set up etc. Also their benefits are silly good...wife spent 4 years there, and I consulted for 2.

What do you want to do ? Small entrepreneurial or large corp ?

That looks like a great position; I am going to apply. I am mainly looking for a company, big or small, that I would fit into their culture very well and they are doing their best to innovate in their field. Warmer climates are preferred but I would move pretty much anywhere if paid a fair wage compared to the cost of living.

[DETRoadster]

I just have to say, it's refreshing to see one of these career advice threads that starts with "I Need Career Advice" as opposed to "GIVE me career advice" and is posted by someone who is legitimately interested in learning and growing as opposed to the typical "Yo! Who dat wanna gibe me a job yo. I'm smrt AF an gunna blow up fast so yall best hir my shit now b4 you regert not hirin me yo. I'll take no less that $250k and i dont wanna work mor dan 20 hours a week."

[MKSixer]

Originally Posted by DETRoadster

I just have to say, it's refreshing to see one of these career advice threads that starts with "I Need Career Advice" as opposed to "GIVE me career advice" and is posted by someone who is legitimately interested in learning and growing as opposed to the typical "Yo! Who dat wanna gibe me a job yo. I'm smrt AF an gunna blow up fast so yall best hir my shit now b4 you regert not hirin me yo. I'll take no less that $250k and i dont wanna work mor dan 20 hours a week."

Fo shizzo!!

[NorCalAthlete]

Originally Posted by Nickco43

I had my phone interview today and the recruiter seemed impress with the questions that you recommended to ask about the working hours, location, culture, etc. It also helped the recruiter made a more welcoming interview than most other recruiters I had contact with.

Once again thank you so much for your invaluable experience.

Just wanted to post back and do more than click the "appreciate" button.

Glad my advice helped and that you're immediately able to execute on it / start putting it into use. Keep us posted and good luck man.

[CTinline-six]

Originally Posted by DETRoadster

I just have to say, it's refreshing to see one of these career advice threads that starts with "I Need Career Advice" as opposed to "GIVE me career advice" and is posted by someone who is legitimately interested in learning and growing as opposed to the typical "Yo! Who dat wanna gibe me a job yo. I'm smrt AF an gunna blow up fast so yall best hir my shit now b4 you regert not hirin me yo. I'll take no less that $250k and i dont wanna work mor dan 20 hours a week."

It really is crazy, and I see both sides. Many college grads start out with MOUNTAINS of debt, and colleges have brainwashed them into thinking they paid so much for their degree that they can expect a high paying job as soon as they graduate, which just isn't reality. I know my company starts entry level IT technicians @ $35k a year, which is a little over $16/hour. In many cases our beginning technicians have college experience (2 or 4 year degree) or some training certs from a tech school. If you are the typical college grad with a huge amount of debt, rent, and a car payment that doesn't allow for much wiggle room.

Expressing that you are willing to learn, put in the work, and grow with the company goes a long way over telling an interview panel how experienced you are (you aren't) and what you will do to change things.

[jpmoyes@yahoo.com]

Have you checked out Penn State's placement services? Just a thought.

[NorCalAthlete]

Originally Posted by 5.M0NSTER

In addition to the great advice already posted, I have 3 more points:

1) In a tough economy you need to cast a wide web. I applied for over 110 postings before landing my first job out of college. That resulted in 2 interviews, and 2 offers. Apply like it's your job, because it kind of is now.

2) See if the company has a continued education program which can pay for part or all of your Masters. Masters degree won't help at first, but after 10 years of experience it will be the next crucial thing to get higher up the corporate ladder, and you will learn more about running a business.

3) Have a plan. Your first job is just that, your foot in the door. Every 3-5 years re-evaluate what your long term goals are, and seek the next career move which will help you get toward that goal. You have to actively seek this out, and make the moves happen. Some people think that if they just do their job, and keep their head down they will automatically be promoted and given the next role. Not how it works. You have to ask about it, think about it, plan and do.

Couple things here...

1. This is the proverbial shotgun blast I'm referencing. While narrower than others I've seen (400+ applications with similarly low interviews / offers)...for comparison's sake I had 1 internship + 2 full time positions (entry level and low paying, but still) prior to graduation. After graduation, I applied to maybe 8 places and got 5 interviews and 3 offers. Prior to college I did have several years of military experience too, which helped, but I regularly give talks on this topic to other veterans doing the same thing putting out 100s of applications with few calls back. The military experience is hardly a blip and often has no relevant technical skills that translate over, so it gets discarded / ignored anyway by recruiters. The bulk of it was because I did my homework and research (and admittedly less of it then than I advocate doing now).

While it absolutely can be a numbers game, without seeing everyone's resumes + positions they're applying for I cannot help but to be skeptical of the specificity of each resume and how good of a match it is for each position. Monster, perhaps you can shed some light here - was yours tailored to each position / person / company? Or just general industry / discipline? Also curious if you had warm intros vs cold applying through websites - were all 110 done online? Or did you talk to people in person first?

edit - I feel like it's not fair for me to leave out the timeline for me in this comparison. I graduated in August (needed that last summer class) which was a bit too late for the usual September start dates / May graduation hiring cycle, so I was researching / tailoring from about August to October and applying October / November. Got the offers in December / January, started working in February. So do be prepared to buckle down for a bit - even if it was 1 application that led to interviews and 1 offer, that process can take weeks if not months for a company. In the meantime you still have bills to pay, rent, food, etc. I planned ahead and saved for this, and student loans have I believe a 6 month window after graduation where if you're not yet working you don't have to begin making payments. So start saving now, take on that extra part time gig, plan your living situation, etc. I'm crossing my fingers OP will land this job he's already interviewing for - he's starting the process far before I did. A lot of advice is "lessons learned the hard way" so to speak, so while I learned some lessons the easy way / some the hard way I think it all applies.

2 + 3. These are solid advice - one of the companies I applied to but did not go with was Lockheed Martin, who offered a well-defined pipeline towards career advancement including Master's degree programs and partnerships. At the end of the day though their pay was lower than what I went with (for the bay area anyway, as I understand it they're far more competitive elsewhere and scale well) and my current company also has a great many certification / Master's degree compensation programs. When weighing companies, do look into career advancement and progression - graduating college is just the beginning. Now the real game begins.

[5.M0NSTER]

Originally Posted by NorCalAthlete

Couple things here...

1. This is the proverbial shotgun blast I'm referencing. While narrower than others I've seen (400+ applications with similarly low interviews / offers)...for comparison's sake I had 1 internship + 2 full time positions (entry level and low paying, but still) prior to graduation. After graduation, I applied to maybe 8 places and got 5 interviews and 3 offers. Prior to college I did have several years of military experience too, which helped, but I regularly give talks on this topic to other veterans doing the same thing putting out 100s of applications with few calls back. The military experience is hardly a blip and often has no relevant technical skills that translate over, so it gets discarded / ignored anyway by recruiters. The bulk of it was because I did my homework and research (and admittedly less of it then than I advocate doing now).

While it absolutely can be a numbers game, without seeing everyone's resumes + positions they're applying for I cannot help but to be skeptical of the specificity of each resume and how good of a match it is for each position. Monster, perhaps you can shed some light here - was yours tailored to each position / person / company? Or just general industry / discipline? Also curious if you had warm intros vs cold applying through websites - were all 110 done online? Or did you talk to people in person first?

edit - I feel like it's not fair for me to leave out the timeline for me in this comparison. I graduated in August (needed that last summer class) which was a bit too late for the usual September start dates / May graduation hiring cycle, so I was researching / tailoring from about August to October and applying October / November. Got the offers in December / January, started working in February. So do be prepared to buckle down for a bit - even if it was 1 application that led to interviews and 1 offer, that process can take weeks if not months for a company. In the meantime you still have bills to pay, rent, food, etc. I planned ahead and saved for this, and student loans have I believe a 6 month window after graduation where if you're not yet working you don't have to begin making payments. So start saving now, take on that extra part time gig, plan your living situation, etc. I'm crossing my fingers OP will land this job he's already interviewing for - he's starting the process far before I did. A lot of advice is "lessons learned the hard way" so to speak, so while I learned some lessons the easy way / some the hard way I think it all applies.

2 + 3. These are solid advice - one of the companies I applied to but did not go with was Lockheed Martin, who offered a well-defined pipeline towards career advancement including Master's degree programs and partnerships. At the end of the day though their pay was lower than what I went with (for the bay area anyway, as I understand it they're far more competitive elsewhere and scale well) and my current company also has a great many certification / Master's degree compensation programs. When weighing companies, do look into career advancement and progression - graduating college is just the beginning. Now the real game begins.

Hey NorCal, no worries, I don't mind sharing more for perspective.

I was graduating with a B.S. in Computer Engineering in April 2004 from U of M Dearborn, and living in the suburbs of Detroit. Lots of automotive companies, and Tier 1,2, and 3 suppliers in the area. But job market in 2004 was pretty poor in Detroit. After the 2001 Ford/Firestone fiasco a lot of companies were hurting.

I was not that smart at the end of College. I was a good, hard working and intelligent engineer (if I may say so myself, with VERY little bias of course). But I did not take advantage of internships, and did not get any help from career services. This is because I worked 30+h per week in addition to being a full time Engineering student to pay for the education. Does not excuse me, I did not utilize the tools offered to me as a student, and that's on me.

So when I started applying in February of 2004, it was all cold applications. I searched the web for any entry level engineering job which loosely fit my field, and applied. At first it was a generic application. And when after 30-40 of them I got no feedback at all, or the John Dear letter, I started tailoring my resume to the position with only the relevant info.

A recruiter picked up my resume on Ladders or a similar site, and got me my first interview. I got the offer for a precision medical equipment company, but I would have had to move to Battle Creek for this well respected company, but it was less money than the stats said a new EE/CE grad should make, and all my friends and family were in The D area, so I passed.

Next interview was because my Senior Design project as well as a IEEE paper I published were specifically in the area of Tire Pressure Monitoring electronics. And in 2005 a new law mandating direct tire pressure devices was set to take effect in NAFTA and EU markets. So that was my foot in the door. Started in May 2004.

Also for context, 16 years later I am on a Ex-Patriate assignment in Germany as a leader of a team developing the next generation of Braking systems for one of the biggest names in the business. I've only worked for 2 companies since college. I've lived in Japan, spent a bunch of time in Ireland, got to visit India, Korea, China, UK and many other countries for business. And I got a M.S. along the way in Engineering Management, and the rest is history.

My approach after college is what I would call Buck Shot. And it was a numbers game to get into the business for me, with some tailoring and some luck. I would do it differently today, as you said. But that's the beauty of hindsight.

Also I’ve hired about a dozen engineers since 2015 both in US and Germany. So I also appreciate the advice you gave for the most part. I think the personal interests, hobbies and charities part is a bit much, and not appropriate to discuss in some countries. But most of what you said is very good advice. I personally don’t have a linked in or a Facebook account. I expect my candidates to impress me with quick thinking on their feet, and I use a combination of Triangle questions, softball and hard physics based questions specific to the science of the business.

[joooiiiiii]

I wish I could speak on being in your shoes, but I am nothing close to that. Shit, I still don't have a degree (halfway there!). Some things I did learn though when I got out of Active Duty Army:

1. Resume: This needs to be worked on every. single. day. Even when you think it's perfect, go back the next day or week and check it out again--it is an evolving and living document that you will need to constantly keep updating, even during your career. I still do this even today. There will always be a company or agency looking to hire you with a higher salary and/or more opportunity to grow at the new employment.

2. Interview skills: This can be the difference between a job offer and no offer. I practice my speech, my 1 minute intro, my toughest questions often between throwing applications out. I still do a refresher before any prospective job interview just to brush up--but when you do it enough, you'll only have to do a spot check like I do.

3. Make sure you know what to wear to the job interview. Google/Youtube is your best friend.

Other than that--I really don't have any other advice since my life started much differently than the average college graduate. Good luck and let us know how it goes!!

[Nickco43]

Originally Posted by NorCalAthlete

Couple things here...

2 + 3. These are solid advice - one of the companies I applied to but did not go with was Lockheed Martin, who offered a well-defined pipeline towards career advancement including Master's degree programs and partnerships. At the end of the day though their pay was lower than what I went with (for the bay area anyway, as I understand it they're far more competitive elsewhere and scale well) and my current company also has a great many certification / Master's degree compensation programs. When weighing companies, do look into career advancement and progression - graduating college is just the beginning. Now the real game begins.

My scout master worked for Lockheed Martin and he developed the GPS systems for the Tomahawk missiles. They have an office nearby and hopefully I will hear back from them.

[DETRoadster]

Originally Posted by NorCalAthlete

After graduation, I applied to maybe 8 places and got 5 interviews and 3 offers. Prior to college I did have several years of military experience too, which helped, but I regularly give talks on this topic to other veterans doing the same thing putting out 100s of applications with few calls back. The military experience is hardly a blip and often has no relevant technical skills that translate over, so it gets discarded / ignored anyway by recruiters.

OK so first, thank you for you service to our great nation.

I actually really like seeing military service on a resume. Maybe I've got a soft-spot for GIs but to me it says a candidate works hard, is disciplined, understands and respects the chain of command, is scrappy, and understands sacrifice. After all, they volunteered to serve! So yeah, perhaps a recruit's ability to repair a Blackhawk helicopter in a 120 degree sandstorm doesnt translate directly to the role I have but damn, if they can do THAT, they can do pretty much any job and stay calm. Unlike these entitled trust-fund grads for whom the biggest hardship was an 8:00 AM class across campus, who break down in tears because I didnt promote them for doing the bare minimum.

[MR_X]

This is an awesome thread. Lots of info here.

[The J-Man]

OP, I'm going to be a little harsh with you here, but I think you need some very direct and real advice.

1.) The job market is not bad right now. Don't buy into the media doom and gloom. White collar jobs are booming for the most part. If you can't get a job, you're doing something wrong.

2.) The vast majority of college grads get job offers before graduating through on campus interviews and career fairs and/or internships. If you're graduating in a few months and you don't already have something lined up, you've shit the bed. Don't worry, I did the same thing. I found it very hard to get a job after graduation because I ignored the on campus stuff. If you have any opportunities for career fairs (probably virtual) between now and graduation, DO IT.

3.) Too late now, but your major is somewhat generic. Marketing/management majors have a hard time getting jobs, followed by finance. Accounting and info systems majors get jobs very easily. You have an uphill battle with this. Look into the consulting firms and big 4 accounting firms (they will hire management majors for advisory jobs). I can all but guarantee you that these firms are recruiting on your campus right now. KPMG, EY, Deloitte, PWC, Accenture, etc. Consulting firms in client facing roles are by far the best way to launch your career, but the hours suck. Fortunately, you only have to put in a few years and you're well on your way to $100K+.

3.) Your first job is about getting in the door somewhere and getting years of experience on your resume. Don't be picky.

4.) When interviewing, it is critical to ask thoughtful questions. When I interview somebody I don't care about them answering my questions. I want them to ask me questions about the job and the company. Asking relevant, thoughtful questions shows intellect. This is as much or more important than your answers to the questions that they ask you. I cannot stress this enough. This is how you will get a job offer. Ask questions. Ask questions. Ask questions. Questions about the company, the team, the job, etc. You will impress them with your questions, not with your answers.

5.) If you don't know how recruiters work, they are scum. Literally scum of the earth. Do not be intimidated, used or manipulated by them. They will lie to you and waste your time every chance they get. Use them to your advantage, not the other way around. They work for you. Just remember that. They get paid when they land you a job. Without you, they don't eat. I have used recruiters as a job seeker and as an employer. 99/100 of them are scum. Beware.

Like you, I ran my own little part time business before/during college. After college I took a job with KPMG. The job sucked because I didn't land it on campus - it was an internal job (not client facing) that I got 6 months after graduation through Monster.com. I quit the job after 2 years to double down on my business. I was very successful with my business full time for 4 years and then it started going to shit due to various market forces. I sold the business and went back to the consulting world. Having KPMG on my resume was the only thing that got me interviews and back into the corporate world. Nobody cared that I ran my own successful business. Running your own business full time is a grind and every year that you do it is year that you aren't building skills on a resume that large employers care about. 5+ years out of college, I found myself in a nearly entry level position. Something for you to consider. I have no regrets.

As far as relationships, those are key once you land a job. Collecting business cards or Linkedin connections doesn't do much anymore (although it is a necessity). I'm talking about meaningful working relationships with like minded people who you connect with. When you have a meaningful connection with somebody, embrace it and nurture it, don't ignore it. Those deeper connections that you make with people will serve you well throughout your career. It only takes a handful of tight connections to accelerate your career. Find a mentor if you can, and when you're in a position to do so, be a mentor to others. Always be confident and assertive but not an asshole.

Good luck and report back when you land something.

[4Hockey4]

If you don't know how recruiters work, they are scum. Literally scum of the earth.

This is horrible and incorrect. Majority are hard working folks trying to match employer/employee.

There are some larger online national ambulance chasers, ignore them. Local and regional agencies are fantastic ways to find out about companies before applying. I've used them from both sides, and they are huge help.

Our consulting firm has a couple, since we do fractional CFO/Controller/Business Admin, and I have nothing but respect for them.

[The_janitor]

I am hiring interns and low level manufacturing people at my robotics startup. We are based in Pittsburgh. Send me your resume and I can see if you fit something here. One of the intern roles is my apprentice for supply chain and operations. Starts in the summer.

www.iamrobotics.com - I am the director of Ops and Supply Chain.

[4Hockey4]

add to that, interested in living in Richmond VA, PM. Our consulting firm works with everyone here.

[MR_X]

Damn, anyone looking for a PM or OM in Austin, Tx?

[Nickco43]

Originally Posted by The J-Man

OP, I'm going to be a little harsh with you here, but I think you need some very direct and real advice.

1.) The job market is not bad right now. Don't buy into the media doom and gloom. White collar jobs are booming for the most part. If you can't get a job, you're doing something wrong.

2.) The vast majority of college grads get job offers before graduating through on campus interviews and career fairs and/or internships. If you're graduating in a few months and you don't already have something lined up, you've shit the bed. Don't worry, I did the same thing. I found it very hard to get a job after graduation because I ignored the on campus stuff. If you have any opportunities for career fairs (probably virtual) between now and graduation, DO IT.

3.) Too late now, but your major is somewhat generic. Marketing/management majors have a hard time getting jobs, followed by finance. Accounting and info systems majors get jobs very easily. You have an uphill battle with this. Look into the consulting firms and big 4 accounting firms (they will hire management majors for advisory jobs). I can all but guarantee you that these firms are recruiting on your campus right now. KPMG, EY, Deloitte, PWC, Accenture, etc. Consulting firms in client facing roles are by far the best way to launch your career, but the hours suck. Fortunately, you only have to put in a few years and you're well on your way to $100K+.

3.) Your first job is about getting in the door somewhere and getting years of experience on your resume. Don't be picky.

4.) When interviewing, it is critical to ask thoughtful questions. When I interview somebody I don't care about them answering my questions. I want them to ask me questions about the job and the company. Asking relevant, thoughtful questions shows intellect. This is as much or more important than your answers to the questions that they ask you. I cannot stress this enough. This is how you will get a job offer. Ask questions. Ask questions. Ask questions. Questions about the company, the team, the job, etc. You will impress them with your questions, not with your answers.

5.) If you don't know how recruiters work, they are scum. Literally scum of the earth. Do not be intimidated, used or manipulated by them. They will lie to you and waste your time every chance they get. Use them to your advantage, not the other way around. They work for you. Just remember that. They get paid when they land you a job. Without you, they don't eat. I have used recruiters as a job seeker and as an employer. 99/100 of them are scum. Beware.

Like you, I ran my own little part time business before/during college. After college I took a job with KPMG. The job sucked because I didn't land it on campus - it was an internal job (not client facing) that I got 6 months after graduation through Monster.com. I quit the job after 2 years to double down on my business. I was very successful with my business full time for 4 years and then it started going to shit due to various market forces. I sold the business and went back to the consulting world. Having KPMG on my resume was the only thing that got me interviews and back into the corporate world. Nobody cared that I ran my own successful business. Running your own business full time is a grind and every year that you do it is year that you aren't building skills on a resume that large employers care about. 5+ years out of college, I found myself in a nearly entry level position. Something for you to consider. I have no regrets.

As far as relationships, those are key once you land a job. Collecting business cards or Linkedin connections doesn't do much anymore (although it is a necessity). I'm talking about meaningful working relationships with like minded people who you connect with. When you have a meaningful connection with somebody, embrace it and nurture it, don't ignore it. Those deeper connections that you make with people will serve you well throughout your career. It only takes a handful of tight connections to accelerate your career. Find a mentor if you can, and when you're in a position to do so, be a mentor to others. Always be confident and assertive but not an asshole.

Good luck and report back when you land something.

Thank you for being blunt. Sugar coating things never accomplishes anything.

The spring job fair is soon and I am much more prepared now than I was in the fall. The spring job fair is always smaller than the fall one but there is still some opportunity for me.

I don't want to "properly" run my own business until I am certain it will upend an entire industry or the way we live as a whole. That could be in five years or never come at all. I could probably continue my retrofit business for a few years but I don't see all of these BMW retrofit companies lasting into the next decade. Others on this thread have told me the words "I ran my own business" are scary for most recruiters and my experiences align with that statement.

I will look into more consulting firms. Like many kids I had no idea what I wanted to do when I was 18 and picked a more generic degree. If I could go back I still would not be 100% sure what degree I would have picked.

Originally Posted by thestimp

I am hiring interns and low level manufacturing people at my robotics startup. We are based in Pittsburgh. Send me your resume and I can see if you fit something here. One of the intern roles is my apprentice for supply chain and operations. Starts in the summer.

www.iamrobotics.com - I am the director of Ops and Supply Chain.

PM Sent

Originally Posted by 4Hockey4

add to that, interested in living in Richmond VA, PM. Our consulting firm works with everyone here.

I am willing to move pretty much anywhere in the US for the right opportunity. I will send you a PM.

[Nickco43]

The opportunity at Wallet Hub and Epic did not pan out which I guess is for the best since I did not see myself working 55+ hours a week and continuing to be a happy person.

I ended up completely revamping my resume after getting the opportunity to see some of my direct peers' resumes with their names and information removed for a class activity.

During the recent career fair I talked to Johnson and Johnson and the parent company for Milwaukee tools. Both reps said my resume was impressive which I never heard before from anyone.

Although I do not have any more scheduled interviews I got a call back from J&J, I know someone internally who is looking for entry level recruiters at Roku in Boston and some guy who co-founded a start up online car dealership emailed me asking for my resume and a CIC kit for his M3. While I always thought if I ever bought a $190k exotic car I would fly out to the car, looked at it and then had a nice dinner and I am interested to hear more about the concept of buying something that expensive online, sight unseen. Even though graduation is 2.5 months away I am feeling pretty good with some of the opportunities on the table. Fingers crossed something works out.

[NorCalAthlete]

Good progress on the resume then - also it's ok to ask for specifics like "oh glad you thought it was impressive! Do you have any feedback on parts you liked / parts I could further refine perhaps?"

WRT 2.5 months till graduation - keep grinding now. Having something with a start date shortly after graduation is better than starting an interview process with a company after graduation, because the interview process can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. And in the meantime you'll still have bills and expenses.

Boston has some solid tech jobs, I know a couple people who moved there for software engineering jobs straight out of college or even early / mid career for a pay boost / career boost. Roku could be a great one to start with, but I'd really start trying to refine what roles you want to do. Sales, recruiting, project management, whatever. I wouldn't necessarily worry too much about having the "right" degree so much as supplementing it with training and certifications at this point. I'd also look and see what certifications people with your current degree tend to get - it'll be easier to knock out in conjunction with or shortly after you just had classes in it rather than trying to go back later and remember things after you brain dumped post-final-exam. Even if you don't end up using the certification directly, there are always nuggets of wisdom there and it can aid you in guiding your thought process by giving you more experiences to draw on. Plus it shows a continued interest in growth, rather than just "alright I got the degree I'm good to go now and don't need to do anything else".