How CONFIDENT are YOU in LANDING a JOB After Graduation?
Low Confidence? Most college students would say things look bleak for finding full-time work after graduating. According to the CNBC article, Job Picture Looks Bleak for 2013, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), plans to hire only 2.1% more graduates from the class of 2013 than from the class of 2012.
A Significant Gap Between Student and Employer Expectations. Furthermore, a recent Business Insider article shares survey results from the academic services company, Chegg describing skills assessments by both college students and potential entry-level employers. In multiple skills areas (especially those relating to writing and critical thinking), college students are overestimating their skill levels and preparedness for business success in the following areas:
- Writing to summarize results and convey information
- Writing to communicate ideas or explain informaton clearly
- Incorporating information to develop strategic insights
57 Resources to Land that First Marketing Job
There's Hope, If You're Willing to Put in the Work. These various resources are categorized to aid recent college graduates who majored in marketing and communications (or current students majoring in these fields) during their full-time job search (or an internship search for current students).
These resources (along with resources from previous posts in this series) can give recent graduates ideas, strategies, and tactics providing a competitive advantage not only in the job search but also in developing several of the requisite skills and knowledge employers say recent graduates lack.
The categories are listed below with a make-shift table of contents:
- Resource 1: Your Online Portfolio, Evan Kirsch and FolioMatch.com
- Resources 2 – 9: Resources / Ideas from Tom Peters, Seth Godin, Mitch Joel, and David Meerman Scott
- Resources 10 – 18: Career Success Ideas from Dan Schawbel for Young People and Millenials
- Resources 19 – 20: Job Search 101
- Resources 21 – 28: Interviewing 101 (and Beyond)
- Resources 29 – 30: Using Twitter's Real-Time Capabilities to Power Your Job Search
- Resources 31 – 46: 21st Century Marketing and Communications: Walk-the-Walk and Talk-the-Talk
- Resources 47 – 49: LinkedIn
- Resources 50 – 51: Preparing Your Resume
- Resources 52 – 57: Inspiration on Demand
Resources 2 – 57 are in no particular ranking or order. I included numbers to track the number of items and subsequently group them with some logic.
Plus, having a high number for list-type blog post titles is scientifically proven to attract more readers.
Start Here — Number 1: Your Online Portfolio, Evan Kirsch and FolioMatch.com
1. FolioMatch.com. FolioMatch.com is the Kansas City-based brainchild of its President and CEO Evan Kirsch. I met Evan during the 2012 UMKC Regnier Family Foundation Venture Creation Challenge. UMKC's Henry W. Bloch School Management honored him as its 2012 Student Entrepreneur of the Year.
Why Evan and FolioMatch.com are Number 1. Evan created this company for an honorable mission and intent: To Put America's Young People To Work by Helping College Graduates Land that Ever-Elusive First Job.
Addressing Unmet Needs. FolioMatch.com fulfills HUGE unmet needs for young people who may have recently graduated, will graduate in Spring 2014, or are current college students seeking internship opportunities while in school:
- Providing a living/breathing, on-demand online portfolio capturing all relevant projects, class assigments, internship deliverables / work products, accomplishments, awards, etc. throughout a college student's four-year college career
- Making it easy to manage and deploy this online portfolio in a one-screen world
- Devoting a career-focused, portfolio-centric, social network for a narrow audience (college students AND ambitious high school students)
I Think the World of Evan Kirsch and FolioMatch.com. About a year and a half ago, I remember having lunch with him and listening to him passionately describe what drives him to make FolioMatch.com successful (at the time of our lunch the company was orignially named Folioboy.com):
- It isn't money
- It isn't glory
- It isn't fame
Evan founded FolioMatch.com because he genuinely believes:
Helping Others is THE HONORABLE WAY to Lead One's Life.
I'm admiringly jealous of his guts to accomplish so much at young age. 20+ years ago, I lacked Evan's unshakeable vision, heart, passion, and resolve. But, I'm working on that (because it's never too late to commit to becoming a remarkable artist).
Here's a video describing FolioMatch.com:
FolioMatch Introduction from FolioMatch Team on Vimeo.
FOLIO MATCH and MO CHALLENGE from FolioMatch Team on Vimeo.
From the Video. "We started FolioMatch to be a one-stop resource for a student to keep track of all the projects they've completed over the years. Since then we have started sponsoring educational challenges so that we could help boost the content of students' portfolios."
Required Full Disclosure / Am I Receiving Any Money / Am I Receiving Any Equity / Am I an Advisory Board Member and other Boilerplate B.S. I Have to Write For Speaking So Highly of Evan and FolioMatch.com. I receive zero, nada, nothing, and any other cliche, etc. in financial compensation for talking up Evan and FolioMatch.com.
I'm writing about Evan/his company because he leads a committed/dedicated tribe who rightfully deserves it. I'm spreading the word about Evan and FolioMatch.com because it's THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
And, that makes me feel good …
… please spread the word about Evan, his company, and FolioMatch.com's honorable mission.
If you're a college student (or an ambitious high school student), go to the FolioMatch.com site and register.
If you're a parent who's worried your son/daughter who graduates from college in Spring 2014 may face difficulty in this brutal job market (because the odds are he/she will), go to the FolioMatch.com site and register.
If you're a Spring 2013 college graduate and you're still actively looking for that first gig, go to the FolioMatch.com site and register. Learning how to leverage LinkedIn to your advantage during your job search is important. But, it takes more to win an interview slot AND stand out among thousands of applicants.
Resources / Ideas from the Best Marketing and Communications Teachers: Tom Peters, Seth Godin, Mitch Joel, and David Meerman Scott
Common themes running through the resources 2 – 9 are entrepreneurial hustle and creativity. Standing out in an unfavorable economy within an ocean of candidates requires the courage and true grit to aggressively market yourself.
2. Tom Peters / Fast Company: The Brand Called YOU: This August 1997 article is the original classic highlighting the rising importance of personal branding. Mr. Peters was ahead of his time in publishing and describing these timeless career management principles.
3. Seth Godin: Graduate school for unemployed college students
4. Seth Godin and Inc.com: 5 Ways to be Known as a Groundbreaking Thinker
5. Mitch Joel: 8 Ways to Score that Elusive Entry Level Marketing Position
6. Mitch Joel: 20 Best Marketing Books of All Time: Mitch literally posted this article a few days ago. He's often asked what are the best marketing books he recommends studying. If you go to the comments section of his article, you'll see four (4) additional recommendations I suggested. I would also add Six Pixels of Separation and Ctrl Alt Delete to this list (because the author of these classics is a pretty cool dude).
7. David Meerman Scott: Lindsey shows how to market to millenials and how to get a first job: David's blog post describing how Lindsey Kirchoff aggressively and uniquely marketed herself personifies her entrepreneurial hustle an creativity.
Here's a great video David filmed with Lindsey Kirchoff (who started working full-time with HubSpot's Content Creation & Blogging Team in September 2012):
8. David Meerman Scott: Tough love for marketing & PR job seekers
9. David Meerman Scott: 5 ideas for marketing and communications professors' success in the classroom
Bonus. David Meerman Scott — Inbound Job Search: David published this video on December 2nd. He shares five (5) inspiring stories about people publishing creative and remarkable content to win dream jobs. One of the stories is how his daughter, Allison Meerman Scott, leveraged her personal blog to differentiate herself from thousands of outstanding Columbia University undergraduate applicants to win admission!
Dan Schawbel: Have the Courage to Promote Yourself (Because It's a Good Thing)
No one understands more about personal branding for young people than Dan Schawbel. It's why I literally carved out a "Dan Section" highlighting his work. The man knows what he's talking about so take his advice seriously.
I do. And, even though he's 20 years younger, I believe his teachings apply to any age group or professional experience level. He's the epitome of entrepreneurial hustle
10. Dan Schawbel and Forbes.com: My 10 Best Pieces of Career Advice for Millenials
11. Dan Schawbel: Top 5 Job Search Tips for Millenials
14. Dan Schawbel and Time.com: How Recruiters Use Social Networks to Make Hiring Decisions Now
15. Dan Schawbel and Forbes.com: How Globalization and Social Media has Impacted the US Economy
16. Dan Schawbel: Millenial Branding and Student Employment Gap Study
17. Dan Schwabel and Forbes.com: 5 Reasons Why Your Online Presence Will Replace Your Resume in 10 Years
18. Dan Schawbel and Time.com: The End of the Full-Time Salaried Job
Job Search 101
These Mashable articles do a great job in describing the basics AND the things to do to stand out. The common theme here is "put in the work." No magical formulas. Just get to work.
19. Mashable: 35 Surefire Ways to Stand Out During Your Job Search
20. Mashable: How to Nail Your Entry-Level Job Search
Interviewing 101 (and Beyond)
The common theme throughout these articles: Prepare. Prepare. Prepare. Do this and you'll eliminate 50% – 60% of your competition before walking in the room.
21. Fast Company: How to Nail Your Next Phone Interview
22. Lou Adler and LinkedIn Today: Moneyball for Job-seekers: How to Increase Your Interviewing Odds
24. James Caan and LinkedInToday: The 3 Questions People Always Forget to Ask During Job Interviews
25. James Caan and LinkedIn Today: 5 Ways to Avoid Losing Out on that Dream Job
26. Mashable: INFOGRAPHIC — Top Job Search Mistakes Millenials Make and How to Fix Them
27. Mashable: 6 Job Interview Questions and Answers to Avoid
28. Lea McCleod, M.A.: 5 Big Reasons New College Grads are Failing the Job Search
Creative Ways to Use Twitter in Your Job Search
When it comes to real-time news and responsiveness, there's Twitter and then there's everybody else. Leverage its real-time capabilities to your advantage. Finding out about that open, entry-level position before other candidates is a competitive advantage.
29. Mashable: How a 140-Character Twitter Resume Could Land Your Next Job
30. 20 Twitter Resources for Job Hunters
21st Century Marketing, Communications, and Public Relations Knowledge
Talk the Talk Like Seasoned Marketing Pros. The interviewing team will deem you credible only if you "speak their language." Therefore, learn how to speak it. Learn about the movements impacting marketing now (and in the future).
You don't have to memorize vocabulary lists by rote. But, you have to credibly demonstrate your awareness of how marketing, communications, and public relations are constantly changing.
Walk the Walk Like Seasoned Marketing Pros. The following resources provide ideas and suggestions for developing skills in writing, storytelling, and critical thinking. Remember, the Internet turns every moment before, during, and after a job interview into a show-me you're different opportunity — Take the Initiative and Take the Advantage.
21st Century Marketing and Communications Fundamentals Bootcamp
31. HubSpot Inbound Marketing Blog: You Were Too Embarrassed to Google (But Should Definitely Know)
32. HubSpot Inbound Marketing Blog
33. HubSpot Academy
Content Marketing
34. Marketing Profs Daily Fix Blog
35. Content Marketing Institute Blog
Online, Digital, eCommerce Future Trends and Patterns
36. The Mitch Joel Six Pixels of Separation Podcasts on iTunes (and their free)
Blogging
38. Copyblogger Blog
39. Darren Rowse: PROBLOGGER Blog
Measurement and Analytics
40. Occam's Razor Blog By Avinash Kaushik
41. The Future Buzz Blog by Adam Singer
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
45. The MOZ Blog
46. Danny Sullivan's SearchEngineLand.com Blog
47. Forbes: 7 Ways to Make LinkedIn Help You Find a Job
48. Forbes: 5 LinkedIn Strategies You Haven't Thought of Before: the suggestion to use LinkedIn showing you've researched a company's competitors and the point of "sales reinforcement" has powerful applications in a job interview
Preparing Your Resume
50. Mashable: Why You Need Several Versions of Your Resume
51. LinkedIn Labs Resume Builder: This handy app transforms your LinkedIn Profile into a PDF resume. Therefore, fill out your LinkedIn profile with as much detail as you can.
Inspiration On Demand
52. to 55. LinkedIn Influencers — My First Job Job Series: If you're getting down on yourself during the process, GO HERE IMMEDIATELY. Everyone had to start out somewhere. That includes some of the world's most influential movers & shakers in every industry.
Don't believe me? Here are some samples how:
- Richard Branson's first job as a bird breeder before he became Richard Branson (Founder at Virgin Group)
- Beth Comstock's first job working on an assembly line before she became Beth Comstock (Chief Marketing Officer, General Electric)
- T. Boone Pickens' first job as a newspaper carrier before he became T. Boone Pickents (Founder, Chairman and CEO at BP Capital and TBP Investments Management)
- Claire Diaz-Ortiz's first job as an cigarette seller before she became Claire Diaz-Ortiz (Social Innovation Leader, Twitter)
My First Job. I started out as an unpaid, summer laboratory tech intern / dishwasher at The Washington University School of Medicine. Luckily for me, the department's head researcher paid me that fall because my boss said I was a good guy.
56. Jonathan Fields — The Good Life Project: Jonathan is an A-List entrepreneur and a person driven to help others succeed personally and professionally via entrepreneurship. His video interviews are inspiring.
I subscribe to his free podcasts on iTunes and listen to them repeatedly.
Check out this video on overcoming and reframing risk and the fear of failure and judgment. Pure Gold.
57. Video: Best Day of My Life (Dog Version) by American Authors: Trust me, this video will make you feel soooooo good after watching it no matter how bad you feel. And, it's probably why American Authors are my new favorite band and why this song is now my all-time favorite.
Closing Thoughts
This is post five (and the final one) in a series to help new college graduates and current students land full-time jobs or internships.
Here are the respective links for posts 1 to 4:
Your Turn
If you're a college graduate looking for work, a concerned parent, a worried relative, or a current college student, please let me know in the comments if the content here helped (or if it didn't).
What should be kept on this list? What should be taken off? What resources did I miss? What should be added?
Please help me in continuously improving this page as a helpful resource to others.
Tony Faustino is a marketing and corporate strategist. He writes about how The Internet reinvents marketing strategy for organizations and individuals in his marketing strategy blog, Social Media ReInvention. Follow his tweets @tonyfaustino or circle him on Google+.