Jess vs. The World

The world is a much different place than it was ten years ago when I graduated college. The Internet also very different than it was ten years ago and it can be one of your number one business tools. It’s not easy to get a job directly out of college for a lot of people but there are things you can do to elevate yourself above the rest. For new graduates who want to increase your chances of getting a job, here’s some advice.

Blog About Your Passion
If you’re starting your career your goal should be to become an expert in whatever field you’re in. Besides the obvious reasons, this will help you succeed faster, get paid more and build trust with people. This is something you can do with or without a job. You should be able to show someone that you think and know about things that are related to your field or business. Writing about it and showcasing your thoughts on a blog is one of the easiest ways to do this. Employers are much more likely to hire someone who can prove that they’re head is in the game.

Start a Company
This might sound crazy but there’s no better way to gain experience then doing it hands on. Find the least expensive, easiest way to start a company, validate your ideas and or your product very early on and iterate until you’ve got some traction. Get feedback from many people (not just from family and friends, but from strangers) and use that feedback to make a better product or service. If you work in technology or Internet services and you live in New York, there’s never been a better time to do this and with companies like Techstars there is a platform for you to get help in making your idea successful. Even if your company is not successful, you will have many more opportunities than someone who never tried. You are bound to become an amazing expert if you’ve put your blood, sweat and tears into something and people recognize this.

Meet as Many People as Possible
Your job if you don’t have one (and even if you do), should be to be a professional networker. There are amazing people doing amazing things everywhere. These people have personal stories about how they got to where they are today. You can not only learn from this but more importantly you can expand your network. These people may end up referring you or calling you directly for your services. People are generally very willing to spend some time talking to you if they ask. Make a list of people you want to meet, figure out how to get a hold of them and do so in a courteous manner. Also, go to as many events as possible.

Find a Company You Love & Offer to Work for Them for Free
This is a bit of a catch 22 and I wouldn’t normally suggest that you go work for free, but getting your foot in the door is half the battle. Especially if you’re in a field where you need to increase your skill level to even be considered for a potential job. The situation should be mutually beneficial. If your goal is to be a graphic designer, you will obviously want the chance to work on or be part of some cool projects, you don’t want to sit around all day filing things. Find a few companies you love and pitch yourself for a short-term gig. In your short time there, try to make yourself as indispensable as possible. This is not an easy thing to do in a short amount of time but it’s not impossible. Be a positive part of the work environment, be engaged and helpful.

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Go forward and conquer.

Learn Python, learn Ruby

@javierjulio it’s work I’m doing for a client of mine.

@quickandcurious So far so good. I need to work with it more. It’s pretty great the way you can click “record” on a piece of paper. I used it yesterday to capture feedback on a bunch of screens I’m testing. Each screen has it’s only piece of Livescribe paper attached to it so I can just go back and click “play” on the paper to listen to the audio and transcribe the notes.