Photo by Andre Hunter
Every year, a new crop of young women graduate from college. Which is wonderful.
But some don’t have a career plan. They start by revising their resumes and cover letters. Practicing interviews. Combing the internet for jobs. Reaching out to friends or family for any leads.
A recent study conducted by McGraw-Hill reveals that only 36 percent of women graduating college believe that they’re career ready. While 50 percent of men surveyed believe that they can conquer the job market.
It pains me to know that young women are graduating from college believe that they are truly not ready for the workforce. And it pains me because this is a process that should have begun in their freshman year of college.
Yessssss #freshmanadvice
But, I ain’t one to judge. So anytime a former student or son/daughter of a friend reaches out, I help. I worked for several years in HR/Career Development so I know a few things about the job search. And I always remember those who helped me out and want to pay it forward.
But there is a hard part of the discussion. Editing the resume and coaching for the interview is easy. It’s understanding how to set up a career plan for a recent college graduate that’s tough. And it’s especially tough because you can’t return these young women back to college and “correct” a few things.
So here is a short list of ideas of how to help your daughter make the most of her college years. This information is less the technical how-tos. Anyone can teach you how to spell check your resume. But if you have reviewed it ten times and are still not getting called, you need additional information.
Once the young women in our lives understand these principles, they’ll have a much easier time navigating the job search process.
Encourage Your Daughter To Visit The College Career Services Office
A big part of preparing for life after college is being self determined and able to self-advocate. This is one of the greatest ways your daughter can show an employer that she is ready to work.
And one of the first things an employer will notice is if your daughter took advantage of the career resources on campus.
You know, the office that helps you get a job. It’s typically empty in October and packed in the Spring when everyone’s getting ready to graduate.
Somewhere around sophomore year–and no later than junior year–your daughter needs to begin visiting the career services office. And I don’t mean stop by once or twice. I mean, your daughter needs to be a staple student in the office. Here’s why: at the career services office, students can participate in mock interviews and other workshops that will help them navigate the job search process. Advisors will be present review resumes. And of course, one of the most important reasons to attend: internship and job resources that will prepare your daughter for life after graduation.
Taking these steps before graduation places your daughter in a unique position. She’s already learning how to navigate the job search and interview process. She’s learning how to set goals and advocate for herself. And most importantly, with internships under her belt, she’ll be able to decide on job offers versus learning the basics of the career search.
So encourage your daughter to use this resource. If they’ve already graduated, it isn’t too late. During the summer months, the career services office isn’t typically too busy and will still help a recent graduate.
Help Your Daughter Understand Her Value As A Young Professional
Your daughter is going to make a huge transition once she finishes college. And her thinking is going to have to change drastically from being student centric to young professional centric.
One of the hardest shifts a recent college graduate will make is realizing that no one is super concerned about their desires. Yes, there are companies who are interested in their employees and spend money on training, wellness programs, and incentives.
But, bottom line, they want employees who make THEM money/profit. Even non-profits want someone who will contribute to the bottom line.
So, your daughter needs to be able to demonstrate her professional value.
Now what does that mean?
Let’s start with your daughter’s resume. Is it easy to understand how her internships, extracurricular activities and other experiences will help her deliver value to an employer? Or does your daughter’s resume read like every other college student’s resume?
And how about her ability to verbally express how value?
No one cares that your daughter was the president of a school club and held meetings. What would impress an employer is the following:
- Your daughter recruited a certain number of new members.
- She fundraised $500 above her student activities budget.
- Or co-sponsored 10 events with other clubs on campus.
We have to teach our daughters that their ability to solve problems, create solutions and present ideas are all representations of their value.
LinkedIn LinkedIn LinkedIn
This topic needs its own blog post.
But, I’ll get you started. Help your daughter create her own LinkedIn profile. She can add her experiences, links and visuals of any work completed in college. A great thing to include? Senior thesis. Include an excerpt if it’s relevant to your future career interests.
Read This: The Ultimate Guide to LinkedIn for Students
The key to LinkedIn is building a network. Like other social media sites, your daughter can invite all of your peers and friends you met in college but the huge difference is she’ll be tapping their shoulder for professional networking opportunities. In addition to her friends, your daughter should add alumni–especially those working in her desired field. Why? They’ve built careers, have connections and might be interested in mentoring.
Closing Thoughts
Your daughter’s life as a student might be over (at least for now!) but that does not mean there aren’t things she still needs to learn. More than ever, she’s going to need you and people in her circle to help her transition from being a student to an adult with a career. I hope these steps give you a start on how to give her a little push.
