Advice for New Grads

If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around, does it make a sound?

Everyone's heard that old saying a million times over, yet I can't help but feel that some new college/university graduates aren't quite understanding that metaphor when it comes to their job prospects.

I was scanning the local Reddit scene and saw a thread about gaining employment in a different province. The poster was wondering if anyone "would come to recruit us" here in Calgary. It got me to thinking about the expectations that new grads have heading into the workforce.

I'm really hopeful that post-secondary institutions aren't selling themselves and their programs as "come to us and companies will be lining up to get you on their team." While having that experience certainly helps, it's only half of the equation.

Why?

Because you (the new graduate) need to put in some work as well. You can't expect recruiters to be knocking on the door if they don't know you exist.

Let me take you back to my days in radio. Coming out of college, I wasn't the smartest and I certainly didn't have the best voice. There were people in my class (let alone those from around Canada) who were leaps and bounds ahead of me in every department. But I was determined to let stations around Western Canada know that I was willing to work to be everything they needed me to be.

After finally landing my first job in Lloydminster, I started sending emails and demos to news directors and program directors in the big markets. I actually made a point of telling them that I wasn't applying for a job and told them I knew I wasn't ready to get into a bigger centre. Instead, I asked them what they wanted to hear out of me to eventually become a part of their team.

This actually served everyone well. For them, they were able to look at a prospect and craft me into whatever they were looking for (news anchor, reporter, producer, whatever) while it also allowed me to sift out the bosses who weren't interested in me and focus on those who did send responses.

I was always forward-thinking like that during my career. I never really "applied" for a job as much as I kept poking and prodding hoping to become top-of-mind for when an opening came up. If you only apply for jobs when postings go up, you run the risk of getting lost in the barrage of resumes and cover letters that will hit an employer.

I also never expected to be heard by someone from a larger market. It wasn't like one day, I'd get that magical phone call from my dream job saying their recruiter was passing through town when they heard me and realized they needed me right now. That just doesn't happen, no matter what line of work you're in.

You have to put yourself out there, make connections, and not be afraid of getting turned down. A "no" may not be forever. It might just be "not right now."

But you have to ask. You have to plant the trees in order to get the forest. Then maybe, just maybe, someone will hear that sound.

#Hiring #Recruiting #Jobs