As a UAGC student or alumnus, you have access to a comprehensive suite of career-readiness resources and job search tools, as well as career advisors who can meet with you one-on-one to help plan your next career move.
However, there are some very immediate and tangible things you can do now to jumpstart your job search. Here are six things you should do right away, according to Career Services.
1. Develop your professional brand identity
Your first step will involve bringing your resume up to date and making your brand available online for recruiters to find on sites such as LinkedIn, Indeed, and others.
To do this, you should start with developing your professional brand identity, which often comes in the form of a short bio or summary of skills. In order to grab the attention of the reader, you should focus on a personal brand identity that describes your professional passion.
鈥淲hat you should be projecting is what you want, not just what you鈥檝e done,鈥 explains Global Campus Career Services Manager Rebecca Davis. 鈥淵ou want to make it clear what kind of transferable skills you have and what gets you excited.鈥
Your personal brand identity should come across like an elevator pitch, says Davis, and should focus on two very important points:
- What problem you can solve for your future employer
- Why you鈥檙e qualified to solve the problem and help the organization
鈥淵ou can鈥檛 make assumptions that people know how qualified you are,鈥 she adds. 鈥淵ou have to put it out there.鈥
2. Apply your brand identity to social media
Though they鈥檙e not considered recruitment sites, you should pay special attention to your other social media accounts 鈥 Facebook, X, Instagram, and others. As recently as 2017, it was estimated that to get a better picture of job candidates.
Davis suggests applying the same approach to personal branding that you use on LinkedIn to the 鈥渂io鈥 section of your X, Facebook, and other pages. This doesn鈥檛 have to be done word-for-word, but you can use the power of social media to showcase your professional interests and talents in the posts and photos you share.
鈥淚t鈥檚 important to be aware of the message that you鈥檙e sending out on social media,鈥 she says. 鈥淢ake sure your profiles are as complete as possible and always ask yourself, 鈥業f I were a potential employer, would I be okay with this content?鈥欌
If you think the answer is 鈥渘o鈥 or if you simply believe your personal life shouldn鈥檛 factor into your professional aspirations, you can make these accounts private. And don鈥檛 worry that a private account will raise a red flag, she adds.
鈥淚 think these days everyone is much more aware of their privacy online,鈥 she explains. 鈥淭he message we receive from recruiters is that it鈥檚 not a concern, people are just taking steps to preserve their privacy.鈥
3. Reach out for recommendations
One section of your online profile that should be emphasized is recommendations. Your LinkedIn page has an entire section dedicated to recommendations from current and previous colleagues, and any recruiter looking to know more about you will be scanning those comments to learn about your strengths and weaknesses.
It can be uncomfortable asking a co-worker or manager to write you a recommendation, so Davis suggests writing one for them first, so they can return the favor.
鈥淣etworking is putting yourself out there and letting people know that you鈥檙e looking around and you鈥檇 like their endorsement,鈥 she says. 鈥淚 let students and alumni know that you are always networking, even if you鈥檙e not connecting with a potential employer, there鈥檚 always a chance the person you鈥檙e talking to knows someone who knows someone.鈥
4. Turn negatives into positives
Major shifts in the global economy have changed the way recruiters look at job candidates, so don鈥檛 be overly concerned if there鈥檚 an employment gap on your resume.
Instead, Davis recommends turning a negative into a positive and show a future employer what you鈥檝e accomplished during your job search.
鈥淯tilize the time that you have when you鈥檙e not working to improve your skills, and then make that clear to a potential employer,鈥 Davis says. 鈥淒id you take a new course? Did you earn a certification? Volunteer? Join a professional organization? All of these things show the depth of your skillset.鈥
5. Highlight your side hustle
In good and bad economies, you might find yourself in need of some additional cash to pay the bills, but it may not always be acceptable to include these side hustles on your resume.
If it aligns with your career path or if it鈥檚 something related to your field, Davis recommends adding it to your resume or online profile.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not shocking to have a side job, but you鈥檒l want to really show employers how you were able to use your transferable skills and your soft skills on the job,鈥 she explains.
6. Make your education work for you
Students of every age use their college degrees as the foundation of their future careers, so where your resume lacks professional experience, you can make your education work for you.
鈥淵ou can list the relevant courses that you鈥檙e taking in school,鈥 Davis says. 鈥淏ut I would really encourage you to list projects that showcase the depth of your education in your chosen field.鈥
As a student, you have the opportunity to get a head start on your career by joining professional networks or student organizations, she adds. Even if you don鈥檛 have a lot of work experience in your field, an active presence can show employers that you鈥檙e staying on top of what鈥檚 happening.
By taking these simple steps, you can position yourself for your next career move. To access the resources available to you as a UAGC student, log into your Student Portal and click on 鈥淗andshake,鈥 or students/alumni can reach out to the Career Services team at careerservices@uagc.edu.
