What if you graduate from university, and you don’t yet have a job? The demand for technical skills is acute, so how can it be hard to find a job if you’ve got a technical degree?

This scenario can be challenging, because you are no longer a campus candidate, but you don't have any experience either. Most larger companies rely on campus recruiting efforts to hire new grads. When a new grad resume hits their job portal, the resume doesn’t get any interest due to lack of experience. Companies that don’t recruit on campus are certainly an option, but it’s difficutl to differentiate yourself when you have no actual experience. Finally, the expectation is that good students get internships and those internships lead to return offers. Resumes that don’t reflect this pattern beg the question, why not?

What to do? Work your network - family, friends, school etc. Be proactive, use LinkedIn to find people at companies you are interested in, etc. You may need to be creative to find that first opportunity. Look for sites that list jobs at startups like Built in NYC. While smaller firms have their own challenges hiring inexperienced indidviduals, they also may be more receptive to finding less expensive candidates or hiring on an interim basis that may turn into FTE.

Finally, demonstrating great tech skills/instincts in the interviews is critical. Spending significant time prepping for tech interviews will pay off. See prep material under the Candidates tab on this site.

Remember that your first job is a first step. It’s far easier to get hired by an unsexy company like Verizon than Google or Meta. Once you have that first job, be proactive about your career. Seek mentorship, learn in-demand skills, stay interview ready, and network.