Amy Lindgren
It’s feeling like a tough job market for new college graduates, whether they’re holding a two-year or four-year degree, is getting tougher. With some employers delaying their hiring and others conducting layoffs, it’s not a great time to have a degree but limited experience in one’s new field.
Most new grads have tried multiple job search strategies, with perhaps varying levels of success. That’s a good start, but the tougher the market, the longer these steps can take to pay off.
If you’ve recently graduated, you still need to do something worthwhile even if job search is going slowly.
With that in mind, here’s a baker’s dozen of productive things to consider for this awkward space between graduation and the start of the career you’re pursuing.
Note that these ideas are intended as companions to an ongoing job search. In most cases, you wouldn’t be shutting down your process so much as streamlining your efforts to make room for something else.
• 1. Take on a gig job. Driving for Uber or delivering for DoorDash may not feel ultra-productive but it can provide cash flow and the opportunity to meet people.
• 2. Work for a temporary agency. In years past, temping had been a rite of passage for unemployed new graduates. It’s also a not-uncommon pathway to permanent employment, even when the initial job is unrelated to your career goal.
• 3. Take lower-level or unrelated jobs. Don’t let pride keep you from a retail or hospitality job (presuming those aren’t in your career path). Work is work, and you’ll benefit from both the income and the schedule.
• 4. Ask past employers for interim work. Returning to former employers can pay off faster than forging new connections, since they already know you can do the job.
• 5. Take or create a volunteer job. Here’s where you can better control the content of the work itself, even if you’re sacrificing pay to do it. Consider your career-related skills, then look for nonprofits or startups that could benefit from them.
• 6. Craft an internship. This is another version of the self-crafted volunteer gig. In this case, you’re asking an employer in your field to take you on for a specific period of time — perhaps 4-8 weeks — where you would simultaneously learn and contribute to their team. It can be a tough sell, but easier if you have contacts.
• 7. Start a business. Sometimes the quickest path to employment is to hire yourself. Despite the temptation to offer services in your chosen field, remember the goal is to move forward on something quickly. Consider instead tried-and-true options such as lawn care or house cleaning for neighbors and family friends.
• 8. Take in-person courses to build hands-on skills. Pivoting to training options, consider which hands-on skills you could benefit from learning. Anything from nursing assistant to line cooking to low-voltage wiring or computer repair could become a fallback source of income.
• 9. Earn an online certificate. Hewing closer to your career path, consider certificates that will matter in your field — perhaps data analytics, project management or employee coaching, for example.
• 10. Write about issues in your field. If you have ideas or even questions about topics in your career area, putting them together on Substack, LinkedIn or another platform could help you grow your expertise (and possibly make contacts as well).
• 11. Coach or tutor kids in your community. It may not fit into your career plans, but community involvement will always score points with future employers. It can also be a rich source of contacts, depending on the program.
• 12. Sign up for an immersive experience. AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, fire service work — these can turn into a job search pause, but sometimes that’s just what you need when the market isn’t cooperating.
• 13. Earn the next degree. That’s a standby, but it may not be bad advice. Depending on how far you were already intending to go in terms of education or training, adding the next level now can shelter you somewhat during a rocky market. Just don’t do it for the wrong reasons — a tight market doesn’t mean an impossible one. If you’re going to take this leap, it should be part of a larger plan.
Okay, that’s a starter list, but it covers a lot of territory for things new graduates can do while riding out a difficult job market. Come back next week for a closer look at how a stripped-down job search can pair effectively with these “non-career” pursuits.
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Amy Lindgren owns a career consulting firm in St. Paul. She can be reached at alindgren@prototypecareerservice.com.
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