Career Advice for Recent Graduates: 7 Ways to Create Job Opportunities During Challenging Times

It’s that time of year again when millions of young adults enter the workforce to embark on their careers – each with unique experiences and different goals. 

Whether you are receiving a degree or have taken a different path, you’re going to be part of a huge influx of young adults, hitting the marketplace - looking to make a living and make a difference.

For many young adults, this represents a stressful time filled with anxious thoughts and concerns of hiring freezes due the unpredictability of the current economic climate, tariff negotiations, and worries over AI eliminating jobs – just to name a few.

Below are 7 recommendations to put yourself in the best light during a competitive marketplace.

There’s Still A Reason To Be Optimistic – I promise!

· Ask any entrepreneur or senior executive and they will share that there are opportunities and challenges during both strong and weak economic times.  Just as many successful investors are actively purchasing stocks when the market is down significantly, great business leaders are looking to re-invest in a particular division or make a strategic acquisition during a time when valuations may have dropped and to capitalize on their competition being more conservative.

· Remind yourself, that many great companies were launched during “economic winters” such as Disney, Hewlett Packard, Microsoft and more recently Airbnb, Uber, WhatsApp, and Instagram.  There’s no perfect time to launch a company and no perfect time to enter the workforce.

· I am a realist and understand that these are not ideal times.  Economic times change like seasons.  Do your best to remain steady and calm as the different weather patterns come and go.  We get to choose the kind of energy we put out there in the world each day.   When you maintain a level of ambition, drive, and optimism, people will notice and gravitate towards that great energy.

· Great companies, both large and small, are looking for your unique perspective as a young person regarding overall technological/social trends as well as your feedback on their current/future consumer base. 

· Great leaders are optimistic.  They promote optimistic people as managers and those managers want to hire entry level people who also model this type of “can-do” type of behavior - those with a positive, healthy mindset.

Put Yourself Out There – In Person

· Applying online for jobs is often the only option that many companies initially offer.  Please do not make the mistake of relying solely on this process to gain employment.  Focus on creating in-person opportunities for yourself throughout your job search.  I know it sounds a bit cliché, but remind yourself to “make things happen”.

· Set yourself apart by showing up in person and meeting people in various types of venues: conferences (many offer free or discounts for students), networking events, book signings/author talks, volunteering for key initiatives, and social events like barbeques.

· When I offer advice on networking, I always encourage young adults to “be first”.  Take the initiative to introduce yourself and share with people what you’re interested in and that you’re looking for work experience.  When you consistently put yourself  in various circles of interest, the magic of serendipity reveals itself.

· Remind yourself that managers and co-workers want to hire people that they like.  Lean into that by making your connection in person.  It will help separate you from the plethora of online applications that are being evaluated by algorithms.

· Think about being the kind of person you’d want to meet.  Remember, networking is about generosity, planting seeds, and building relationships.  When you make introductions and help others, with no expectation of anything in return, the universe tends to conspire in your favor.

 Nail Down Your Narratives

· You will be in circumstances, planned and completely unanticipated, when you’ll have the opportunity to articulate your narrative.  Please invest time preparing and framing up these thoughts really well.  It will make a huge difference.  When you’re thoughtful and intentional with your words, it shows that you have your act together and separates you from those who ramble on without a plan.  We’ve all experienced both excellent and poor first impressions.  Think about the difference and impact between the two.

· I recommend you spend time writing out a 20 second narrative.  This should express who you are, what your unique value is, and what you’re looking for.  Practice and know it cold, so when opportunities arise, it flows naturally and authentically.  You should also have a 5 minute version of your narrative ready for the times you’re meeting an influential person and they respond to your 20 second version with “wow, that’s really interesting, tell me more!”  You’ll need to have additional thoughts and supporting personal stories to make your follow up truly count.  This may be your moment and you want to capitalize on this potential unique opportunity.

 Embrace an AI Mindset

· Anyone who says they know how AI will play out over the next 5 years, or even the next 24 months, is speculating at best.

· What we do know is that AI is an incredible tool that still has plenty of flaws and will improve as the algorithm continues to learn.  The best thing I can share is that AI will likely not take your job, but the person who knows how to use AI’s tools really well, just might.

· Like all tools, they are blunt instruments and are dependent on the quality of the user. Fundamentally, critical thinking is the ability to ask great questions.  And I believe this is one of the best ways in which we can utilize AI.  Critical thinking is also a skill and, like all skills, it can be learned.  Study and learn how to be a great critical thinker and you will become an excellent AI technician/artisan/strategist and one that’s in demand.

Lean Into Informational Interviews

· Informational interviews are meetings when there is not a formal job opening.  This is a largely an untapped area that can open up significant opportunities. I know many individuals, including my daughter, who landed an incredible job based initially from an informational interview.

· Typically these are shorter, somewhat informal meetings where you are doing more of the heavy lifting – doing research and initiating great questions.  This gives you the opportunity to show how well you’ve prepared and make a great impression for future openings at this company as well as another organization where the person you met with could make an introduction.

· Take these types of interviews seriously.  Do your preparation and research (ex: industry/company/person) like you would do for any interview. 

· Make sure you ask informed questions that shows you’ve done the work and, like any interview, avoid asking super basic questions that can easily be found on the company website.

· In addition to informed questions, I often recommend asking personal/nostalgic questions to humanize the meeting such as “so what was it like when you were my age?” or “how do you believe the industry has changed since you began your career?”

Focus on a Healthy Culture Over Shiny Object Companies

· High profile, well-known brands are exciting to think about and can be great for impressing people in social situations, but they may not always be the right fit for you.  In the case of a public, high profile company, they could be the first to announce layoffs to appease Wall Street.  And because of that Wall Street pressure, these types of companies may be singularly focused on the bottom line and more transactional in nature.

· Be flexible with what company you align with and, when doing your research, endeavor to focus on a healthy organizational culture where you can learn from colleagues who have extensive experience and are willing to mentor.  One of the primary reasons why people leave organizations is due to the feeling of a negative work environment, poor management, and lack of overall leadership.  So I believe a healthy culture often matters more than a  brand name.  Glassdoor and The Muse are good resources to check out anonymous feedback from current or former employees.

· If your priority is to earn as much money as possible, because paying off student loans is an absolute priority, that could shift your focus.  Just understand what you’re signing up for - there may be tradeoffs. No one is saying that you have to remain with this particular company forever.  This could be a valid short term goal and you can shift your focus in the future as your goals evolve. 

Take Good Care of Yourself

· When you’re in a good headspace and taking care of your well-being (fitness, nutrition, mental, emotional) employers will notice you radiating with great energy, drive, and ambition.  These are the qualities of people that employers, big or small, want to hire.

· When you consistently take good care of yourself, you create the conditions to succeed and you’ll perform better.  This will increase your chances of landing that job – now and in the future.

Peter Russell, is Founder and CEO of Kindling, a video-based, online mentorship platform that empowers people to thrive personally and professionally. For more on Kindling’s mentorship program, see the link in Peter’s profile.

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