Congratulations to our students completing their studies this year! As many of our students finish their educational journeys, they may be eager to join the workforce full time. For recent graduates, this can be a daunting task. During the COVID-19 global pandemic, the job hiring process has changed a bit – what can new graduates do to make the most of their time currently?

Job hunting can be quite a daunting task for students, especially while currently working at a position unrelated to their educational experience. Here are a few things to consider when going through the job application process:

• It Takes Time and Effort
  
  For some recent graduates, job hunting feels like a job in itself. Sorting through job boards and filtering listings you feel you may be qualified for can be exhausting. It is important to enter this process knowing that it can take a lot of time and effort. It is also important for recent graduates to not be deterred if they are not immediately getting results. As you are graduating, so are a lot of other potential candidates for any given role you are applying for. Students may need to mentally prepare for the application journey prior to starting and to not be discouraged by rejection. You will find what you are looking for in time!
  
  
  
• Tailor Your Resume to the Job Listing
  
  Another important thing students need to remember to do while job hunting is to tailor their resumes and cover letters (if applicable) to the specific jobs they are applying to. It is important to ensure that all of the experience you are listing on your resume outlines that you are qualified for the position you are applying for. Are they looking for someone who has displayed leadership skills in their job listing? Make sure you outline how you’ve done this in the past and what the results were!
  
  
  
• Your Application May Need to Pass an ATS Before It Ever Reaches a Human
  
  With the large number of applications most large companies receive every day for any given role, most employers have opted to use an Applicant Tracking System, or an ATS. An Applicant Tracking System does what the name implies – it tracks applicants by pre-screening them before applications ever reaching human eyes. If you are unable to appease an ATS, your resume may unfortunately never see the hiring manager, despite your qualifications. In order to do this, you will need to make sure to take our second point into consideration – tailor your resume to the job listing! An ATS will look for keywords in your resume related to the job listing at hand – if your resume is able to provide enough keywords relevant to the job listing, your resume will not be screened and you will have a significantly higher chance of being selected going forward in the hiring process. It is crucial that new graduates understand that ATS can be a huge barrier for most, however learning to appease an ATS will certainly help your odds!