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Recent Graduates: Tips on Staying Focused After Graduation

Graduation, parties, summer— life immediately following college can make it difficult for recent graduates to focus on the job search. If you don’t have a job waiting for you after graduation it can be difficult to stay on track and keep hunting. Whether it’s from frustration, the allure of a break, or a number of other reasons, it may be hard for recent graduates to concentrate on finding a job. So without further ado, I bring you five ways to stay on task as you hunt for that first real-world job.

Set a goal
The job market may be unpredictable and the job search may be rough, but starting out with a goal to apply to X amount of jobs, or spending a specific amount of time doing it creates a job search goal for you to achieve. If you do this, it can help you feel a sense of accomplishment during your search.

Decide what you want to do
As recent graduates you don’t need to know what your lifelong career will be at this moment. However, making a decision about a designated career field will create a job search focus. Aimlessly perusing job sites may give you more options, but it also causes frustration in pinpointing a job for which you may be perfect for and happy in.

Target your job search
There are tons of places to look for jobs so narrowing down where to look is the key. Much of this will depend on what you want to do and some depends on the comfort you have with different platforms. By choosing only a few places for your job search you will save yourself time, and a headache, and will free yourself up to spend more effort on your actual applications- perhaps even a video resume!

Block out time
Don’t just assume you will have time, or tell yourself you’ll look later. As recent graduates you may have a lot of free time, but if you etch out time specifically dedicated to searching and applying for jobs you will save yourself time in the long-run. Plus, it will make your job search much smoother and consistent.

Relax
Part of the concentration problem associated with a job search is the sense of doom clouding the job market we are currently in. We look to those with jobs in awe and feel as though we will never reach that since our job search is so dismal. As recent graduates it will be difficult to snag a job at first, but with hard work and dedication you can make the job market work for you.

It can be tough to motivate yourself to look for a job just after college- especially in the slow job market we are experiencing. As recent graduates you want a break from the rigor of school and to catch up with everyone. That’s understandable. Here’s a secret though, the real world isn’t so bad! So get out there into the job market and pound the, more than likely, virtual pavement.

What are some things you do to stay focused on the job search? Did you or do you find it hard to stay focused after graduation? Let us know what you think in the comments section below!

IMAGE: Courtesy of Flickr by j.o.h.n. walker

Jen Schiller

Jen works as a Marketing Project Manager for a restaurant, a kitchen assistant for cooking classes, helps with database management, does some freelance writing, and more. She received her B.A. from the University of Maryland in Government & Politics in 2011. Currently, she resides in the Washington, D.C. area and is an avid sports fan.

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