In the business world, it's not about what you know, but who you know. Having a 4.0 GPA is great and all, but when you've for jobs on end, you're competing for the same job with hundreds of recent graduates and experienced professionals alike. The key to landing that dream job is to be able to get your name around, and let those large corporations know that you truly mean business.
If you're in college, I highly recommend joining business organizations or clubs on your campus that attend networking events or bring in guest speakers or recruiters. In the rare event that there are no such organizations, most colleges bring these speakers and recruiters on varying frequencies so you can connect with them on a professional level. Don't just wait for your school to bring in professionals; search online to find networking or recruiting events nearby. Many of these events are hosted by professional organizations whose mission is to assist young professionals in landing the career of their dreams. If there are other schools within a reasonable distance, why not check out their networking events? If you let the recruiters know that you attend XYZ University, they'll be impressed by the fact that you took the time to travel in order to attend the event, which makes you stand out more among the rest!
Another tip would be to always have your resume with you in the event that you're interested in a company or a recruiter is interested in interviewing you. Make sure to have it updated and add any clubs, organizations and leadership positions that you may be in. Try to eliminate your high school experience. After being in college for a while, this information will become irrelevant to companies. If you haven't had much extracurricular experience in college, instead, add some coursework or important projects that you have successfully completed such as global marketing, management information systems or a presentation on economic change to an important audience, depending on what you're seeking.
In my experience, I kept my high school leadership positions such as being secretary of the drama club and president of the German club. This was a plus when it came to applying for my first job at a call center, which I landed by being bilingual in English and Spanish. As I became involved at Relay for Life and ALPFA on campus I began eliminating my high school experiences and kept my more relevant college experiences.
Dressing up for the part isn't just for theater! Always arrive professionally dressed, and check the event's dress code ahead of time to see if it's business casual or business formal. This will help you in improving your confidence and mood so that you can rock the event and impress recruiters with your professionalism. You don't have to go out to the mall and buy expensive business suits. Thrift stores are the best place for finding gently-used or even brand new business suits for nearly 90 percent of the cost. Here's a secret: all of my business pants, dresses, shirts, and jackets are from the thrift store! No one can ever tell that they weren't bought new.
When approaching a recruiter or other professional, I always try to make small talk with them for a brief period of time before getting into business. After all, they're human just like you, and they want to know if the way you present yourself and communicate makes you a good fit for their company. Afterwards, I usually proceed by letting them know a little about myself, like which college I attend, my major and what kind of opportunity I am seeking, such as an internship or full-time position. Always smile and be positive, even if the recruiter doesn't seem very interested, and always shake their hand and thank them for their time in attending the event! If you get off the right foot, you already have a foot in the door to being hired.
