If you graduated and still don't have a job, all is not lost. The key is to be proactive in your search. While it may be frustrating to send out résumés and never receive a response, there are other steps you can take to boost your chances of finding work.
Although you might not have built a professional network yet, you do have parents, relatives and friends to turn to. People close to you often provide the building blocks for a strong network. Additionally, don't be afraid to join a professional group as a way to meet new people. Many professional organizations will have student membership rates, but if you're not able to pay for that, you should at least be hitting their websites and looking for job openings.
LinkedIn, the online social network for professionals, is an excellent tool for job seekers. Immediately try to connect with professionals who are alumni of your school. That helps you start with a very large network, and you have instant access to those people.
Part of the responsibility of a career centre is to provide guidance to recent graduates during the job-search process. This guidance includes offering assistance on crafting a résumé and cover letter, as well as conducting mock interviews and salary negotiations. For whatever reason, some recent graduates don't have an idea of where to go or what to do, that's what career centres like Apata & Ascott are for.
If you are struggling to find a full-time job, don't be afraid to take an internship to help fill in the time before you do land work. Taking a postgraduate internship is a sign to employers that a recent graduate is on an educational path and isn't just sitting around doing nothing. If you can afford it, even an unpaid internship would work, the caveat is that it [should pertain] to the area you'd like to go into professionally.
Recent graduates who are still looking for a job should be prepared to start attending career fairs. Doing so can lead to job opportunities, as businesses that attend career fairs are typically in the market for new hires.
You can open up a wealth of new opportunities by being willing to relocate to another state or region. If you're a 22-year-old graduate with no commitment to a geographic region, I'd expand that search. That also shows a willingness to be flexible.
