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Postgraduate Employment and How to Find a Job after Graduation

How a US College or University Helps with Postgraduate Employment

Searching for your first job after graduation?

We know it’s scary, but help is available!

Before you even earn a diploma, you can:

• contact your college or university’s career services office
• attend job fairs or seminars
• get help from the alumni association
• make contacts among your peers and professors

Job and Career Services from Your University

When you are narrowing the list of colleges where you want to send an application, find out what services they provide to students and alumni looking for a job after graduation.

When you make a campus visit, stop by the college or university’s career services office.

Check if the office keeps a list of companies who are seeking employees. You also can ask counselors there how they help students find a job after graduation.

Your academic department also could have a list of job openings specifically for people in your field.

Some schools or departments have a strong relationship with a local employer that regularly hires students for a job after graduation. After you begin to study in the US, talk to professors or attend a local job fair to learn if that is the case.

You also may want to consider career-track colleges. They make it a point to give you the specific skills you need to find a job after graduation directly related to your field of study.

Job Fairs

Job fairs are a great way to explore your options and quickly make contacts with many different employers. Find out if the college you want to attend hosts a job fair.

Employers generally set up a booth and are available to talk about the opportunities in their company. You even may be interviewed.

Attend job fairs even if you aren’t immediately seeking a full-time job. You can make contacts early or find an internship.

Job Help from Alumni

Large universities have alumni clubs throughout the US and around the world. Find out the location of alumni clubs affiliated with the college or university you are considering.

As you approach graduation, you can contact the club nearest where you would like to live.

Ask the club president if he or she can provide you with the names and contact information of club members in your profession. Ask them for advice about breaking into the field or whether they think attending a graduate school is necessary.

Also consider contacting graduates of your university from your native country, no matter where they currently live. If you want to work in the US, they may have advice about getting a job after graduation.

Before You Search for a Job After Graduation

Form relationships with professors. They may have information about job openings you won’t find elsewhere. They also are more likely to know who to contact about jobs at companies where you want to work after graduation.

Join professional organizations (or their college affiliate) and career clubs as soon as you start college. You’ll meet people in your field and classmates in your area of study. Both can help you find a job after graduation– or maybe you can help them!

 

Even if you don’t immediately find the perfect job after graduation, you can use the skills you have learned and the contacts you have made to continue your search for your dream job.

No matter which accredited college you decide to attend, keep your career goals in mind as soon as you start your studies. Be sure to take advantage of all of the employment services your university offers!

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