The First Job: Shotgun Approach

That diploma suuuure looks good, doesn’t it? All that hard work and sacrifice, spelled out in curvy letters and signed by the Governor. But now, after your post-graduation trip to Europe, you can’t even afford a damn frame for that beauty. Time to get some money.

With the economy sitting in a negative first derivative and US companies digging in for the long-haul, getting an entry college-level job is as difficult as it’s ever been in our lifetime.

Now that you’ve got your resume nice and pretty, send it out in bulk. In this job market, I highly advocate the shotgun strategy. Most tech companies these days have a decent career page with a bulk-apply option. Just make sure to attach a somewhat personal cover-letter to mask your job-sluttiness.

While at first glance you might only find one or two positions of interest, take a drink and lower those standards. You should be applying to dozens of positions. Remember kid, you’re young. At this stage in the hunt it’s all about getting a foot in the door. Once you get an interview, you can feel out the job’s potential. And once inside the machine, you’d be surprised how easy it is to move about.

In an interview, it never hurts to ask if there are other relevant positions opening that would better suit your skills as well. This maintains your interest in the company and demonstrates a commitment to effectively applying your skills. I’ve even heard of certain employers creating positions for those uberly skilled. The lesson here is that it’s not smart to get your heart set on Job Requisition X. Hedge your bets.

But it all starts with a shotgun application. And the first step is to take time to explore job positions slightly outside your comfort-zone. For ideas, check out Monster’s Career Mapping tool. Also keep an eye on that RSS feed to the right, which is updated automatically everyday with recent entry-level engineering positions across America.

As in life, putting yourself out there can be tough. Be prepared for rejection. And lot’s of it.