If you are going to announce yourself to the world, make it count. If you skip a stone, you may get some distance, but you won’t make many ripples.
On the other hand, if you throw a brink in the pond, you’ll make both a splash and ripples.
Sure, you can argue the difference between finesse and force, but when you’re starting out, it might make sense to go all in.
Here are a few ideas that might help you get where you want to go.
1) If you aren’t on LinkedIn, you go on and get a free membership and completely fill out the profile.
2) Write an interesting one-page bio for yourself and put it on the job-hunting sites you visit. It doesn’t have to be over the top, but enough to give someone a sense of who you are, what you’re about, and what you can do.
3) Brainstorm up a brand and brand name for yourself. Don’t be too cute. Think long-term. What could sum up how you see yourself professionally over the next 10-20 years? Start with “your-name-and-best-noun-or-verb” (i.e., SaraJonesStarMapper or AlecMayesBakes) and go from there. Write up a one paragraph brand statement.
4) Get a website for your brand. It will cost you less than $20 to register a URL. Hosting can be another $15-150, depending. I can help you with that, if you need it. There are a number of reasons you want your own URL. One, it shows commitment to yourself. Another is that you will have your own dedicated email address (i.e., you@yourwebsite.com), that you can keep for the rest of your working life.
5) Use WordPress to build your site. It’s quick and easy and can range from plain vanilla to extraordinarily complex. It’s also the most widely distributed website platform on the planet. Any skills you develop while working with it will surely pay off somewhere down the line. (Again, if this is something you are interested in, I’ll be more than glad to give you a hand.)
6) Following is a link to another perspective. While you will have to work through it to make it relevant to your situation, the basic premise holds true for just about anyone searching for a job. Job Hunting
7) Lastly, get your resume where it can be found, seen, and shared. If you have access to any type of alumni network, take advantage of it! Alumni networks are among the most valuable and underutilized resources you may have. Find out what type of alumni connection opportunities your school’s career center offers.
Good luck and best wishes for a bestever year!
YMMV
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