5 Signs You’re Employable In The Post-College World

By Julia Dunn on August 30, 2016

One of the most common fears college students have is whether they’ll be qualified or prepared enough to land a secure job after college.

Considering the intense job market and more competitive opportunities out there, you really need to know your stuff and prove your versatility to an employer.

Here are five signs that you’re employable in the post-college world.

1. You have plenty of references.

When you think back on your college career, do you think of many names of people who would be able to write you strong letters of recommendation? Do you have several employers, internship supervisors, professors and peers who know of your skills, interests and qualities?

If generating a solid list of references is easy for you, you’re likely well-equipped for your eventual job search. Having many qualified references means you’ve been active in your studies, campus organizations and community overall, and the stronger references you have going into future job applications, the higher a chance you’ll land a great job!

2. You can state your goals in a single sentence.

Why should anyone hire someone who doesn’t know what their goals are in applying? You’re much more employable if you can not only explain who you are concisely and powerfully, but if you can communicate your career goals and interests to prospective employers. The better you are at explaining yourself professionally, the more confident you will appear and the more impressed hiring managers will be when talking to you.

Although it seems like the easiest interview question there is, many people freeze when asked who they are and why they really want the job they’re pursuing. Do your best not to be one of those people, and practice different ways of speaking about your career objectives.

As a student fresh out of college, employers will be quite impressed if you can master the most fundamental interview question they could ask you.

3. You know technology.

Even if you weren’t a STEM major, every field is impacted by technology and uses technology in some fashion. You know you’re employable in the post-college world if you are proficient in basic technology and software systems that might be used in the position you’re after.

Know how to use a Macintosh and PC computer, be able to use Microsoft Word (and Google Docs, Drive, Sheets, Forms, etc.) and be familiar with the role social media might play in the opportunity you are seeking.

Image via Pixabay.com

As a young person, you probably have a lot more experience engaging with technology simply because of the world in which you’ve grown up, and you can use this to your advantage when looking for a job. Companies and employers want to gain more traffic and visibility, and there’s almost no better way to do so than through social media.

You may be able to teach your own employer more about using social media and technology than they might know themselves, and this is another way you can be a problem-solver in a potential new position.

4. You can synthesize your experiences and explain what you got out of them.

There’s a large difference between listing your experiences versus explaining how each experience shaped your professional development. Your past jobs, volunteer experience and internships are next to useless if you can’t convey what they taught you to people who ask.

During job interviews, hiring managers will often read through your resume before or during their time with you and ask you specific questions relating to your experience, and you should be able to summarize the skills you gained from each position you held/hold, what it means for you as an individual and as someone entering a specific type of workforce, and most importantly, how it can be harnessed for your own success in the job for which you are applying.

If your skill sets solve the problem addressed in the job for which you are applying, let employers know. Ultimately, they are looking for problem-solvers who can reduce their stress — not increase it.

5. You aren’t a one-trick pony.

The most evident way to tell if you’re employable in the real world is to ask yourself what you really know about. If you’re excellent at graphic design but you can’t write clearly or work in groups with others, that could be problematic and reduce your pool of job opportunities.

The more eclectic your skills are, the higher a chance you’ll find a job option that ends up a great fit for you. It really pays to learn as many skills as possible in college, anywhere from leadership skills to editing skills, team management, In Design, Photoshop, FileMaker Pro, HTML, and so on.

A diverse skill set can truly only help you when you begin to search available jobs in your area, and you’ll find yourself more desirable once hiring managers receive your application materials.

If you’re still in college and have realized you’re not as employable as you’d like to be at this point in time, it’s not too late to strengthen your skills! Networking, involving yourself in campus activities and seeking out resources for professional development at your university can transform you into a candidate who will be tough to beat when the time comes for your job search.

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