9 Recruiters Give Tips to new College grads

May and June are traditionally the months for graduation from learning institutions especially here in the western world. If a recent study is correct - new college grads may have an uphill battle when looking for a job. To help new graduates in their journey into the "real world" I reached out to some of the nations best recruiters to get their advice.

I asked them specifically: 

"What is one tip you can offer for new graduates looking to find a job?"

They shared a wealth of knowledge which I'll pass on to you below:

Tom Turigliatto 

Executive Vice President

- Azimuth, LLC (Chicago)

 “…Stay open to all Staffing Companies and explore Temp-to-Hire, as well as, Direct Hire positions. Nearly all Staffing Firms have a website where they can view all current job openings, can apply on-line for the jobs that they are qualified for, and can up-load their resume. It is always better to have a job, even if a Temporary job, when looking for the perfect fit that matches their degree. Employers are impressed with recent grads that take a position to build experience, earn money, while seeking their desired career.” 

Mr. Turigliatto's linkedin profile.

Stacy Donovan Zapar
Most Connected Woman on LinkedIn ♦ CEO, Tenfold Social ♦ 

In-House Social Media Training for Recruiters & Hiring Teams
(San Diego) 

"The #1 tip for new grads who are job seeking is to network your way to a job via LinkedIn. Create a LinkedIn profile, connect to everyone you know and network with your connections to find a job. After you apply for a position online, always follow up with the recruiter on LinkedIn so that you can stand out from the pack and be noticed. Remember... it's not always WHAT you know, but WHO you know. LinkedIn lets you to take your networking to the next level!"

 Ms. Zapar's linkedin profile

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Mike Hamilton

IT Executive Search Consultant at Lucas Group

(FL)

"Spend time on your resume! You will lose a lot more opportunities than you will gain by not having correct information on your resume(contact, email, address...etc).[By]not listing or updating changes in employment, or gaps in employment.[Having] grammatical errors on a resume your submitting.Invest in preparation and presentation of your resume by a career services agency if you don't have resume writer or want to use one.DO NOT lie on a resume about anything (example year a degree earned, etc)"

Mike Hamilton's linkedin profile

Ken Stevenson

Sr. Lead Technical Recruiter/Account Manager / NextGen Information Services

(St. Louis) 

"Be professional. The vast majority of people I have interviewed of late from recent graduating classes have been highly unprofessional. Some examples, accepting cell phone calls during the interview. Responding to texts during the interview. Holding off the start of the interview to post a status on Facebook so that their friends know they are in an interview. Also, unreasonable expectations. Wanting to know how soon they will be promoted to a management position"

Mr. Stevenson's linkedin profile

Jill Glist 

President

– Lambent Services (New York City, NY)

“Consider smaller work environments. Many freshly-minted college grads are drawn to big name organizations and relatively sexy industries like film, publishing and fashion. However, highly desired places give new hires limited responsibilities that are associated with boring repetitive tasks. Membership in a smaller team is often associated with having multiple roles, which helps you identify what you love doing, and what you are good at. This helps you make informed decisions as you move along your ultimate career path.”

Ms. Glist's linkedin profile 

Ned Tyson

Client Advocate, Talent Sourcer, Resourcing Specialist, Human Capital Planner 

at Diversified Systems, Inc. (OH)

"Do not believe you are entitled."

Mr. Tyson's linkedin profile

Tyrell Ross

Client Services Recruiter

(Salt Lake City)

"Don't be picky. With the job market in the current state that it is in, just being able to find a position in which you can use your degree, is a blessing in disguise! Remember; be grateful and humble, yet be confident"

Mr. Ross's linkedin profile 

Chris Shaw

Technical Recruiter at Gap Inc.

(San Francisco)

"My advice to new graduates is to first have an idea of what you want to do and where you want to be. When new grads are out looking for work, but have no clue on what it is exactly they want to do, they will spend their whole time searching for something that they won't even know they've found once it is right in front of their faces."

Mr. Shaw's linkedin profile

Dawn E. Dzurilla

Founder & Managing Partner 

Gaia Human Capital Partners (New York City , NY)

"Thoroughly do your homework and due-diligence prior to any job interview. Prove to your potential employer that you too are thoughtfully evaluating their company and position while carefully assessing whether this company and career opportunity is ideally suited for your career. Furthermore, ask many types of questions about the position, its responsibilities and about the process of candidate selection. For example, who else is involved in making the decision to hire this person and when do you need this person to start?" 

Ms. Dzurilla's linkedin profile