By Mary Quinlan, Director of Youth Program Development, WEforum; CEO, Career Prep Consultants
It’s such a lovely time of year. Holiday decorations are brightening our communities, and best of all, it’s a giving time of year. What better gift to give yourself than to reflect and plan for your first job or your next career move. Below are suggestions for both college students and current professionals alike.
For College Students
If you are a college student, you may be asking: Are entry-level positions more difficult to find now than in the past? Some say yes, but companies are reluctant to hire due to economic uncertainty. Others say AI is taking over entry-level jobs. Nonetheless, the Bureau of Labor Statistics says there will be millions of job opportunities each year.
The real issue is that employer expectations are rising, favoring candidates with experience and/or specific skills. Therefore, internships are more important than ever before. Having a second language, technical skills, and software and analytics skills can set you apart from other job candidates.
Here are some things you can do NOW to get your process rolling.
1. Think about the Industry/Direction you would like to go in. The websites below are places to do Career and Job searches:
Vault.com: Research careers and explore industry insights
WayUp.com: Internships and entry-level job opportunities
Idealist.org: Non-profit job and internship opportunities
2. Do you have a resumé? Is it up to date? If you don’t, your school’s Career Center can help you create one.
- Please make sure there are zero typos.
- Make sure it is compliant with the Application Tracking System (ATS). 98% of Fortune 500 companies use ATS, and 70% of large companies do as well. When looking at small- to mid-size companies, that number drops to 25-50%, yet it’s still significant. The message here? If your resumé is not ATS-compliant, the system will treat it as a blank page. Which means you have no chance of getting considered for the positions.
3. Here are a few simple guidelines to follow for your resumé to be ATS-compliant:
- Use a Single-Column Layout: ATS reads resumés linearly, so avoid multi-column designs.
- Stick to Standard Fonts: Use clean fonts like Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman in sizes 10–12.
- Avoid Graphics and Images: ATS cannot recognize visual elements, which can disrupt content flow.
Many websites on the internet let you check your resumé formatting for ATS compliance, including Resumé Now, My Perfect Resumé, and Zety.
4. Do you have a LinkedIn Profile? Is it up to date? Does your picture portray you as mature and professional? (No high school cap and gown photos please.) Does the headline under your photo mention a specific job or career path? It should, as automated systems (bots) scan profiles looking for keyword matches to job descriptions.
5. Clean up your social media. Employers absolutely check Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok when considering a candidate. The best option is probably to make your accounts private.
6. Now get out there. This holiday season, talk to every relative you see, every neighbor, each of your friends’ parents, and find out what they do. Tell them what your interests are, whether that’s securing a job or a summer internship. The best way to find a job is NOT by sending out resumés, it’s by getting job interviews. You need to go beyond the norm and find ways to meet people in the industry and at the companies you are interested in.
For Current Executives
From now through the end of the year, business slows a bit, and many people are out on vacation. Budgets have already been allocated, and many employees remain in their roles through December 31 to ensure they receive their year-end bonuses. However, January brings new budgets and lots of job openings as people start to move around. So now is the perfect time for you to prepare for your new job search.
Make sure your resumé is up to date and includes accomplishments, not just responsibilities. (See above for details about ATS compliance for your resumé.) Please check that your LinkedIn Profile is up to date. The keywords under your photo should reflect the next position you are pursuing, and ask colleagues to add to the “Recommendations” section of your profile.
Create a post and share insights in your field to remind your contacts that you are out there and accomplished. Add more contacts and reach out to current ones to network. You can set up a call or a networking meeting. Getting these out now will put you in a good position for your active search in January.
Now is also a good time to do an annual audit, set goals and milestones, and measure your performance against them.
Keep learning and enhancing your skill set. LinkedIn Learning has 25,000 courses (Google Analytics, Artificial Intelligence, Excel, etc.) The first month of learning is free; thereafter, it is $29.99 per month. The best part is that you can progress in the course at your own pace.
My wish is for you to enjoy this Holiday Season and to take some time for your own personal career growth and development.
Now go out there and crush it!!
If you’re curious, need clarity, or want help getting started, I’m here for you. Call me at (917) 750-8815 or email Marydquinlan@gmail.com.
MARY DONAHUE QUINLAN, CEO, Career Prep Consultants
Adjunct Professor in Career Management
Mary Donahue Quinlan is the CEO of Career Prep Consultants where she coaches people on how to find a job they love. Personal branding, Career Coaching, and all skills necessary for a job search are her areas of expertise. Mary launched Career Prep in November,2007.
In 2016 Mary joined LIM College in New York City as an Adjunct Professor where she teaches classes in Career Management including Job Search skills and strategies.
Prior to this Mary spent over thirty years in the media business as a Senior Sales and Marketing Executive at such publications as the Wall Street Journal, Condé Nast Publications and Cosmopolitan Magazine.
In 1999, Mary was the Co-Founder of the Holy Cross Leadership Council of New York. The Council has raised millions of dollars to fund and created hundreds of internships in the greater New York City area for Holy Cross students for over 25 years now. She currently serves on the Boards of: Weforum, Ocean Housing Alliance, and Wall Business & Finance Academy.
Mary lives in Spring Lake, NJ and derives her deepest joy from her husband Michael, their two children and their three grandchildren.
