College Grads: How to Make Yourself More Marketable

With the summer upon us, many recent college graduates are looking to enter the work force. But for many, the realization that a simple degree is not enough to guarantee employment hits home pretty quickly. Here are a few tips to recent college grads or soon-to-be graduates for making yourself more marketable to employers.

Learn Effective Time Management
Unless you're looking for a job with a boss who stands over your shoulder all day, learning effective time management is imperative. Sadly, many college experiences don't lend themselves to learning this skill. Most college students will find themselves pulling "all-nighters" during exam week to catch up on all the reading they didn't do during the semester. Or, as was my experience, students wait until the night before a big paper is due, and throw something together in the wee hours of the morning when they finally get desperate to make that deadline.

Learning effective time management means creating a time line for yourself in advance with specific deadlines for each task. It may seem silly to many, but setting deadlines for each part of your term paper (research, outline, draft, final paper) prepares you for creating deadlines for real-life projects in the workplace.

Learn how to Effectively Prioritize
I had a former coworker who always seemed stressed out. I finally discovered the reason one day, when our manager asked him for an assignment that was very time-sensitive. My coworker informed my boss it wasn't completed because he'd been working on something else. The problem -- that "something else" wasn't due for two months. Needless to say, he wasn't with us for much longer.

Effectively prioritizing tasks will have endless benefits in the workplace. Showing a potential employer you are able to switch gears to a project of higher importance is essential.

Dress Professionally
Your future employer likely doesn't care what Cosmopolitan magazine or Victoria's Secret say about professional attire. Showing up to an interview -- or worse, your first day of work -- in less than appropriate dress is a big no-no.

For ladies, stick to knee-length or longer skirts, flattering pants (i.e. not skin-tight) and professional-looking blouses. Avoid baring much cleavage or leg, and definitely leave the low-rise pants in your closet.

For men, slacks and button-up shirts are best. Make sure you own an iron! Even the nicest suit appears unprofessional if you show up wrinkled.

For everyone, don't forget personal hygiene and grooming. Avoid excessive or gaudy jewelry, nail polish, makeup or hairstyles (unless, of course, your job is at MTV).

Prepare for Your Interview
Think interviews are a cakewalk? Not so fast. Prepare for your interview by practicing with a friend or family member. You may think you know all the questions a potential employer may throw at you, but one you didn't think of may throw you off and ruin what could have been a perfectly good interview.

Think of questions that seek out self-criticism. Many employers may ask you to list your strengths and weaknesses. Listing procrastination or tardiness as weaknesses won't look good. Think of weaknesses that may also be viewed as strengths, such as perfectionism or hyper-attentiveness to detail. Be prepared to give examples of situations in which you learned a lesson.

Lastly, look at an interview as a two-way dialogue. The employer is evaluating you as a potential employee, but you also have to evaluate if this employer and job are a good fit for you. Think about your ideal work environment -- would working in a cube all day drive you nuts? Could you handle a boss who micromanages? Would you prefer working on teams more often or working individually?

Even if you need a job badly, it's better to be honest up-front about the type of working environment that would suit you best. Nothing is worse for an employer than hiring someone and putting them through training, only to watch them quit because they don't like the job after all.

Have Some Experience
It can't be said enough -- employers value on-the-job experience, even if it's unpaid. Have a portfolio of work ready to show your potential employer. Think of relevant examples to demonstrate that you know how to manage your time and priorities effectively.

Additionally, think of ways to make your portfolio stand out. Going in for a technology job? Have your portfolio digitized and put on a Web site, or at least made into a DVD with a classy label that you can leave behind.