Graduation is Over: How to Land Your First ‘Career’ Job

Do one thing: Avoid using AI to build a resume. If needed, use other online examples from job sites to get started, then use your own original content.

Finding the Right Job Can Take Time

With the average job search in the United States taking a little more than 6 and a half months, according to a recent survey, it pays to be prepared. A 2026 poll from United Way found that adults were spending an average of 6.6 months looking for employment, with job seekers saying they applied for an average of 62.6 roles during their search. 

With so much time and potential lost wages on the line, it’s wise to do your homework. For those just starting the hunt for their first ‘real’ job – or even for those who haven’t looked in ages but find themselves searching for a new role right now – here’s a step-by-step guide detailing the strategies to put in place as you look to land a great gig.  

Polish Your LinkedIn Profile

While you should make sure all of your social media accounts are ready for a close-up by potential new employers, your LinkedIn page will likely get the most attention. More than 90% of hiring managers and recruiters in one survey reported that looking at a candidate’s LinkedIn profile was at least ‘useful.’ What should you focus on first? Make sure your profile is as complete as possible and update your photo to a professional headshot.        

How to Research a Job You’d Like to Apply For

When Samantha Mockford, CFP, AFC, an associate wealth advisor with Citrine Capital in San Francisco, decided to transition her career, she talked with 28 different people first. Here’s how she conducted informational interviews that helped.

• Find people who have the job you want in 10 (or 20) years through a website or LinkedIn.
• Email them and point out what caught your attention. Ask a few questions specific to what they do.
• If they are local, treat them to a cup of coffee and stick to the time you allotted, maybe 15 to 30 minutes.
• Ask questions about their next steps, decisions they made, and what makes someone a good or poor fit for their career. 
• Ask if they or anyone they know is hiring for a job like what you have discussed.
• Send a handwritten thank you note.

Writing a Resume to Beat the Bots

These days, your resume will more than likely be scanned by something called an ATS, short for applicant tracking system, before human eyes ever see it. That’s why you need to make sure that it’s ATS-friendly before hitting send. There are plenty of reputable online sites that can help with this. Here are some of the main design ideas to keep in mind when building a resume the bots can read.

• Don’t use photos, graphs, or boxes
• Use a single column format
• Avoid periods, accents, or dashes in your name
• Don’t get fancy with fonts; simple is best

How to Get Your Resume to the Top of the HR managers’ Stack

Mockford’s guidance for making a resume stand out includes showing hiring managers with numbers and stats, not just telling them. Consider these tips when creating your resume: 

• Include whitespace
• Back up claims with results:
  • Example 1. Anyone can be a club officer.
    • But during your tenure, membership grew by __%.
    • You organized how many events of what size each year?
  • Example 2. Many people can fundraise.
    • How many dollars did you bring in each year?
  • Example 3. Don’t just say you were a shift manager at Chick-fil-A
    • Instead, say you were promoted X number of times in your first two years and managed a staff of XX.

Your Resume Should Match the Job Description

Although customizing your resume for every job application can be time-consuming, it’s a vitally important step in the job search. You should update your resume to reflect the specific position you are seeking, using relevant words and phrases from the job description when appropriate. You can also:

• Visit the company’s website and note specific ways this job appeals to you.
• Write a new cover letter and include points not mentioned in your resume.

You landed an interview. Now what?

It’s important to remember that a job interview should be a two-way conversation. You should also be evaluating them to make sure this job is a good fit for you, notes Mockford. During the interview, you should be ready with brief stories to back up any claims you included in your resume and cover letter. Here are some examples of real questions Mockford asked during previous interviews:

• Have you had someone in this position before?
• What worked well or poorly with that placement?
• What would the onboarding and training look like?
• What’s the growth trajectory like in this role?
• How do you administer raises and bonuses?
• How do you get everyone rowing in the same direction, especially with part/all of the team remote?
• How often do you meet? What are those meetings like?
• How did you decide it was time to hire someone?

With reporting by Casandra Andrews