Graduations are finishing up across the country and thousands of high school students are entering the workforce, some even for the first time. Many will just be taking summer jobs before college while others will be starting their careers. Unfortunately, most schools don’t properly train students who plan to enter the workforce after high school, which can leave newly graduated students feeling a little lost. That’s why we’ve put together some tips to help you break into the workforce and get on the right track towards your career goals.

1. Have an Idea of What You Want: Of course still being a teenager it’s nearly impossible to know exactly what type of job you may want to do for the next several years to come, but having an understanding or an idea of what you may be interested in is a great start. You should at least have an understanding of what the requirements may be for that type of position and what you may need to do to get there.
2. Begin Networking: Once you’ve determined what you may want to do/what type of industry you’re interested in, try networking. Networking is  almost always essential in any industry and with technology it is more simple than ever. You can reach out to contacts through LinkedIn, via email, or through mutual connections. It’s also a great idea to reach out to your teachers to see who they might know in the workforce as well as seeking letters of recommendation from them.
3. Identify Your Unique Factors: Once you’ve begun your networking and identified your career path you’ll want to start thinking of what makes you stand out from the crowd that you can mention on interviews. For example, your hard work ethic or a past experience that you can relate to the requirements of this position. You’ll want to include these on your resume as well. It’s also a great idea to have a previous teacher or someone you connect with through networking to have them take a look at your resume or assist you with preparing for interviewing processes. Taking these few extra steps can really give you an advantage when seeking an opportunity.
4. Work On Your Resume: It’s also a great idea to have a previous teacher or someone you connect with through networking to have them take a look at your resume to make sure that it is “real world” ready. For example if you are seeking a position in the customer service or sales industry and you’ve have experience or an internship as say a cashier, you can easily relate that to customer service, whereas some other experiences may not be relatable. Additionally, having these mentors assist you with preparing for interviewing processes can be extremely beneficial in not only preparing you for what’s to come, but also in minimizing any anxiety. Taking these few extra steps can really give you an advantage when seeking an opportunity.
5. Maintain a Clean Online Presence: Social media can be a useful tool in networking, but it can also hurt you and potential opportunities if you aren’t careful. Before entering the workforce you’ll definitely want to clean up your profiles for potential employers to search, because they do. At a bare minimum change your profiles to private to hide anything you may not want an employer to see.

While entering the workforce can be scary at first, moving up towards your career goals can be much easier once you’re in. Over time you’ll feel more secure in the interviewing processed and eventually you’ll be the one new-grads reach out to when networking in the industry. If you’re seeking an entry level position in industrial, construction and medical industries visit our website to see what opportunities may be near you: condustrial.com/job-listings

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