How hard is it really to find a job after college?

It does not have to be hard. The most important thing that you can do to make it easier is to start now in developing networking contacts and forming a network of people involved in your area of interest. 80% of people who advance in their career areas do so by developing and using such networks to locate positions and keep up to date in the advancement of their career areas. Through my many years in Human Resources and college recruiting, I have developed the following steps, which have been very helpful to many. Keep in mind that the most effective ways of developing and maintaining networking relationships are through use of interpersonal means such as in person and phone conversations which allow for the real time exchange of information through dialogue rather than dependence upon such electronic means such as the internet and messaging, which only provide one way communication.

Hi Corey, valid concern! In addition to the other advice, I would recommend getting experience you can put on your resume for the career field you want to go into via internships and volunteer work. Obviously, paid internships are ideal, but if you can't score a paid one, experience is experience! Employers like if you are already familiar with the type of work they are hiring for and they only have to build on what you already know. It shows you not only have the ability, but the turn around time after training at their company will be shorter. You'll often get hired at a higher rate if you're coming in with experience.

As far as networking, which is invaluable by the way, make sure you have a Linkedin profile and network that way as well. Be engaged with company brands that you are interested in, they sometimes track this. You can follow them and comment on their postings, just don't spam them! That will insure there's a good chance they are already aware of you and know that you are familiar with their company and are a fan. Find out what their mission, vision and values are. You can also update your Linkedin profile status to let them know you are open to new opportunities. Some of my co-workers were recruited, make sure you have a positive online presence.

Be involved in groups where you can network and be aware of opportunities, many jobs are not posted, they are based on word of mouth and referrals. Also, do your research and make sure the degree you are going for has a good job outlook and is not saturated such that the competition is so high. You can also find ways to make yourself have a unique skill set within the field. I don't know what you are majoring in, but for example purposes, say you are going into healthcare, you could minor in a specific area, like health information systems or psychology. Something to help set you apart from all the other grads with a healthcare degree. Sometimes employers look employees who bring a little different perspective to the table. You can interview people within the career field you are interested in to find out what would be a good minor or emphasis and what skills are the most valued (google most valued skills, for example I know public speaking is a big part of many roles.) My hiring manager said that one of the reasons she hired me was because, not only did I have the experience, but I had education in human resources and there wasn't anyone else on the team with the skill set plus that educational background and she liked that I brought a different perspective.