How quickly do most people get jobs out of college?

Hi Isaac, great question! The short answer to this is everyone has a different time table. Some get jobs prior to leaving college, some well after. The best advice I could give is be as proactive as you can. That means joining clubs, getting involved in career development. The easiest way to get a job out of college is having the experience while in college to prepare you for the real world. This means internships, working at a local restaurant, volunteering etc.

Although internships are the easiest and best way, they are not the only option. Your career development center should have a listing of internship/job opportunities.

The answer to that question depends entirely on each person individually! There is an entire spectrum of people in college, from those who have already been working before they start to those who do not find a job in months or years after graduation. Most people have jobs lined up for after they graduate, but I would guess that most of those jobs generally start several weeks or even months after graduation. If your goal is to be earning a paycheck immediately upon graduation and you are a Junior, I would seek an internship or other temporary job for this summer and/or winter. That way you can establish a relationship with a company, doing well can net you an offer to work full time after you graduate! The timing of your start may or may not be negotiable, so make sure you discuss this with a Human Resources (HR) representative at some point. That said, I would avoid framing this discussion in terms of you needing cash in your pocket as soon as possible. You would not want to give the wrong impression that your main focus of this job is a paycheck. I followed the steps below and they helped me earn an internship that led to a full time job after graduation, but my start date was about two months after graduation. I used this time for professional development, but you may want to look for another temporary job if your financial situation requires it.

Isaac, good question. I am not sure how long you have until graduation, but if you have not started looking for a job start now. It is never too early to prepare for life after graduation and landing a job that will start right after your graduate is a great position to be in. I started looking and applying for jobs starting the second semester of my Junior year of college. This may be a bit early for many, but I have found that it's never to early and it can only help if you give yourself more time (that, and I was graduating a semester early). I would say start looking the beginning of your senior year so that you have the full year to find something for when you graduate. I was recruited for a job in November of my Senior year so when I walked in May, I was well prepared and actually started my job three days after walking across the graduation stage.

How quickly you are able to find a job really depends on a multitude of factors: your major, your work experience, your grades etc. Some people find a job quickly, while others will be looking for a while. If you don't want to have lots of time being unemployed start looking now and send some applications out. Its not easy nor fun to write cover letter or send out resumes, but the work now will all be worth it if you are able to land the job of your choice.

I hope this helps and I wish you the best of luck in your job hunt!!

Best,

Austin

Be prepared for about 6 months searching for a job and interviewing. So in that case you can find a entry level position until you get the job you want. Also make sure you buy yourself on a budget and save at all times.