Graduation and entering a tight job market can feel very difficult. You have invested years of education and training, built strong skills, and followed the advice provided by your mentors and peers to make yourself competitive. Then why do you come here?
If you find yourself in this situation, it will be normal to feel frustrated, downright morale or unsure what to do next. Here are some steps you can take to help start job search by evaluating effective methods and identifying ways that may need to be adjusted so that you can move forward and stay motivated.
Step 1: Evaluate your job search strategy
Before making any major changes, first check your current method.
Are you submitting a large number of job applications but haven’t heard of it? This may indicate that your application material needs improvement. Ask yourself: Is my resume or resume a cover letter that is polished and tailored for each character? Did I obviously emphasize how my skills align with the job description? If you are unsure, please contact a professional in your field, tutor or career coach to view these materials and provide feedback.
Are you in an interview but not going to the next round or receiving a final offer? This may indicate that your interview method needs improvement. Using structured interview methods, such as the Star method (situation, task, action, results), can help you learn how to better organize your answers and highlight your experience in a more focused way. Practicing with a tutor or even peers can help you determine the gap in preparing yourself or making mistakes. Many universities offer free career services to students and alumni, including mock interviews.
In a highly competitive market, job hunting requires taking the initiative to submit applications. I often see job seekers who are already strong when tweaking apps, which are already strong when spending more on the web. Contact professionals, schedule information interviews and connect to help you discover hidden opportunities and potentially get internal recommendations. These conversations can also help you better understand your target role and the broader work landscape.
Step 2: Strategically expand your search
If networking and perfecting your material isn’t enough, it may be time to expand the type of work you’re considering. This does not mean giving up your long-term career aspirations; rather, it means exploring bridges or adjacent characters that can help you stay on track as you continue your professional development. While bridge roles may not be your first choice, they can support future career development by helping you gain relevant work experience, building new skills and expanding your professional network.
One way to identify bridge roles is to explore LinkedIn profiles for alumni and professionals in your field. Checking their post-graduate positions and where they are now can help you expand your list of possible bridge roles. This is further developed during the information interview by asking professionals about their understanding of the role of the bridge. For example, people targeting medical liaison roles might ask for MSL in information interviews, “I have been applying for an MSL role without any success; which other roles can help me work towards this path?” They might understand opportunities for medical communication, clinical research, or technical sales, positions that develop many of the same skills, often completed by professionals before the MSL position.
Bridge work can also provide financial stability while allowing you to build your own skills. For example, I work with many students who aim to be a direct career in scientists. However, if you are looking for a job booth, an academic postdoctoral fellow can be a strategic choice, especially when it is aligned with building specific skills and providing much-needed income. One of my graduates suggested through information interviews that he needed additional expertise in advanced sequencing technology to make it competitive for the R&D role he was targeting. He chose a two-year academic postdoctoral fellow and developed a clear plan to build these precise skills to position himself as a stronger transition to the industry while providing financial stability to his family. Postdoctoral fellows can provide time to deepen your technical expertise, build a more competitive research portfolio, and prepare for roles in biotechnology, R&D or other fields.
If you are in the postdoctoral role as a bridge, please be transparent with the postdoctoral supervisor about your intentions. Take graduates who pursue industry R&D roles as an example. He clearly communicated the specific skills he needed to acquire (RNA sequencing) and the timeframe he promised (two years). This clarity helps build common expectations and ensures that postdoctoral experience is mutually beneficial to you and the lab.
Another important strategy for expanding job search is to carefully reflect on your needs and preferences. The demand is non-businessman, such as visa requirements, care responsibilities or the status of the two-income family. A person’s preferences may include living in a specific city, having a certain position or starting with a specific salary. While all of this is important, being flexible in favor can help you discover new possibilities. Ask yourself: Have I ruled out geographical areas that might be worth reconsidering? Can I temporarily transfer my salary expectations to get started? Expanding standards does not mean that you harm your goals; it is a strategic step to reach them.
Step 3: Know when to rotate
If you’ve been searching consistently and not getting attention, it may be time to make a bigger strategic shift. Sometimes we are so focused on our initial thoughts about our career that we ignore other options that might be the same or more fulfilling. Ask yourself: Is there a path that better matches my strengths, or lets me grow in a way my original plan didn’t? Am I missing opportunities that can better align with my values, interests or lifestyle goals?
In the book Design Life: How to Build a Good, Happy Life (Knopf, 2016), authors Bill Burnett and Dave Evans, believe being stuck can be a powerful launch pad for creativity and personal growth. They encourage readers to use career planning as a design question and benefit from curiosity, experimentation, and iteration. Recommended exercises that stimulate curiosity are to brainstorm yourself. Once there is a list of possible futures, you can explore the most promising options by conducting research and conversations with professionals in these roles.
If you need help identifying new directions, a personal development plan can be a useful tool. Platforms like MyIDP or ImaginePHD provide exercises and assessments to help you determine your skills, interests and values and identify career paths that align with your grades. These platforms also include resources to guide you in research and set goals to reach new paths.
Importantly, spinning does not mean giving up. This means recognizing that there are many viable avenues that you may be able to have a better destination than you originally planned.
Manage job search emotions
Job search can bring real emotional losses, especially when you feel like you do everything right without seeing the result. Many students are stressed to ensure work after graduation, and when this is not a good time, the feeling of inadequacy can spread. These feelings can make it even more difficult to seek help, seek support, and even recognize the process. When the process feels overwhelming, shift the focus to what you can control. Set small, achievable goals each week to keep your motivation slow to search. For example, set a goal that applies to the defined number of assignments, complete a short online course to build new skills or participate in virtual or local networking activities in your field.
One trend I noticed is that some students have reached the point where they are trying to pay to “solve” the problem. If you are considering investing in a paid professional coach, do your homework first. This should be a thoughtful decision, not a frustration-driven emotional response. Some paid coaches and services are very helpful, but others are overheating and prey on frustrated job seekers. Ask for results, get recommendations and make sure their services are aligned with your goals.
Take the next step
After reading this article, you may consider several new ideas or directions you are considering. To avoid feeling overwhelmed, write down a micro hair that you can do in the next few days, but still makes sense. For example, you might have a meeting with a tutor, modify a part of your resume, or study a new role. Choose something that works and stay consistent with where you want to go. Small steps like this can really start your progress.
Even if it is not based on your original schedule, remember that job search is a dynamic process. By focusing on your long-term goals, but staying flexible, you will be willing to accept the roles and experiences that can help you get there. Most importantly, work hard to solve problems, move forward and continue to push yourself out.
