How to Land Your First Job - From Graduates Who Just Did!

While fresh graduates find their first job search an uphill task, here's the lowdown from college students who've raced others in the hunt. Strategies that helped them stand out from the crowd, they say, paving the way for their first job interviews. Ashley Simakas, a senior at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., majoring in mechanical engineering, landed her first job with Westinghouse in Pittsburgh after two internships with the company.

Simakas, who was one of more than 230 students interning with the company, said she believes she got the job offer with Westinghouse because she networked while she was there.

But using contacts from internships are not the only way graduating seniors are finding success in the job search.

For Kyle Allison, a senior at William and Mary College in Williamsburg, Va, who has based his job search solely on networking, connecting to people shows employers something different than applicants who submit their resumes online.

His approach seems to be working-he has two phone interviews set up in the physical therapy industry.

Meanwhile, Alison Doyle, a job search expert with many years of experience in human resources, said she encourages graduates in the job search to use social networking sites to connect with friends who work in your field of interest.

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Source-ANI