5 Strategies to Help Your College Grad Get a Job

A shiny new college diploma doesn't always result in a shiny new job. We'd all love to see our graduates land positions in the career they studied so diligently for. But often, new grads can't find a job after college.

Don't panic! Just because your grad hasn't landed a job doesn't mean he'll be unemployed forever. I'll share five strategies to help your new grad bring home a career-worthy paycheck.

#1 - Collaborate on finding a job after college

My son graduated from a small New England college this past May. He's always excelled in academics, athletics, and personal endeavors. As a tween, he yearned to have a job and make his own money. His outgoing personality and ambition, both in the classroom and on the field, have always helped him achieve.

According to the University of Washington, it can take college graduates an average of three to six months to land their first position after graduation.

My son managed college, team-life, and a part-time job successfully over the past four years. He never imagined he'd walk off-campus with his Bachelors in Science and no job to support his four-year investment in his field. Ultimately, he felt really down about himself.

He's not alone. According to the University of Washington, it can take college graduates an average of three to six months to land their first position after graduation.

The first thing his father and I did was to take him aside and let him know how much we believed in him. Our goal was to support him unconditionally. We also let him know we were going to guide the next part of his post-grad journey with love, care, and high expectations.

Shortly after graduation, we set aside time to help our son get grounded with his post-college life. We literally made a list of all the potential career opportunities he could begin to check out. This was a super helpful exercise. Between the three of us, we thought of avenues he hadn't even considered.

Professional friends offered us an excellent book recommendation—Getting from College to Career...

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