After balloons fall and caps fly at this year’s graduation ceremony, many graduates will find it difficult to celebrate. Yes, the tests and essays have finally come to an end, but not all students have a job lined up post-graduation.

For those stressing about finding a job, here are a few tips to assist in career endeavors.

The Internet: A Web of Opportunities

LinkedIn, the gold mine of job opportunities, can be your best friend or your worst enemy when searching for a job. Make sure your profile is up to date and complete with a professional profile picture and detailed resume exemplifying all the hard work you’ve put in during college.

Connect your profile with people that you know well- or even people you don’t know so well. They may have connections that can land you a job. 

LinkedIn can also show you position openings based on where you want to live, who you want to work for, or how much experience you have. 

Websites like collegegrad.com, collegerecruiter.com, and simplyhired.com are all useful sites that post job openings for entry-level positions as well.

Don’t Think Too Big… or Too Small

Getting your dream job at Disney or Apple right out of college is not always a possibility. Don’t be afraid to take those necessary baby steps to get where you want to be.

Many companies offer paid non-credit internships for recent college graduates. The experience and networking within these internships could be your ticket to that dream job.

On the other hand, don’t underestimate yourself either. A lot of entry-level jobs require two or more years of experience that you may not have.

Apply anyway. The competition may or may not have much experience either. 

Applying never hurts. Even if you don’t get the job right away, applying again is always an option.

Contact Fellow Cougs

Washington State alumni are almost always willing to help one another out. Reach out to your fellow Cougs for questions and job opportunities. Even if you have never met them before, the WSU connection may be all you need to land a job.

Ask For Help on Campus

The Center for Advising and Career Development offers assistance in just about anything you need when job searching. The center’s drop-in hours are from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday in Lighty 180. The center administers various workshops and free assistance in resume building, interview resources, and job and internship planning strategies.

If you don’t have time to drop in, visit its website at cacd.wsu.edu. The website also provides links to helpful job search websites like CougLink, GoinGlobal, and an interactive job-search blog written by WSU’s Campus Career Coach Matt Berndt.

Job searching can be a tedious and slow-going process, but your most useful tactic will be to keep going. Don’t give up after a few letdowns.

People who land jobs are the people who keep trying until they succeed.