[Ed note: This is the last in a series of posts from our users as part of Grad Guides seek week. Henric Haldeborg is a JD and MPA student at Cleveland State University in Cleveland, Ohio. By years end, he’ll leave the comforts of academic abstraction for the harsh realities of gainful employment to somewhere warm, if he has anything to say about it]

So, I’ve been asked to write a few lines about how I use LinkedIn to search for jobs and internships. I’ll start with an example straight out of reality:

Back in the beginning of the year, I took an interim class in mediation, where the professor mentioned that he had a LinkedIn group devoted to mediation and arbitration that he would be happy to let any interested students join. Of course, I bit immediately. We got to talking in class and before I knew it I had landed a clerkship (legalese for internship) with the idea that it will turn into a full time, permanent position once I’m done with school in December.

Of course, I’m not saying that by you joining groups on LinkedIn employers will magically come out of the woodwork to offer you fancy positions at their firms. What I am saying is that in your quest for that elusive foot in the door you want to be where the right people are. Pick your groups and join in on the fun (or start some of your own). Show interest, initiative, and a willingness to learn. Before you know it, the right people (or people who know the right people) will notice.

[Ed. note: This belongs to our series of posts featuring tips for recent grads from LinkedIn users. Steffany Bane works as a Copywriter at a Digital Advertising Agency. She is also Co-Author of the off-to-college book I’ll Miss you too]

Parents have been playing the catch-up game when it comes to technology. But these days, more parents are connected then ever before. The benefit of this is how busy a college Freshman’s academic schedule (ahem) social calendar is, and in a world of multi-tasking, they can always find time for an electronic message but may not be able to squeeze in a phone call. The benefit to this is #1 Students can edit their entry (ie. delete the curse words) #2 They don’t have to hear Mom’s lecturing voice. #3 If inspiration strikes at 2:00am, they won’t be waking anyone up.

This leads to the interesting factor of just how comfortable a teen can become in sharing details to the point where you’re left feeling sorry you ever asked about how the cafeteria food was or their roommate was doing.

A normal phone call might consist of answers like: “Good. Fine. OK. Bye.” An email, text or a tweet may give explicit details about how the cafeteria oatmeal tastes like the smell of Uncle Joe’s breath after a cigar or how their roommate’s battle with excess gas during the night is subconsciously affecting their dreams.

But do not fear. This is a good thing. If anything, it makes you realize you are not in control anymore. And this is the part where you let go. Trust that you’ve raised and instilled core values students will carry with them throughout college. After all, it’s part of growing up process, which both parents and students continue to experience the rest of their lives.

[Ed. note: This belongs to our series of posts featuring tips for recent grads from LinkedIn users. Robb Pardee is a leadership and career coach focused on developing next generation leaders.  His company Strategic Leadership Coach offers coaching and training services to organizations and individuals to maximize their potential.]

Graduation is an exciting time overflowing with dreams and aspirations.  Here are a few suggestions to make this transition as smooth as possible for both the graduates and the parents:

1. Manage expectations – Schedule a purposeful conversation to discuss everyone’s expectations regarding the career search. Take advantage of this time to get everything out on the table in terms of needs and desires.

2. Acknowledge emotions – The graduate may be experiencing fears of failure or sadness about leaving college friends behind. Parents may be uneasy about moving closer to an empty nest.  It is okay to grieve your losses even as you celebrate the opportunities.

3.  Develop healthy boundaries – The graduate is moving to a new level of responsibility in their lives and it is essential for a shift to take place in the parent / child relationship.  Behaving as a responsible independent adult starts at home but bears fruit in the workplace.

4.  Learn the skill of job searching – Parents can offer support and input, but need to avoid undermining or enabling the job search. Respect the boundaries and allow the graduate to take responsibility for the search and doing the real work.

5. Utilize resources – Reduce your anxiety by engaging support from college career centers, alumni associations, and web resources. If you still need additional support seek out a qualified career coach or counselor.

Enjoy this time in your life and remember that as big as this feels your decisions are not set in stone.

Check out the rest of of our posts featuring tips for graduating students here

[Ed. note: This belongs to our series of posts featuring tips for recent grads from LinkedIn users. Mitchell Friedman is Director of MBA Career Services at the University of San Francisco. You can find him on LinkedIn or you can also follow him on Twitter.]

You’re graduating, and can’t decide what type of work you want.  Don’t fret! Here are some tips to help you get into action:

* Act as if you know what you want. Find a way to connect to an opportunity, whether it’s the function, company, industry, or location. Your desire will inspire you to make contacts, develop materials, and apply for jobs.

* Consider every job an opportunity to learn, if not about specific responsibilities then about the organization or industry. Your ongoing challenge is to clarify what you like and dislike, a process that may take some time. Moreover, you never know when or where an experience may come in handy.

* Recognize that any job is not your life, won’t last forever, and you don’t have to choose the “perfect” job your first time (or even second or third times, for that matter). A year in a job may seem like an eternity, but (in most circumstances) won’t kill you. At the same time, you can participate in professional organizations and pursue other non-work interests with the possibility that such efforts will yield future work options.

* Develop a plan A, plan B, and even a plan C for your job search, based on your interests. In other words, always have a backup plan should your first (or second) choice not work out. Who knows, your plan B job may evolve into a plan A job — or may even become what you truly want to do!

Check out the rest of of our posts featuring tips for graduating students here

Check out the rest of of our posts featuring tips for graduating students here

[Ed. note: Kristen Fischer is the author of Ramen Noodles, Rent and Resumes: An After-College Guide to Life. She works as a copywriter from her home office in New Jersey and writes regularly about what she calls “the after-college” at her blog.]

If you’re a little frightened to enter the working world in today’s economy, you’re not alone—many grads find the financial climate intimidating. But the key to landing a job in these tough times is to press on with your job hunt, and get a little creative, too.

Create a strong marketing platform. Instead of fretting over what’s on CNN, arm yourself with a strong resume. If you’re not getting jobs, the economy isn’t solely to blame. Make sure you’re putting out a strongly written, error-free resume and that you practice interviewing with a friend or family member. Today’s job applicants can’t just present themselves; they have to sell themselves. So dazzle each cover letter and interview with concrete examples of why you are the best person for the job. No experience? Think about transferable skills.

Explore new careers. When job hunting, recent grads need to get over the fantasy of immediately landing their dream job. This is smart advice regardless of the economy. Consider something outside of your major. For example, an English major who wants to be a journalist can apply at newspapers and magazines and consider jobs in copy writing, editing or teaching. With the economy the way it is, sometimes having a job that’s not spot-on is better than having no job at all…just make sure it provides a solid foundation for your career.

Limit job-hunting time. Certainly you should devote time and energy—and use every resource—to get a job. But everyone needs a break. Hunt in spurts and take a rest when need be. And limit your exposure to dismal media reports. Everyone knows the job market is difficult; don’t let the doom-and-gloom news deter you from success!

Read other LinkedIn blog posts featuring tips to grad students here

[Ed. note: This belongs to our series of posts featuring tips for recent grads from LinkedIn users. Kelly Lux is a career development specialist and certified career and transition coach with experience in several areas of the working world including corporate/manufacturing, elementary and higher education, state government and retail.  She currently provides services to alumni and students of Syracuse University with a focus on mentoring, networking and social media, and job search strategies and tools.]

I have recently spent a great deal of time in my office talking to students who are very confused about what their options are after graduation.  The problem is, they are limiting their options before they even get started. Students think that 1) major = job, 2)  job boards = job, and 3)  NYC (or Chicago, LA, you pick) = job.  I’d like to address these three myths.

1) Take a look at the profiles on LinkedIn and see what people really do with their majors.  A quick review of profiles for people in marketing & advertising revealed degrees in creative arts, sociology, business administration, economics and journalism.  Do some searching and see what people with your degree are doing.  Remember that as you search for jobs, the more you open yourself up to possibilities, the more you increase your chances of landing a job you that you really want.  Where might you be able to apply the skills you have learned in college? Where can you combine those skills with your interests?  Answering these questions will help you come up with some options to check out.

2) I can’t tell you the number of students I’ve met with who have told me that they have applied to everything they can find online and they aren’t even getting a response…nothing!  I ask what else they are doing and inevitably they look at me blankly, like there’s something else I should be doing?  Online job boards have done a very good job with their advertising and therefore students think that they are the keeper of all jobs.  Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you can get a job without talking to people (OK, some can, but not many).  The true value of your LinkedIn network is the opportunity to connect with these people offline, live, either on the phone or in person.  Find people who are doing what you want to do and ask them for 5-10 minutes of their time. Search out people in the companies you are interested in and do the same thing.  You will yield much better results than throwing your resume down the black hole of on-line job boards.

3) This is my favorite and probably the hardest thing for students to wrap their heads around. THERE ARE JOBS OUTSIDE THE TOP FIVE CITIES IN THE COUNTRY!  In fact, there are good jobs in places like Austin, TX, Kansas City, MO and Salt Lake City, UT. Consider checking out a place other than where millions of other students are heading to at the same time you are, especially now when the big cities have been hardest hit by layoffs, increasing your competition exponentially.

Try to look at your job search as a treasure hunt, where you have to dig to find clues to the best route to take. Keep a vision of where you want to end up and don’t worry so much about the exact steps you will have to take to get there.  Just keep in mind that your first job after college is not the biggest decision you will ever have to make in your life, it just seems that way.

[Ed. note: This belongs to our series of posts featuring tips for recent grads from LinkedIn users. Elizabeth Allen is associate director of alumni relations at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), where she manages the Caltech Alumni LinkedIn group as well as other online networking resources for alumni.]

As the manager for the Caltech Alumni group on LinkedIn, all requests to join the group go through me. Most of the (legitimate) requests come from alumni, but current students are eligible to join the group too. Though it might seem strange to include students in a group with “alumni” in the title, creating opportunities for students and alumni to interact is beneficial to the members of the group as a whole.

Students have the same group rights and privileges as alumni: they can post discussion topics, perform searches, and make connections. Recently, a student posted a request to the group; she was seeking advice regarding a non-profit she’s involved with. An alumnus responded with some resources for her to explore. In examples like this one, students take advantage of the tools and become active members of the alumni community before they graduate. They establish a personal brand, learn about online networking, and make individual connections – connections they can use after they graduate, to find a job, seek advice on a business plan, or research potential employers.

Conversely, alumni can establish direct connections with the next generation of graduates. Those connections keep alumni in touch with alma mater, give them an opportunity to impart their wisdom and experience, and are useful when trying to fill a vacant position.

Additionally, the entire group benefits from the added connections those individual alumni and students bring to the table. The non-alumni (people connected to group members that don’t happen to be graduates of the same university) connect group members to thousands more people than a traditional, closed alumni directory would.

So opening up an “alumni” space to current students means more trusted members in the group, more interaction within the group AND more potential connections beyond the alumni group, all of which add value to the individual member experience.

[Ed. note: This belongs to our series of posts featuring tips for recent grads from LinkedIn users. Patricia Pasick is a family psychologist and expert on families in transition. She authored Almost Grown (W. W. Norton, 1998), and writes frequently on young adults and families. Here are some of her tips for newly graduating students, and their parents.]

Tips for graduates:

1. Swallow your well-earned pride and ask parents and relatives to share their networks. It doesn’t mean you haven’t left the nest. Interviews are landed through connections.

2. Set boundaries. Don’t let your folks go hugely to bat for you, or enable you to skip interviews.

3. Enter the family business, or work for a parent? Only if it meets your career goals and only if you report to someone else. It’s tricky. Read some books on family businesses.

4. Need start-up cash or insurance? Ask for monetary graduation gifts. Beyond six months after graduation, make business-like loan agreements with your parents, and share your budget.

5. College loans! Don’t trap yourself by taking the first job, just to make payments. The loans were for you to seriously enter the job market, not just work to pay them off.

Tips for parents:

1. Expect a transition period of a month or so. Procrastination doesn’t mean necessarily mean being stuck.

2. Your best lines:” What can I do to support you right now?” or “Do you want some contacts?”

3. Your greatest gift: expressed confidence in your graduate, even if you have doubts.

4. Please don’t nag or criticize (“Haven’t you filled that out yet?”). Instead, offer a story about how you once helped yourself with feeling discouraged, or stuck.

5. Don’t rescue beyond your means, or help financially without agreed-upon terms.

6. No lessons. The world has changed.

[Ed. note: This belongs to our series of posts featuring tips for recent grads from LinkedIn users. Donald Wilkes and Viola Hamilton-Wilkes are job search experts with years of experience interviewing and hiring. They are authors of a Teen Guide Job Search book, which is also available in an audio version. You can check out their earlier post on helping your teen find a job without being a nag here]

No matter what your age, searching for a job is a challenge.  But like anything, when you know what to do and how to do it, suddenly it’s easier!

Begin your job search by looking for work you’ll enjoy.  For example, ask yourself questions, like:

1. Do you prefer working with people (children, adults or seniors), computers, animals, or equipment?
2. Do you prefer working inside an office or working outside (construction or delivery work)

Once you have an idea about the type of work wanted, apply for jobs in that line of work.  Did you know employees who enjoy their work tend to do a better job and look forward to going to work?  It’s true…so find work you enjoy.

Let’s get ready for the interview!  View this 7 minute You Tube video which shows two teens being interviewed.  How do you think the first teen did? If you said poorly, you’re correct.

Try practicing your interview skills.  How?  Ask an adult who works in Human Resources or at an employment agency to conduct a practice interview.   Then they can tell you how to improve.

Want a job? Quick tips for success.

·      Dress like a winner
·      Don’t chew gum
·      Firm handshake
·      Express yourself clearly
·      Show interest, enthusiasm and confidence
·      Turn off your cell phone

[Ed. note: This belongs to our series of posts featuring tips for recent grads from LinkedIn users. Steffany Bane works as a Copywriter at a Digital Advertising Agency. She is also Co-Author of the off-to-college book I’ll Miss you too]

As a student, winding down the senior year is stressful enough. You’re mentally and physically preparing to leave home and embark on your new adventure. The summer before you leave is always a whirlwind of shopping, packing and saying goodbye to your friends. Starting anew is scary for both the student leaving the comforts of home and the parent who will be left with a quieter house.

Use these tips to help you navigate through the transition.

* Make a checklist. As you’ve probably noticed, parents love these. It’s the therapeutic feeling of being able to cross something off when you’re done. It’s great for reminders. Carry a small notebook around to keep track of aha moments, or tape a list on your mirror.

* Stay focused on the present task until it’s done. This will keep you from feeling overwhelmed about your plans tomorrow, or next week’s summer orientation.

* Call your roommate ahead of time to discuss who will bring what. The last thing you need in your 2X4 dorm room is multiple fridges, lamps and TV’s.

* Keep your valuables at home. They will be there when you get back. This will keep you from stressing out every time someone you’ve just met comes to your dorm room.

* Take out 20 of the 30 pairs of jeans you packed. You will probably only end up wearing 2 pairs anyway. And college dorms don’t leave much room for wardrobe options.

* Take a journal, even if you’re not a journal writer. It helps as a non-responsive ventilation device when you’re feeling homesick.

And overall, enjoy every stressful, scary, exciting, wonderful moment.  Every other college Freshman is freaking out too.