<p>I can only speak from my experience, so take it as you wish. In my experience, even those grads that think they are trying so hard to find employment are not putting forward as good of a representation of themselves as they could to be hired. Whether it be a lack of networking, poor resume development, lack of applications submitted, or the “I am too good for this” attitude for some opportunities, most of the individuals I know searching for jobs could do more.</p>
<p>For example, it amazes me the number of people I know that go through TFA as a two-year gap to “figure out what to do” only to find themselves in the last few months of teaching and zero plans for the future. </p>
<p>In short, it is rare that I come across an undergrad or recent graduate and am blown away by the efforts they are making on the job front. </p>
<p>Most need to start with resume reviews and find professionals who will tear apart everything that grad has put on a piece of paper. I see resumes from top students and I am amazed at how terribly underrepresented their experiences reflect on paper. </p>
<p>When someone held an equity research position as an intern and the two bullets for the position are to the tune of:
- Assisted in the research of equities in the oil and gas industry
- Monitored the performance and provided outlook of ABC, XYZ, and JKL.</p>
<p>This above is not what trying your hardest looks like…and I see it much more often than I see the opposite.</p>