How technology tools can help recent grads land their dream job

Guest author: Sid Srivastava, Technical Product Manager, GoldbridgeAI

Standing out from the pack can seem tough in a crowded field. But this is precisely what many new graduates face as they leave university to find work. 

Although unemployment is steady, job seekers in the US are finding it tough to find work as hiring dips to 3.3%, well below where it was in 2021. Given the paucity of jobs out there, how can new grads leverage their tech-first mindset to secure their first job out of high school or college? 

The exciting news is that a new generation of tech solutions await Gen Z graduates that can effectively address their sorest pain points when it comes to applying for a new job.

From putting your best foot forward in enticing prospective recruiters to prepping for their finest hour at the job interview, here are some ways technology is helping grads get ahead in the job market.   

Build a brand, not a career

It’s almost cliche to talk about how Gen Z are more about chasing experiences rather than assets. But this saying also has its parallel in the world of hiring as younger graduates always seek out more meaningful work rather than the opportunity to climb the career ladder.

For many job seekers, this will mean putting their best foot forward and carefully crafting their image to ensure that recruiters have their interests piqued. Future grads don’t look for bosses. They build brands so that bosses come looking for them.

The good news is that Gen Z recruits are already social media natives and are skilled in using LinkedIn, X, TikTok, Instagram and Facebook to build compelling profile pages that highlight the skills sought after in their industry. There are even excellent tools like Cleve that can help grads clean up their LinkedIn profiles to entice prospective recruiters.

Building on profile pages, proactive graduates can also take things up a notch by using these tech tools to form other pieces of content. From regularly commenting on important threads in your sector to publishing thought leadership or policy pieces on platforms like Medium and Substack can really set a graduate apart from the crowd.

Study up and let tech automate the rest 

The right tools can change the trajectory of a career. I was reminded of this when a grad student I recently met told me that he had applied to over 300 jobs without landing a single interview. This was despite having a computer science degree from Berkeley! 

The issue in his case wasn’t his lack of qualifications but rather that the organization’s own applicant tracking systems (ATS)  that was acting as a gatekeeper. ATS software is getting smarter by the day and it pays for job seekers to be prepared and study up about the companies that they apply for in advance of the application process. 

Recruiters today are ahead of the curve and are easily able to screen candidates at scale. “AI is going to change the market,” said Gregg Podalsky in a recent podcast on Chris Tech Chat, Just as applicant tracking systems had the ability to do complex Boolean searches, Podalsky said that “[AI] is going to be somewhat of a disruptor. It’s going to give more access to candidates quicker for companies. If you don’t harness the technology, you’re done.”

Graduates can learn more about companies through job board platforms like Glassdoor, WellFound and Indeed. In addition to reading about the various requirements of a role, prospects can also scan for essential features of a company by reading the reviews by current or former employers in addition to reading more broadly about the history of a company.

The good news is that studying up about prospective employers is the hard part as applications that react to the knowledge you’ve gained from this work can easily be automated. You can even track the progress of your various applications to refine your applications even further, and platforms like Teal can help you to that end.

Use tech tools to upskill after graduating

It’s often said that one’s real education begins after high school or college. This is certainly true of the jobs landscape today as workers continue to gain vital skills specific to their job or as a means to advance their career.

What’s almost certain is that new grads will be required to brush up on their ability to use next gen tools as part of their qualifications. From now on, freshers will be tested as much on their ability to quickly articulate the various tools on offer, from Fireflies to  Hubspot and Zapier, and how they might be relevant to your chosen field. Fortunately there exist many free or affordable courses that you can find online and on platforms like Coursera and Udemy.

In a nutshell

It’s clear that we’re still scratching the surface when it comes to leveraging tech tools to find work. But by learning to use them strategically, grads can dominate the job hunt with a strong, professional online presence that attracts opportunities and helps them land their dream job when the calls come in. What’s essential is staying ahead of the curve by learning more about the affordable (or free) tech tools on offer and make sure to leverage their power while continuing to learn and develop.

Sid Srivastava is the Technical Product Manager of GoldbridgeAI, a company established in order to democratize access to career guidance through a comprehensive online platform available to everyone at an affordable price