First of all, congratulations if you are about to graduate from college, planning for your future is always a wise idea. It is a great habit to get into that will certainly help you throughout your career. You have to recognize that the single most effective way to find a new career position is to network with the people you already know. That means confer with all those valuable business contacts you have made while you were working as an intern. These are fine opportunities because they already have been impressed with your strong work ethic, dependability and productivity.

CitiGroup in particular has had a mass migration of top talent go elsewhere due to constraints on compensation and federal scrutiny. The next strategy I would recommend is to take on some temporary assignments immediately with a quality company like Administaff, so you gain some more practical experience (key because real world experience is every hiring managers’ highest need) in your targeted career field as well as immediate income. Again, think connections and make the most of them. Often, if you are a hard worker you will be hired after only two or three auditions. Other than that, always focus on getting interviews, not searching.

Here are a few other frequently overlooked resources that may prove to be of great help also. Your church congregation might have several
people willing to help you, if only you would let them know during the after service coffee hour. Your own college or university has a career
placement office with experienced counselors. In addition, your state likely has the Department of Labor and Training or the equivalent only with a different name. Out west in California, for example it is called the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency. These employment counselors are usually well connected and often former Recruiters.

Not only do they know about endless opportunities, but also their connections are well established. Because these counselors do not charge employers a large commission, they are doing the employer a big favor by sending you out with their recommendation for a job interview. They are paid from taxes levied on employers. Finally, since networking is so vital when you seek employment, I would strongly recommend that you join the Linkedin community and reconnect with other friends, family and colleagues that may be in a position to help you out. Volunteering for a nonprofit organization related to your field of employment is also an excellent place to network and connect with other people of influence.

As long as people still do the hiring, if you focus on being referred by insiders who already work there or other well connected people of influence; you will have much more credibility. Those who only reply to job postings are usually doomed to face long shot chances of being selected for interviews. Why suffer dire financial consequences from being unemployed too long, when you can start networking right way?