You know well enough to tidy up your resume and brush up on your interviewing skills, but are you really doing all that you can to jumpstart your career?
A. Break the Millennial Stereotype Mold
Fairly or not, employers are developing certain stereotypes of millennials that are reinforced by the media. But you can actually use this to your advantage. Go out of your way to demonstrate that you are willing to work your way up, stay late, and won't expect a promotion after six weeks. You can do this by discussing your values or, even better, a time when you really worked to reach a goal. - John Rood, Next Step Test Preparation
A. Inerview People You Admire
The best thing I ever did out of school was travel around the country for four months to interview people I admired about their career paths. These informational interviews gave me a reality check for each job (i.e. what it's really like) and gave me a connection at each company and in each industry I could call on down the road. If you're looking for a job, interview someone with that job. - Brett Farmiloe, Markitors
A. Apply Even When They're Not Hiring
Don't be afraid to reach out to companies that have no job openings if you really believe in the organization's mission. I recently received a message from someone offering to volunteer because she believed so strongly in what my company was doing. I was impressed by her tenacity and work ethic so much that I created a position for her. - Mark Krassner, Expectful
A. Find Your Unique Selling Proposition
Your unique selling proposition is what makes you stand out from the crowd. If you're interested in a job in marketing, for instance, you could position yourself by saying you always bring campaigns in on time and on budget. It's important to understand your field of interest intimately and strive to find a stand-out characteristic that you can focus attention on. - Nicole Munoz, Start Ranking Now
A. Don't Look For Your Dream Job
When you don't have job experience, it's highly unlikely that your first job (or first few) will be the ideal fit. Especially in today's hyper-competitive market, I would advise millennials to not get dismayed and to treat every job like a valuable learning experience. I was a temporary employee at my first job, but keeping a positive attitude led me to where I am today. - Elle Kaplan, LexION Capital
A. Pick a Person, Not a Company
Early on, you'll learn a lot more from the right person or manager as opposed to just being at the "right" company. Because you're young, you can afford to take risks, and the lessons you'll learn early on about the kind of people you do and don't want to emulate will put you way ahead of the curve in terms of personal and professional growth. This isn't just any route, it's a fruitful one. - Roger Lee, Captain401
A. Try Your Own Thing
The barriers between you and customers are thinner and lower than ever. You don't have to work for someone else while you figure out what you want; you can simply focus on turning what you want into profit. There's more access than ever through Twitter, podcasts and other mediums to get direct advice and perspective from those currently on this path. - Adam Steele, Loganix
A. Work for Free
Don't hesitate to do some work for free, as long as you keep the work relevant to the type of role you're interested in. Self-create a platform to showcase that you're curious, confident, committed to working with the company and not afraid to walk the talk. - Devanshi Garg, Icreon
A. Start Your Own Company
Why are you searching for a job when you could be starting a company or doing freelance work? What's holding you back from independence? Fear? Risk? The unknown? One of the best ways to learn is to fail, so what do you really have to lose? Worst case, you build relationships and start producing results that could help you land that job you initially thought you wanted. - Robby Berthume, Bull & Beard
A. Work Your Way Up
The system is not rigged against you. Start small, prove your worth, and build momentum. You're not going to save the planet in your first entry-level job, so if you want to change things, you have to prepare to work your way up. - Tony Scherba, Yeti
A. Pick a Job, Not a Career
Never trust anybody who claims to have the perfect career mapped out at a young age. History is full of people who arrived at their final destination by a far more circuitous route. And that means taking some interesting or unusual job choices on the way. - Richard Kershaw, WhoIsHostingThis.com
A. Stop Searching
Instead, make your LinkedIn profile absolutely irresistible. Optimize your profile for keywords specific to your skills and experience. Look at relevant job postings and mimic their keywords (if they apply to you). It also never hurts to have a solid network and mentors to support and refer you. - Paul Hager, Information Technology Professionals
These answers are provided by the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only organization comprised of the world's most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, YEC recently launched BusinessCollective, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses.