3 proven strategies to land your first job decoded

Washington: Finding the first job could be a real uphill task, but now a new survey conducted among college students has revealed the strategies that can help you stand out from the crowd, paving the way for your first interview and job.

Ashley Simakas, a senior at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., majoring in mechanical engineering, landed her first job with Westinghouse in Pittsburgh after two internships with the company. Simakas, who was one of more than 230 students interning with the company, said she believes she got the job offer with Westinghouse because she networked while she was there. But using contacts from internships are not the only way graduating seniors are finding success in the job search. For Kyle Allison, a senior at William and Mary College in Williamsburg, Va, who has based his job search solely on networking, connecting to people shows employers something different than applicants who submit their resumes online. His approach seems to be working -- he has two phone interviews set up in the physical therapy industry. Meanwhile, Alison Doyle, a job search expert with many years of experience in human resources, said she encourages graduates in the job search to use social networking sites to connect with friends who work in your field of interest. ANI