Confessions of an HR Pro: 5 Tips to Land (And Crush) Your First Grown-Up Job

Interviewing for your first professional job

It’s finally time: you handed in that last paper, said goodbye to your favorite professor, and tossed your graduation cap in the air. You worked hard and conquered college—now comes your next adventure: breaking into the professional world and starting your career.

Landing your first job can be daunting. As a human resources professional who’s seen hundreds of applications, I’m here to walk you through five essential steps to go from fresh graduate to standout new-hire.  

1. Do Your Homework (a.k.a Research)                   

HR hates to be the bearer of bad news, but homework doesn’t stop in undergrad. The first step in any job search is to research, research, research. Before you start applying to roles, reflect on your background, skillset, and goals. What does success look like for you in a few years? Are you interested in a career that differs from your major, and if so, how can you highlight your transferrable skills?

Next up – always look into a company’s mission statement and culture. Start with a company’s credo or core values. Is professional development or philanthropy important to you? It’s important to find a company that aligns with your values and goals.

Don’t forget to check out their social channels too. You can find their latest work, accolades, examples of thought leadership, and more.

2. Resumes: What You Should Know  

A resume is your first impression with the hiring manager, and you want to make it count! Your resume should be one page and follow a simple, clean design to help your content shine. Try not to cram every piece of your experience into your bullet points. Avoid clutter and any unnecessary graphics that take away from your impressive background.

Don’t be afraid to use AI here either, it can be a great starting point and way to proof. Try to pull key words from the job posting and ask it to help brainstorm some of your bullet points. But remember – AI should not replace your own voice or exaggerate your experience! Be sure to edit it after (yes, we can tell if it’s copied from ChatGPT!)

3. The Answer is Yes… You Need to Prepare an Elevator Pitch  

Congrats! You got the interview. Now, there will come a time when you have to answer the dreaded interview question: “So, tell me about yourself.” It’s vague by design, and what we really want is your elevator pitch. In 60 seconds or less:

• Highlight unique skills, strengths, achievements, internships, volunteer opportunities, anything that might be relevant to the role

• Demonstrate that you have a clear understanding of the role and the business need. This format helps you quickly establish your background and demonstrate your value for the role.

  HR’s advice? Keep it simple and succinct to open the door for the recruiter to ask you follow-up questions later.

4. Nail the Interview

The key to any great interview is to prepare. Try to come up with a few examples that you can use throughout the interview for those situational and behavioral interview questions. A helpful tool to frame your answers is the STAR Method:

1.        Situation – Brief overview of the scenario.

2.        Task – What was your role and how did it play into the overall goal?

3.        Action – What did you do to achieve the goal?

4.        Response – What were the results?

HR Pro Tip: We want to see that you researched our company and the role, so come into the interview with questions for us too. Afterwards for bonus points, be sure to email your interviewer a Thank You note with a callback to your conversation. It reinforces your interest in the role and helps you stay fresh in their mind.

5. You Signed the Offer Letter… Now What?

You crushed the interviews and got the job. Now, your first 90 days help set your foundation in the role. The most important thing to remember: be willing and eager to roll up your sleeves. Take it from EvolveMKD’s Assistant Account Executive, Hugh, who joined us as a Fellow: "You don’t have to have it all figured out. Say yes to new challenges, ask thoughtful questions, and stay open to paths you didn’t plan, because sometimes the best opportunities are the ones you didn’t see coming!”

Starting a New Chapter

Be curious, be coachable, and don’t be afraid to ask questions. You’ve got so much to offer!  And if you’re interested in a career in PR and Digital Marketing, be sure to check-out our EvolveMKD LinkedIn for our Fellowship Program.