New York Job Search Guide for New Grads

Ideally, you’ll want to start your search for a full-time position at least two months before your expected date of graduation. While some industries (such as finance and investment banking) will want you to sign the contract eight to ten months before your start date, most only know their hiring needs on an immediate or short-term basis.

Know Your Budget
Before you start applying for positions, determine what your post-graduate salary requirements will be. Living in the most expensive city in America is a challenge, and you don’t want to find yourself falling behind on the rent. In addition to bare-bones living expenses (rent, food, toiletries, transportation, health insurance), don’t forget to include student loans, credit card payments, the money you owe your parents for last year’s spring break trip, and future cover charges and bar tabs.

Job Searching Online
If you’re interested in a particular company or organization, apply directly through the website rather than through Monster, HotJobs or CareerBuilder. These mega job search sites are great in that they allow you to search for a job by location and industry type, but they can sometimes leave you combing through hundreds of results for hours on end.

Also, try to check out the careers section of the Village Voice website or Craigslist. In addition to the job openings listed here by large companies and conglomerates, many smaller companies and non-profits post openings on these sites as well.

These job websites may also be helpful:

New York Times job listings

CareerBuilder.com job listings

Idealist.org for non-profit jobs

Find a recruiter at Headhunters Directory

More New York Job Hunting Advice