When should job search begin for a graduate?

I got my first "real" job during the last semester of college. It was a long time ago, but I'm pretty sure that's when I started looking. It definitely wasn't a year before graduating.

A year before.

Depends on the field. For engineers, university recruitment/on-campus interviewing for new grad positions usually starts fall of your senior year.

ETA: In my experience (again, engineering) the big companies with formal developmental programs for new grads tend to do most of their hiring in the fall. Smaller companies that are hiring for specific needs tend to start interviewing later.

Have they done an internship. Do they know a company that they want to work for? What field?
Lots of stuff to consider here. My college had some companies actively recruit on campus. They would provide food etc and come try to sell you to come work for their company. Stay in contact with those people. No reason for them not to communicate with potential employers and others that are a year ahead of them and have just found jobs. All out dat communication and you doin some communicating now is good.

If you haven’t done an internship good luck landing anything. Those are more important than GPAs at this point

if you don't have a job lined up by winter break of your senior year at the earliest... i wish you well

quote:

---

I did the opposite. I took a year off and went on a gambling spree.

---

quote:

---

When did you graduate, 12-15 years ago? You must not be part of hiring wherever you work currently. Jobs are available anywhere in the country in a huge variety of fields. If you start your search today you will have multiple offers by the end of the summer, probably much sooner, if you have even a moderate level of ability.

---

generally the bigger and better the company (and role), the sooner they lock you down

but yeah anyone can get a job quickly these days

I started about 3 months before graduation. Graduated in June, took a temp job until I got hired by a PD, then started the academy in October. My field is a little more intense on the physical, medical, psychological, and background check than most industries though, so it took a little longer.

I got the email for my first "real" job out of grad school the morning of graduation.

Worked out for me but would not recommend that strategy to the Zoomers.