Invisible college students don't get hired

For some college students, standing out feels comfortable and natural. However, for many others, standing out makes them feel very uneasy. The fact remains that the best employers tend to be interested in the students who are already known to them, those who stand out in a positive way, those who have made themselves visible.
    Since visibility is achieved through your words, actions and results, wise students identify and utilize the signals, messages, positive indicators, successes and accomplishments that will attract the attention of the employers that are of interest to them. Hiding in the shadows does not lead to employment success.
    What is it that students can do to make themselves visible? Participate! Nobody becomes visible to employers by sitting in their dorm room. Only those students who take advantage of opportunities to talk, act and achieve results can be recognized and rewarded with interviews.

Your Words - The written word and the spoken word can be powerful tools. Leaders inspire others to perform. Writers provide information and can touch our emotions. Are you a persuasive speaker or writer?

Your Actions - As it is said, "Actions speak louder than words." Are your successes and accomplishments impressive enough to influence an employer? Because employers want to know what you can do, they look closely at your past performance in the classroom, on campus and off campus. If you want an employer to find you, somewhere along the line you must demonstrate your knowledge, skills and capabilities.

Your Results - Trying hard is not good enough. Employers are concerned with the results you achieve. Throughout your college years, you must put forth a special effort to achieve outcomes that are wanted, needed and expected by your target employers. If you do not already know the needs and expectations of your target employers, you should begin that investigation quickly. How else will you give them what they want?

Recommendations - Who knows of your talents and achievements? The positive words of others can work in your favor. As you move forward in the employment process, you will need testimonials, references and recommendations. When those references and recommendations come from highly respected people, they will be very helpful. Only when people know you well and think highly of you will they attach their names and reputations to their positive statements about you.

    To put yourself in the best position to obtain employment interviews, you cannot be invisible to the employers you want to attract. Therefore, no matter how difficult it is for you to get involved with the activities and experiences that will build your knowledge, skills and abilities and demonstrate your capabilities in your field of interest, you must call upon your inner strengths to push forward and get involved.
It should be obvious that candidates who are well qualified and visible to employers are much more likely to be seriously considered than candidates who remain invisible. Even some of the best qualified students will fail to attract employers when they have remained invisible to them. Knowing that invisible students do not get hired, wise students adopt a strategy to make themselves visible to the employers on their target list.