How to Stand Out as a New Graduate

My recent post for new grads went viral - the biggest lesson was your career needs to be outbound before it becomes inbound. Now here’s how to actually do that ⬇️ 👉 Believe in yourself. Imposter syndrome holds us back. Humility is important, but don’t feel like you need to wait in the shadows for your turn. 👉 Ask for opportunities. Referrals, resume reviews, coffee chats, mentorship side projects, ownership on the team etc. Expect a ton of nos (like at least 80%) but get into the habit of asking. 👉 Create content. If you press publish every single day or week for a year, I guarantee your life will change. Start with things you know - what are you known as, online or among friends? what could you talk about all day? What brings you joy or pisses you off? Or if you’re working on or creating anything, document the journey (Day 5 of doing X). It doesn’t even have to be LinkedIn. 👉 Engage online - for every career path, there are online communities on Slack, Discord, LinkedIn etc. You should be in them and be visible. Share insights, help others out, become known. 👉 Go the extra mile - I don’t condone unpaid work, but sometimes you have to prove yourself. When interviewing for a job, present new ideas for how the company could grow. If you’re looking for freelance work, customize your pitch. Here’s a few hypothetical examples: 1. Associate Product Marketer → Startup Offer via Thought Leadership Started a weekly LinkedIn series breaking down viral product launches (e.g. Duolingo's TikTok strategy). After 6 weeks, a founder of a B2B SaaS company DMed them, impressed by their insights. They got a freelance project, which turned into a full-time offer. 2. Entry-Level Designer → Consulting Gig via Spec Work Redesigned the mobile app UI for a fitness startup they admired, posted it on Behance and Twitter with a thoughtful case study. The startup’s head of design saw it, reached out, and hired them for a paid project. 3. College Senior Studying CS → FTE Role via Twitter Networking Replied to a tweet by a founder who was struggling with page load times. Offered to review their site’s performance for free. After a quick Loom audit, they were invited to consult, then offered a full-time engineer role once the startup raised funding. 4. Early Career Consultant → Career Transition via Cold Pitch Pitched a local restaurant chain business with a 5-step business plan to improve growth. Met with founder then hired as advisor then head of strategy. 5. Aspiring VC → Job via Hosting Events Started a monthly “Future of [industry]” dinner series in NYC, inviting founders, operators, and junior VCs. Built a newsletter around event recaps. Met a partner at a VC firm through the event who later offered them a role as an analyst. The inbound opportunities will come — but you can accelerate the timeline by going outbound. #socialmedia #careers #linkedin

I can't tell you the last time I looked at a resume in over 12 years of hiring, and I've hired many people. It's not even a nonstarter. I don't even think about it. I know others will disagree with me, but I don't find any value in the PDF version of your LinkedIn page. I'll just go to LinkedIn. But don't despair; there are many ways to garner attention, be introduced, or stand out. 1. Follow-up notes - it's incredible how often I do not receive a follow-up message after a conversation. It's so easy to do. Here's my opinion on the best follow-up message setup: (1) Thank the person for their time. (2) Bullet point a couple of things you learned from the conversation (3) Ask a question to re-engage. Send the follow-up within an hour of the interview. Send a note to each participant if it's a group meeting or panel. IMPORTANT: If you don't get a response after your first note, could you send a couple more? People are busy, and the inbox is even busier. 2. Use video - I always appreciate it when an applicant uses Loom or another video provider to send an introduction or thank you video. It's a rare occurrence that surprises me due to its ease of use. 3. Please research the role and be sure you are a fit. Are you framing your qualifications to match what the hiring managers are looking for? Ensure you fully understand what you are applying for. 4. Research the team and understand the company. Who are your hiring manager's peers? Who else would you want to meet? If you are interviewing with the CMO, contact the CRO or VP of Sales and try to schedule a meeting. It doesn't hurt to ask. There is no excuse not to research with tools like LinkedIn available to you. 5. Get an introduction before applying - Once you research and meet a couple of people from the company, ask for an introduction. I can count on both hands how often I've received an introduction from a team member for a role I am hiring for. Even better, if you are a referral from a trusted peer, you go to the top of the list, no matter what. 6. Prepare with questions—Spend an inordinate amount of time listing out questions you want to ask the interviewer. Discuss the role expectations, but don't forget to ask questions specifically about them, such as "Why did you choose to work here?" etc. Hiring great people isn’t about resumes but connections, preparation, and effort. Don’t rely on the same old playbook if you want to stand out. Get creative, do the work, and show why you’re the best fit for the role. The good news? Most people won’t do these things. That’s your edge.

Your first job out of college can feel overwhelming. I still remember joining IBM as a fresh grad, unsure of what to expect but eager to prove myself. While I had worked hard to earn that opportunity, I quickly realized that succeeding in your first job takes more than just technical skill. Here’s my biggest piece of advice to new grads stepping into their first role: 𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼. Be proactive, not reactive. That one shift in mindset changes everything. Instead of just doing what was assigned to me, I started thinking about: → How can I make my manager's job easier? → What’s slowing the team down? → Is there a process that can be improved? → Can I learn from teams outside my own? 💡 I wasn’t confined by my job description- I explored! I reached out to people beyond my immediate team, set up 1:1s to learn what they were working on, and asked where I could contribute. That helped me meet incredible people like Armand Ruiz, Dr. Seth Dobrin, Priya Krishnan, Shadi Copty, and so many more! That habit of thinking beyond your role, and then sharing your thought process and actionable ideas, is what builds credibility early on. It also helps you get noticed. 🌱 Having a growth mindset was key. I didn’t wait for opportunities, I created them by showing initiative and being vocal about how I could help. 🤝 Networking inside your company is as important as networking outside. Many of the best career moves I’ve made happened because I nurtured relationships beyond my team. Don’t underestimate the power of a coffee chat with someone in a different org. If you’re just starting your career, remember: → Speak up even if you’re the most junior person in the room → Share ideas that benefit your broader org → Learn fast, ask smart questions, and stay curious → Build relationships early and intentionally → You don’t need to have it all figured out. You just need to start showing up like someone who’s ready to grow. 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝘀 𝗶𝘁. 💼 #Classof2025