New Grad Training
If you are a new grad entering the workforce, many companies offer structured training and development support to help you succeed over your first 12 months to 4 years on the job. These are paid positions and they are commonly used to groom future company leaders. Some programs require that you have completed a summer internship or co-op term with the company, others welcome applications from new grads entering the workforce with little or no experience.
There are so many programs out there it gets a bit overwhelming! There are a few approaches to help reduce the options and start your search.
1) Location
If you are not willing to relocate, you can narrow your search by limiting it to the cities near you. However, many entry-level training programs look for people who are flexible where they work and live.
2) Area of Interest
You can also limit your search by your area of interest. For example, there are programs in human resources, finance, IT and so on.
3) Target Companies
You can create a list of companies you want to target. This is a great way to limit your search as you can pick companies that fit your career values, location and area of interest. Research the top companies to work for in your area or use the Fortune 500 or other similar ratings to create your list.
4) Level of Degree
You can limit your search substantially if you look for programs that require a bachelor's degree, an MBA or other graduate degree. Many companies have programs specifically designed for MBA grads.
A great resource for information about local entry-level development programs is your school career resource centre. They are often bombarded by companies looking for new grads and these companies participate in career fairs and other career events hosted by the schools. If they offer a new grad development program, you can gather brochures and program information through your career resource centre.
Sometimes the new grad development programs are called internships or leadership development programs. The term "internship" is also used for summer and co-operative education assignments in a company. These are short-term, paid assignments for students prior to graduation and can lead to acceptance into the new grad development programs on graduation.
The world is your oyster so spend some time researching your options. Many companies will compete for top grads as they want fresh minds that are innovative and enthusiastic. This is your opportunity to position yourself for a great career by choosing a well respected new grad development program.
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