Your cap and gown is probably making it's way off the floor and to the back of the closet.  If commencement is becoming a distant memory, and parents are asking - What are you doing to look for a job?  You're not alone.  Over 80% of new graduates didn't land a job before graduation so for many, looking for a job is now a full time job.  If you don't already know where to look for a job, here are a few places to get started:

Your campus career center

You can find a list of HBCU Career centers in our  career resources.  Most new grads  aren't aware that 97% of college career centers provide services to alumni and are still available during the summer after graduation.  Email, call or visit the center and have a consultation with one of the career center staff about which employers are recruiting on campus or posting jobs on the career center job board.

Use lists of companies that appeal to you

Find lists of companies that have specific relevance for you.  Veterans, for example, can look for a job at the companies on the list of top 100 military friendly employers at militaryfriendly.com.  These lists are often found on niche websites.  Just as there are lists of companies interested in hiring veterans, there are other lists that are targeted to specific groups.  Use our 25 Lists of Best Companies or Top Employers.

Niche job boards

Our job board at the HBCU Career Center targets employers who want to hire job seekers in the diverse community.  There are several job boards that serves specific groups.  Look for jobs on these niche boards that cater to specific audiences.  Create job seeker profiles on these niche web sites so that you can be alerted to vacancies for which you qualify.

Career fairs and job fairs

These networking events give you an opportunity to meet recruiters who are looking to meet available job seekers.  A quick google search will point you to many career fairs, typically in a big city near you.  Look for jobs at career fairs that serve specific occupations.  For example if you live in Philadelphia, simply Google a phrase like "Philadelphia job fairs" to find scheduled events.   You can add a specific occupational area to get even more specific such as "Philadelphia Healthcare job fair."

Professional associations

Joining professional associations is another way new grads find jobs.  Most associations are relevant in a specific industry or occupation.  You can find a list of professional associations among our alumni resources.

Social media

If you want to answer the question - where do new grads find jobs?  The answer must include social media sites like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.  You can follow or like companies, recruiters and staffing firms to find out about job leads.  Follow us on Twitter or Facebook where we have RSS feeds of vacancies.  Keep in mind that you want to maintain professional contact with anyone you meet via social media.