Getting that first job can be scary. How do you do it? Where are the jobs? Which ones should you apply for? What do you want from life? What is the meaning of it all? Okay fine, I might have been going a little overboard at the end there. Still, you’re about to head into a life-changing shakeup. And in that case, you might need some advice.

First, you need to decide where you want to go – not just today but in the future as well. Fortunately, you won’t struggle for places to apply. Atlanta is a hotbed of business activity – with the third highest number of fortune 500 companies in America. That means there is a lot of opportunities and a lot of scopes. All you’ve got decide is which way you’d like to take your career.

Capital Marketing and Management

By their own admittance Capital Marketing and Management is short-staffed and is looking to fill 10 to 12 entry level position, which pays somewhere between 35,000 to 60,000 a year. Jobs here include PR, Promotional staff, Marketing, Management and customer services.

Diversant, LLC

Though not a fortune 500 company, Diversant does service them, which might mean that later on there are opportunities to move onwards and upwards. They’re an IT company looking for an entry level recruiter and account manager. This means you’ll get 6 to 8 more months on the job training, just in case you haven’t had enough of the educational climate. You also get a car.

American Greetings

Always wanted to be a manager in training? Then join American Greetings! You’ll get to hire, train and supervise part-time merchandisers. You’ll have a lot of responsibilities, get a car and lots of benefits. Be aware that you have to be willing to relocate to your area once it’s been assigned to you. So that’s a bit of adventure right there.

Wild Sisters

Hey, if you’re one of those people whose always got their nose pressed up against their mobile phones to make sure they’re up to date with what is happening on social media, why not turn it into a profession?

Wild Sisters is looking for an intern to do Social Media & Community management. Sure, it’s only an internship, but it gets your foot in the door – and if you’re good with social media then I’m sure you’ll be able to use that other foot to kick that door wide open! 

NetCLoudTek LLC

How about being a business analyst and analyzing the heck out of business? Yeah, I don’t really know what they do, but you probably do if you’ve got a bachelor or a master in Computer Science, Information Systems, or something similar.

They’ll give you more training, an opportunity to get certified and an ‘excellent’ salary package (I didn’t put it in quotes because I don’t think it’s excellent, but because they don’t actually supply a number).

Georgia-Pacific

Georgia-Pacific, which is a subsidiary of Koch industries (which, in case you didn’t know, is right up there in terms of being one of the biggest companies in the US) is looking to fill a large number of positions, in engineering, accounting, safety & healthy and sales, to name but a few (there are a lot more opportunities).

3MP Atlanta

Here they’re looking to hire six junior account managers. You don’t need any experience in the field. All you need is a college degree. And look what you just got? Isn’t that a nice coincidence! They offer opportunities to travel, sports activities, a friendly environment and opportunities for fast advancement.

My Justice Career

How about a career in the criminal justice field? You don’t actually need a degree, but I’m sure it will help a great deal if you choose to apply. There are positions in the police, probation officer, Private investigator, bailiff, CSI (oooh, CSI!) Criminal profiler and more. A great opportunity if you want to serve the public, like wearing uniforms and want more from life than just a desk job (though desk jobs are also available).

Conclusion

Okay, that’s a lot of choices. Sit back for a moment. Breathe. Don’t run off without a plan. The first thing you really want to look into is if you’ve got your CV in order, because if you don’t then you can apply until the cows come home and you won’t get a peep.

Effective resume writing is something that you’ve got to spend some time learning as that skill won’t just stand you in good stead today, but every time that you apply for another position (and as the world has changed dramatically in terms of how long we hold down jobs, that might be far more often than how often your parents switched jobs).

Last but not least, don’t give up and don’t be afraid to target jobs that seem out of reach. Sure, you probably won’t get them, but you don’t need everybody to say yet. You only need a few to do so. So, don’t worry about rejection. Instead, embrace it. Change your mindset and plan to have 30 rejections by the end of the second week. If you can take that perspective, then there will probably be some invitations to interview as well. And that is what it is all about, after all.