Top mistakes graduating college students make in trying to land a job

Yahoo Finance’s Sibile Marcellus and Kristin Myers discuss mistakes graduating seniors make in trying to find a job.

Video transcript

SIBILIE MARCELLUS: This series is all about giving you, our viewers, some career control. And I've been talking to the insiders-- hiring experts at LinkedIn, Glassdoor, recruiting firms, and also people who are going to be graduating. And here's what they're telling me. As you know, class of 2021 is going to be graduating soon. And many seniors are worried about landing a job.

Last year was brutal. Many industries, such as tech and finance, that are known to be financially lucrative, rewarding careers, well, they canceled internships last year, and also froze hiring. So that means that for many seniors who back then, last year, were juniors, they lost those opportunities for internships that are known as a key stepping stone for a career in those fields.

But good news. Internships are coming back in a big way, Glassdoor tells me. Now, here's a list of the highest-paying internships. The top three, you've got Nvidia, Facebook, and LinkedIn. They're all offering paid internships of over $8,000 a month. Now, when it comes to jobs, LinkedIn tells me these are the most in-demand jobs right now. Top three-- software engineer, with a base salary of $95K; registered nurse, with a base salary of $66K; and salesperson, with a salary base of about $33K.

KRISTIN MYERS: All right. So Sibile, what are the top mistakes that these young college graduates should really avoid if they're trying to land that job or even that paid internship?

SIBILIE MARCELLUS: Insiders tell me that in this new normal virtual job interviews and remote workplaces, for college seniors your dorm room is your new business suit. Don't have a towel hanging on the door behind you that's all wet. The hiring manager doing this Zoom interview with you does not need or want to know that you just came out of the shower. Make that space professional that's key.

Now, they may be interviewing in a dorm room or, because of remote learning this year with higher education, maybe doing that interview in their childhood bedroom at their parents' house. Regardless, make sure your background looks professional. Also, wear professional attire, even shoes, when you're doing these Zoom interviews. So yes, you can get away with it. Just wear a nice top. If you're a guy, just wear a nice jacket, button down shirt, a tie. And then on the bottom, wear shorts or pajama pants. You could get away with it. But what if your webcam accidentally moves or in the middle of the Zoom interview you end up having to get something behind you and have to get up? Don't put yourself in that situation.

And lastly, don't be late for your Zoom interview. There are no excuses. The hiring manager knows you were not stuck in traffic. Remember, this person, the hiring manager, they may have spent their whole day doing Zoom meetings. So you want to make sure that you figure out the technology ahead of time. Log in five to 10 minutes before so that when that hiring manager who's been through Zoom meetings all day long finally logs in for your Zoom interview, that you are present and prepared. If you're late, the hiring manager won't think that's cute.