Equally as excited as she was exhausted, and overwhelmed by her new post-graduate status, Girlawhirl's cousin complained she didn't know what to do next. She said she'd posted her resume on job search sites like CareerBuilder.com, but was actually dreading potential calls. Though she had a couple of internships under her belt, the cousin worried she would freeze at an interview for her first real, full-time job.

Girlawhirl told her not to worry, that everyone goes through the same thing on their first job hunt. Having been there herself – and more recently on the other side of the interview, hiring young women and men right out of college – Girlawhirl assured her cousin she would be fine. But a little preparation goes a long way, so Girlawhirl shared a few tips she's picked up along the way to set her cousin's nerves at ease.

Girlawhirl thinks the keys to interview success are that candidates show up organized and enthusiastic about every meeting. She told her cousin that sometimes it's a good idea to go to an interview even if she isn't sure about the position offered. At least she gets her feet wet as far as the interview process goes, and once she's through the door, you never know what could happen. The position could turn out to be a perfect fit, or someone may have just given notice, opening up an even better opportunity.

But for all of the inside dish about getting hired out of college, Girlawhirl turned her cousin on to CareerBuilder.com's article Five Things New Grads Should Know About Job Hunting. With insights about what companies are looking for in fresh-faced grads, how to find a position to fit her experience and tips on how to impress interviewers, Girlawhirl knows the newly anointed member of ‘the real world' will do just fine in her first non-academic pursuits.

Girlawhirl read all Five Things New Grads Should Know About Job Hunting online at CareerBuilder.com.