Jun 1, 2015 By David Singer 3 min read

A locally-based career preparation website is offering free subscriptions for high school graduates and college students through June 30. Rachel Gogos, of Peters Township, is the founder and CEO of MyPath101, a personal brand management site that teaches how to properly manage online reputations and forge new connections in the job market.

She said as youth unemployment remains high, it’s important to focus on what will make a job applicant attractive to employers.

“What college students and new grads need to understand is that there are specific, concrete steps you can take to improve your visibility, marketability, and value to potential employers – everything from building a robust online profile to writing a thank you note after each job interview,” Gogos said.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there was a 17.1 percent rate of unemployment among 16-19 year-olds; it was 9.6 percent for ages 20-24.

“In this hyper-competitive job market, you need to learn how to manage your online presence, because that is often what prospective employers first see and sometimes base their entire decision on whether to get you in for an interview. Sometimes it doesn’t matter if your resume is great, because if your social media platforms show you in a negative light, it’s not going to matter. That’s the first and sometimes last impression,” she said.

At its simplest, Gogos said, online job strategy is making the most of spaces a job seeker typically wouldn’t think.

“Use your Twitter ‘mini-bio’ to show off your leadership skills, or past accomplishments,” she said.

And it’s more than simply removing drunk tailgate pictures from Facebook; it’s maximizing reach efforts by doing actual research.

“If you’re on a massive career website like Monster, which aggregates job postings, do some research and try and find the actual person behind that public relations or human resources email address. Address your cover letter and send it to that person. It’ll make you stand out,” she said. Good practice includes follow-up – sometimes multiple times – with prospective employers.

Gogos said there is advice for every aspect of the job seeking process, including positioning oneself for a better salary.

“You get one chance to negotiate, and that’s at the beginning of a job offer. There’s an entire module tackling how to make best of that situation.”

To redeem the offer through June 15 go to My.MyPath101.com/grad. Gogos said the 30-day membership is free, whereas student subscriptions are $12 a month.