There are situations where you are not yet in an active co-op or internship program and you want/need to get a job. There are also programs which do not have a co-op or internship option. What can you do? What should you do?
There are other relevant documents in this series - the resume writing, how to interview, and how to behave on the job, and job hunting.
The points from the resume document are applicable. For example, about identifying ‘value add’, as is writing the resume so that it is easy for the resume reader to see your value and potential is important - make it easy to read! No fancy formatting or colours or visual gymnastics. The resume reader is not interested in this. They want to know what you bring to the table - skills, attitude, what you have demonstrated mastery over, how you can help them.
You want to focus on what you have learned in courses via projects and the course material - how this enables you to do things not possible by high school students or those in other programs, those at other institutions. What are your unique offerings? What is the special sauce that your program gives you? What is your edge?
The suggestions in the job hunting document are very applicable. Apply to jobs where there will not be that much competition: location, type of job. You need to get your resume into smaller pools where people might take the time to actually read the whole thing! If the employer has hundreds of resumes to deal with, you will need to be very special to get noticed.
Do not be shy; work the family, the family connections. The neighbours, past employers. Alumni.
When you apply, make sure that the employer knows that you really want the job. Show that you have done some intel on the company and their current situation etc. - that you have invested in the process and you want the job more than anyone else and it is because of the win-win equation - what you think you can bring to the table and help the company and how working at the company can help you (learn, improve).
If possible, do not use boilerplate (templates) for resumes and cover letters / emails that signal to the employer that you did not do anything extra. They will care about you, if you care about them! When you are stating the ‘relevant’ skills and such in your resume, customize it to the job you are applying to.