Recently, fellow Flintster Eric Piela and I had the opportunity to speak to a group of NDSU communication students about the Flint Group, the state of the advertising industry in the upper Midwest, and trends in marketing communication. The group listened while we talked about emerging social networks and the importance of integrated planning, but it was clear what they really wanted to hear: how the heck do we get a job?

I graduated from college less than five years ago, so the job hunt is still fresh in my mind. I worked harder to land my dream job than I did on pretty much anything else in college. This list comprises the tactics that worked best for me, along with what I’m looking for now that I’m on the other side of the interview table.

• Network. Attend events hosted by the AAF branch in your area. Get to know people who work at your dream company and ask them for an informational interview. Additionally, don’t forget that your professors as a great networking opportunity. Even if they can’t connect you directly to a potential employer, they are likely to write letters of recommendation that highlight your hard work and passion.

• Write for a blog. The first thing potential employers do is Google your name. Give them something interesting to find. If you can’t commit to writing a fresh blog entry every week, grab some smart friends and start a blog together. You could also apply to write guest posts for a blog you read regularly. Seize this opportunity to give your interviewer insight into how you think, how you write, and what interests you.

• Clean up your social media profiles. After Googling, your interviewer will search for your name on Facebook and Twitter. You don’t have to delete every single photo of you with a beer in your hand, but use good judgment about what you make public in these spaces. Take advantage of Facebook’s great privacy settings to keep your party photos between you and your friends, but still allow potential employers to see a limited version of your profile and info. Share some smart advertising articles on Twitter. And please dOnT fIlL oUt uR pRoFiLe lYk tHiSz!!!!!

• Read. Use an RSS reader like Google Reader to subscribe to your potential employers’ blog, the AdAge and New York Times Media & Advertising feeds, and leading marketing blogs like Jason Baer’s Convince & Convert or Seth Godin’s blog.  Bonus points if you read a full-length book like Groundswell or Juicing the Orange (and even better if you manage to work in a quote or concept during your interview).

• Don’t have a boring resume. Agencies are fun places to work, and we want to be surrounded by fun personalities. Consider adding an item to your resume that shows your personality and sparks conversation in an interview. I taught piano in college, and I’ve been asked about my students in every interview since then.

• Be prepared for your interview. Write a list of 5 questions you want to ask your potential employer. Some thought starters include: What makes your agency different from the other ones in town? I just saw the spot you did for _______ and I really admire it because of _______; can you tell me about the process of creating that? Use your questions to show what you already know about the agency and the industry, and demonstrate your curiosity to learn more.

This post is already long, but it’s just scratching the surface of job-hunting tips for recent graduates. New grads, what’s the best job search advice you’ve ever gotten? And for those of you who are hiring, what would you add to this list?