It’s the time of year for college graduations! Graduating college is a huge accomplishment and those who are graduating this year should feel very proud! However, as the class of 2010 receives their diplomas, they can’t help but worry about the troubling unemployment situation. The jobless rate now stands at 9.9% with 15.3 million people unemployed. When the class of 2010 began college nearly four years ago, the unemployment rate was around 4.7%! These scary statistics pose the following question: how can college graduates find jobs in such a tough job market? Here are some answers:
1. Find the right job – While not all college graduates work in an industry that relates to their major in college, chances are you selected your particular college major because you had an interest in that subject. Since you want to find a career that you enjoy, it would make the most sense to find a job that relates to your major, since after studying that subject for 4 years, you’re pretty familiar and well-informed about that subject. On the other hand, if you majored in Psychology, for example, and you did not like studying Psychology, then try to apply for jobs in an area that you are interested in, but such an industry that you can also put that Psychology degree to use! If you have no idea what you want to do as a career, that’s okay! No one ever said your first job out of college will be the job/industry that you’ll work in for the rest of your life!! Do your best to narrow your job search to a select few industries – this will make life a lot easier. Remember: the more passionate you are about a particular job/industry, the better chance you have at succeeding in that job – and you’ll live a much happier life if you enjoy your job and wake-up motivated on Monday mornings!
2. Networking – This is a very general term, but the benefits of networking and meeting new people are priceless! When applying for jobs, most college graduates apply online on the company’s website and then sit by the phone for weeks or check their BlackBerry every five seconds in eager anticipation of a response back from that employer! Chances are you won’t hear back! Instead, you should take advantage of social media – especially LinkedIn – even over Facebook and Twitter. Most college students don’t have a LinkedIn profile and that’s a huge mistake. Almost every employer/employee or small business owner has a LinkedIn account. Create a LinkedIn profile (you can even post your resume onto LinkedIn!). Type in the names of the companies you wish to work for in order to find out who is the HR (human resources – the department that hires people!) person at that company or who is the head of the specific division within that company that you wish to work for. Send this person an email and attach your resume inquiring about a job and be sure to provide brief bio about yourself in the actual email. Call up the company and ask to speak to that person and/or ask for the email address of whoever is in charge of HR. You want to email a person directly, as opposed to a general email address where it is unclear as to who is receiving the emails.
3. Follow Up – After you send your original email to the HR person or the head of a specific division, if three days have passed and you have not received a response, send a follow-up email. In the follow-up email, re-introduce yourself and explain once again why you are emailing. People are very busy and several weeks may pass until they look at your resume! If you aren’t persistent, they’ll forget about your resume. Also, following-up and being proactive shows the company that you are a savvy and tenacious person!
4. Your Resume – Make sure your resume is typed in a professional format with a standard font. If, during college, you’ve completed internships, be sure to note that on your resume and use bullet points to list your responsibilities/duties at that internship. Hopefully, you have letters of recommendation from the supervisor at the internship that you can attach to your resume. Also, be sure to make note of any community service that you’ve completed. Don’t be afraid or embarrassed to include on your resume any part-time jobs at a restaurant or at a supermarket that you may have had in the past. These kinds of jobs show that you’re a humble person who is able to follow directions.
5. The Job Interview – This is arguably the most important step of the job process. There are no second chances for first impressions. Speak clearly and don’t constantly use the word “like.” Know everything about the company/organization you are interviewing for – do your research – visit the company’s website and learn everything about the company: What is the company’s goal/mission? Who is the company’s audience? Also, refer to the interviewer by their first name, instead of “Mr. or Ms.” – you don’t want to subordinate yourself! Dress appropriately for the interview as well! You should also have business cards containing all of your contact information – you can make business cards for free or for a very minimal cost at Vistaprint.com.
6. Negotiation – Do not talk about salary or benefits during the first interview. If the company is interested in hiring you, usually there will be a second or third interview and that is the time when the salary discussion would occur. While you don’t want to come across as too aggressive, it is important to ask for a higher salary than what is presented to you – this shows signs of a strong negotiator and negotiation skills are critical for virtually every job!
Don’t give up! It may take you 6 months to find a job! You may have to move outside of your hometown to another state to find the right job. You have to be flexible.
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