Getting a Job Favors the Prepared
By Marilyn Albert

Reality Check
The national unemployment rate is up to 9.9%, with 2.7 million people looking for jobs. The temp agencies are inundated with people looking for work. Employers are using temps for most of their entry level positions and will probably hire them fulltime when they have new positions available.

In Wisconsin we are doing a little better, the unemployment rate is 8.8. The Midwest is mixed bag. Iowa is at 6.8% and Minnesota at 7.4. Illinois is at 11.5% unemployment. North Dakota and South Dakota top the list at only 4%, with Nebraska, Kansas and Vermont rounding out the top 5 states with the lowest unemployment rates. The highest unemployment states: Michigan, Nevada, Rhode Island, California, and Florida; all with double digit unemployment rates hovering around 12-14%.

Hearing these statistics upon graduation is daunting. However, new college graduates must participate in a job search. Even this economy should not dissuade graduates from becoming fully engaged in a job search. However, if you are like most graduates, along the way, you chose to postpone all career related/job search activities and focus on a fall-back plan.

If graduate school or getting a second degree is your fall back-plan, be aware that many colleges are not accepting “post-bac’s” (people wanting to get a second baccalaureate). It could be too late to apply for graduate school for this fall. Most graduate schools have closed late applications. Furthermore, graduate schools are only accepting career and professional degree candidates (the degree is required for the field). Graduate schools always have been selective with limited enrollments, even in good economic times. Going to graduate school has never been a good fall-back plan.


If you have done the following while attending college, you are on the right track:

• Participated in an internship related to your major or career goals that led to you learning what it is really like to be a new professional.
• Attended multiple information sessions with companies both on-campus and at the company’s office.
• Worked with a career counselor to help you develop a perfect(!) resume
• Practiced interviewing skills with employers and career professionals (including recorded interviews)
• Can answer the following questions confidently without hesitation:
o What do you want to do?
o What can you tell about yourself with regard to this job?
o What do you know about this job?
o Started applying for and interviewing for jobs prior to graduation

College career offices offer all of the above from the moment you arrive on campus, especially in the state of Wisconsin. All the public and private schools provide career services to help students to become proactive in their career development even as Freshman.


What have you been doing?

Quoting every panicked parent in the world, “What have you been doing?” Granted students everywhere have been working like crazy attending classes, working on team-projects, writing papers, preparing for presentations, and studying for exams. College students have been busy. However it is still hard getting around this statement, “I’ll work on my resume and look for a job after graduation.” Frankly—that’s too late.

There are two college recruiting seasons that are aligned with major graduations dates. For December graduates it is October and November; for May graduates it March and April. College recruiters who put approximately $33,000.00 into recruiting just one employer ready candidate are making decisions on who to hire long before graduates are walk across the stage for the graduation ceremonies. So, if you did not participate in the college recruiting season it will be tough for new college grads. Employers are most impressed with students who can juggle their busy senior year with the rigorous activities of a professional job search. They are not impressed with the Alumni who starts their job search after taking the summer off. Harsh, I know, but true.
So if your summer plans sound like this: taking the summer off before you a start your job search, not willing to relocate; and, not knowing what you want to do, then you have some serious catching up to do. Remember, “Luck favors the prepared.” So here’s how to get prepared.

Your Fulltime Job this Summer IS to Look for a Fulltime Job

One resume does not fit all: Today resumes need to reflect skills that are stated in the job description you are applying for. No longer will one resume do. Always print the job description, highlight the skills and then shoot for 100% match of keywords in resume.

Job searching on your own: Your job this summer IS looking for a job. Sitting at your computer all day conducting job search will make you feel productive and you will be able to apply for a lot of jobs quickly. I recommend you do this and more. Attend business mixers. Check out the Chamber of Commerce website and the Business Journal in the town you want to work in to find out about business mixers, conferences and networking events. Attend these to get your name out. Keep your LinkedIn profile updated.

Avoid the single minded approach: Many new job searchers make the mistake of focusing on their major in the first stages of the job search. A major is not a job. Seek out resources on “what do with a major.” Every college has this resource on their website. Schedule “career dates” for yourself. Essentially, a career date is anytime you schedule time to observe, talk to, or visit a work setting. Go to any place that offers tours of their facility. Epic does this, the Capitol, Monona Terrace, etc. While you are touring seek out names for “information interviews.” Find people who are working in jobs you aspire to. Call them, ask them if you can have 30 minutes of their time, schedule an appointment and then ask them how they got started.

Eliminate false expectations: New college graduates with little to no experience are looking at entry level jobs. Unless, you have tons of experience in a given field prior to or while attending college, you are looking at entry level jobs at entry level salaries. What’s remarkable about this, is that the entry level perspective only lasts for one year. After that you have experience, be patient.

Clean up your presentation skills:
-Documentation: Perfect resume, perfect cover letter, perfect thank you notes (yes-send a thank you note). After the interview, or phone conversation, take notes that are clear and precise.
Keep a file of all the job descriptions and resumes you sent as well as deadline dates and directions on how to get to the interview.

-Appearance: Dress professionally. Wear a suit. Do not wear jeans or khakis. Remove face piercings and dark nail polish.

-Language: loose the college lingo. Practice your greeting and handshake. Review common etiquette guides for job searching. Replace the word cool with interesting. Avoid “you know” and “ah.”

Employment statistics:
http://www.bls.gov/
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.toc.htm