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PrintMore Bang for Your Buck: Job Hunting 101
No one wants to go from the diploma line to the unemployment line. But for thousands of college graduates, finding a job will be harder than any exam they took in school. So in tonight's More Bang For Your Buck, we've got the Cliffnotes to finding your first real job.
Kelly O'Malley
who is looking for a job says, "From what I can tell its going to be a challenge."But with unemployment so high and the economy so low, your options are limited.
Deronia Thomas who is also looking for a job says,
"Right now, finding work with my degree is very hard, its very hard."College graduates Deronia Thomas and Kelly O'Malley are finding the real world can be really difficult.
Kelly hopes to find her first job through good old fashion networking.
She says,
"I interned in Washington DC last summer where I worked for the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development."But she doesn't have to go all the way to Washington to start making contacts.
Instead, staffing expert Victoria Vilabla recommends visiting your local Chamber of Commerce
She says, "They meet once a month, twice a month for networking for breakfast meetings."
And what you'll find is many jobs are never listed.
It's all a matter of who you know.
Victoria says, "I
really reccommend for a recent grad that they utitlize a recruiter. There are many staffing companies out there that receive jobs and job orders from clients that might not even be posted on the internet or newspaper."The hottest industries for 2003: Preventive health care, security, insurance, financial services, and agriculture.
But you have to be willing to take a job that's less than perfect.
Victoria adds, "T
he first job out of college is not for life.This is to gain some experience and take you to the next level."But remember, you're not just competing against other college graduates
Employment for 20 to 24 year-olds is at a 10 year low.
Victoria says, "T
hey are competing right now with experienced people that have lost jobs, that not only have degrees, have experience and companies will hire those people before they hire a recent college grad."Or you can try to stay in school a little longer.
Graduating from graduate school can only improve your profile.
Deronia says, "R
ight now because I'm having trouble finding a job I know I will have to probably will have to go back to school."Plus by then, the job market will have hopefully changed.
Deronia adds, "R
ight now, I'm open to anything."Most college graduates should also consider taking a course in resume writing and interviewing. Experts say many graduates don't know how to sell themselves.
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