The ICT Job Hunter Blog

The word on the street is that college graduates are among the hardest hit in this current recession.  With little or no work experience to offer, and with employers looking for those with a history of proven results behind them to help them claw their way through to sunnier economic climes, college seniors and recent graduates are feeling the effects.  Not only are they facing stiff competition from their peers, but also from those returning to work after a career break or being forced out of retirement by the devaluation of their savings.  Perhaps worse still, they are having to compete with classmates who entered directly into the workforce after senior school and now have several years’ work experience already behind them.

While on-campus recruiting is said to be suffering declines of up to 50 per cent, not all the news is bad, however.  Surveys carried out this year by the National Association of Colleges and Employers report that many organizations do still plan to hire graduates.  There are still opportunities out there…just fewer of them.

So, what should college seniors and graduates be doing to help themselves in a tough job market? 

·         Start your search early

If you are due to graduate this year, don’t wait until the last minute to begin your job search or you could be missing opportunities

·         Consider continuing your studies

Education is never wasted, so where funding is still available and, particularly if it was in your mind anyway, perhaps now is a good time to continue your studies until the economic situation improves

·         Gain some experience

Use your time wisely while you are looking for work and consider doing an internship or taking up a voluntary position to help you gain relevant experience

·         Rethink your plans

What seemed like a dream job a few years ago when you started at college might not be such a great idea now – especially if Wall Street was your aim.  Take the opportunity to think about what you would really like to do and go for it

·         Focus in on the ‘safe’ areas

Health care, certain jobs within the IT industry, and education are just some of the areas which are considered to be more ‘recession-proof’ than most.  It is highly unlikely that this will be the only recession that you live through in the course of your working life, so consider the services which will always have a market.  The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports are an excellent resource for keeping abreast of which industries are thriving and which hardest hit

·         Look further afield

Are you restricting your job search to your home state?  If so, you might be limiting yourself.  If you ever dreamed of working abroad, look into whether the opportunities might be greater in a foreign country. 

When it comes to job search tactics, much of the advice that applies to jobseekers in general, applies equally to graduates, so don’t forget:

·         Use all the resources at your disposal

In particular, make use of the careers office at your college and specialist college job sites

·         Network

Is there a network of college alumni that you could tap into?  Are you talking to family, friends and friends of family?  Have you considered all the options for online networking?

·         Focus on your transferable skills

You may not have much experience in the workplace, but you can still market yourself effectively based on transferable skills gained through college activities, part-time or vacation jobs and volunteer positions

·         Find yourself a mentor

Having somebody behind you who you can learn from, to whom you feel answerable and from whose experience you can benefit could be an invaluable source of support in current times

Most of all, remember that employers are currently looking to hire people who show higher levels of motivation and demonstrate a focused interest in their industry, so do your research and go in there all guns blazing.

If you need any further information on networking your way into a new job or how to be a star at interviews, drop me a line to find out how to get hold of my books on these subjects.