A U.S. Department of Labor study reports the country’s unemployment rate is up to 6 percent, the highest in nearly eight years. This figure does not include new graduate entries into the job market, which makes for an even tougher market.
“Today, the opportunities are out there,” says career specialist and executive recruiter Ford Roosevelt, “but more of the effort to land that job lies in the graduate’s hands. Rather than waiting for campus recruiters, which are far fewer on campuses this year, a graduate must engage in more proactive research and target employers they want to reach.”
Roosevelt is co-author and consultant to the “Job Source” series, published by Benjamin Scott Publishing. The series provides the unemployed with current information needed to carry out a multi-dimensional job search in the major cities across the country.
Multi-dimensional talent is what today’s employers want. They are looking for workers who have exceptional comprehension of Web-based interaction and information. According to a study conducted by William Maki and Ruth Maki, psychologists at Texas Tech University, students skilled at multimedia comprehension get higher grades with Web-based courses. And higher-skilled students have a performance edge.
Savvy graduates would be wise to enhance their computer and Web wizardry while waiting for that job bite. They also need to adjust to the fact that this is not the greatest job market in history; it will take work to get work.
Job seekers need to be prepared, flexible and open to alternatives. It is self-defeating to bet the future on only one option.
Cindy graduated from college two years ago with a major in work/life program design and implementation. Her goal was to get a job with one of the larger organizations with a separate, special department responsible for the company’s work/life programs.
Her approach is limited. There are not that many companies who actually have a separate work/life department. Usually, this function, if it exits at all, is part of the employee assistance program (EAP) function, which is part of the human resources function. Most companies have a human resources department, so by broadening her search to include an entire corporate function, Cindy will enlarge her chances of getting an interview.
However, experience supports the fact that training and human resources are the first departments to downsize when economic conditions take a turn for the worst. It may be necessary for job seekers to broaden their search to include every type of company acceptable. This can be accomplished through an Internet search. Settling for a modified dream may be a necessary strategy. It is easier to find than that perfect job from inside a corporation.
Graduates would also profit from learning a few public relations skills. An excellent resource for these skills is Jay Conrad Levinson’s book “Guerrilla Publicity.”
“Shameless self-promotion works,” says Levinson, whose book contains publicity instructions, checklists, clever ideas and inspiration.
“PR has changed over the years,” says Rick Frishman, co-author of “Guerrilla Publicity.” “You have to create the ooh-ah factor to get attention.”
Keep it simple. “Like it or not,” says Frishman, “we live in a world of sound bites. These days, no one has time to listen to the full story. People want a synopsis, a digest, a capsule of information delivered in a few seconds that is easy to swallow.”
Roosevelt offers these additional suggestions:
Research employers through hundreds of employer web sites.
Access all the major Internet job sites.
Learn how to contact professional associations in your desired career field.
Contact the college alumni association and alumni working for target companies.
Call the job hot lines of major area employers.
Subscribe to important trade journals in your field.
Identify all the major newspapers published in your geographic area.
Contact hundreds of state and federal government agencies.
Learn more about job hunting and interviewing techniques from leading academics.
Do not be discouraged. In spite of the dramatic swings in the economy and widespread reports of fewer recruiters on campuses, there is a never-ending need for creative and energetic new employees.
Expanding your vision after high school or college is often challenging. Those individuals who can meet these challenges are the ones in demand by progressive organizations.
(Jaine Carter, Ph.D. and James D. Carter, Ph.D. are management consultants and authors of the book, ”He Works She Works Successful Strategies for Working Couples.” (cartercarter.com.)
This story was provided by Scripps Howard News Service Copyright 2002 Scripps Howard News Service