Guest post by Stuart Schultz, Gradspot.com
These days, you can detect a sense of fear when hanging out with parents and their recently graduated children (one of my favorite activities, by the way.) With the National Association of Colleges and Employers reporting that companies will hire 22 percent fewer college graduates this year compared to 2008, it’s not surprising that some people believe that there is a lack of jobs right now. But in reality, things aren’t as bleak as they might seem. Several industries, like healthcare and government, are actually expanding and even the finance sector is beginning to open up some. The trick is to know where to look for opportunities, as well as how to be proactive when the right one comes along.
The Network Effect
Networking has always been the oil that greases the job market-up to 85 percent of positions are filled through referrals*, while a tiny percentage is filled by people who respond blindly to job postings. From our conversations with HR professionals and recruiters, it is also clear that in a tough economy, employers are even more inclined to go with what seems like a “known quantity” instead of taking a chance on someone who applies out of the blue.
Start by making a list of family members, friends and colleagues, and reach out to them systematically. Keep in mind that these generous people are helping you out, and don’t take advantage of them. Thank-you notes and flexibility on your end are a must. But don’t stop there:
- Meet new people through sports leagues, volunteer opportunities and alumni organizations.
- Tell friends what you’re looking for through Twitter and Facebook status updates.
- Set up a LinkedIn profile.
- And do anything else you can to get as much exposure as possible.
The point of networking is that the idea of “six degrees of separation” could prove true-your friend’s boyfriend’s best friend’s cousin might just be the person who can help you. But if you don’t put yourself out there, you’ll never know.
Narrowing the Field
The big, general job listings sites like Monster.com, Yahoo! Hotjobs and Craigslist have some legitimate positions on them, but you have to wade through a lot of out-of-date and irrelevant job postings (dung collector, anyone?) to find the diamonds in the rough. Narrow your search by finding out what the best job boards are for your industry (i.e., MediaBistro.com for media and entertainment jobs and Idealist.org for non-profit gigs). Also, don’t forget that you can usually go directly to the site of the company you want to work for and check for openings.
Strategic Thinking
Recession math means more candidates for fewer positions. And depending on your interests, it may feel like there’s nothing out there. If this is the case, you need to do your research to find out where the opportunities exist. Read newspapers, blogs and industry trade publications to keep abreast of what’s going on, and look out for big happenings like a new company getting funding (that means they’re probably going to hire) or two companies merging (could mean layoffs, but could also mean restructuring and new staff). It’s also worth looking at smaller companies, because they may have specific hiring needs at any given moment.
It’s a Marathon, Not a Sprint
As annoying as it may sound, there’s good reason people say job-hunting is a job in itself. If you send out fifty identical resumes and then sit back waiting for an offer to come your way, you might find yourself waiting for a very long time. Wake up at a reasonable time every morning (and no, noon is not “reasonable”!), take a shower, get dressed and try to do at least one thing that will move your hunt along-write a cover letter, photocopy resumes or schedule a networking meeting.
Ultimately, the worst thing you can do when you don’t have a job is do nothing but job-hunt. That’s a snooze for you, and it makes you look like someone who’s just waiting around for a job. Instead, volunteer, intern or work on a start-up to build skills and be able to piece together a story that resonates with potential employers-stay engaged with the industry into which you want to break, and use these experiences as direct evidence of what you can bring to a position. You might even meet your next boss in the process!
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Stuart Schultz is the co-author of The Gradspot.com Guide to Life After College and Founder and CEO of Gradspot.com , the ultimate online destination for life after college, with in-depth how-to articles on finding a job, getting an apartment, understanding healthcare, and much more.
*Pam Lassiter, The New Job Security (Berkeley: Ten Speed Press, 2002) 122.
