Tarah Beaven here, LCI’s Account Executive.
Graduation season is here and students are wondering – will they ever be able to find a job and move out of their parent’s home? The short unwelcoming answer is – probably not anytime soon. Dreams of McMansions and pimped out hybrid cars dwindle with the realization of spent college funds on an education they may not be able to use – at least not while working as a waiter or dog groomer. And yes, those loans students took out to pay for college will stalk them unlike any telemarketer they’ve ever been contacted by – again, and again, and again.
A study by the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University released on June 18th gave depressing insights to the perpetual trickledown effect of our recession. Statistics don’t lie: the median starting salary for college educated students from 2006 to 2007 was $30,000; in 2009 and 2010 it plummeted to $27,000. And if graduates are part of the lucky 56 percent who found a job by this spring, consider them in a glass half-full compared to 90 percent of graduates from 2006 and 2007 who found a job after graduation.
You’re probably scratching your head wondering why I’m flaunting such a bleak future for the next generation of workers – that’s because, during times of great recession and transition emerges innovative thinking and new workforce landscapes. We may live in one of the most difficult times to get a job, but socially, the population is the most connected it has ever been.
What can you do to put yourself in front of the pack?
– Go digital: Everyone knows job searching in the newspaper is passé, and according to a survey by Mountain View’s Elance, a website for freelancers and independent contractors to find gigs, they agree: 94 percent said they use the web for job searching and 40 percent said they use social media to get jobs. What does this mean for you? Do your due diligence and find website’s that aggregate your industry’s online job postings into one place. If public relations is your field, here’s a good place to start: MediaBistro.com
– Create a LinkedIn profile. Give your traditional resume a revamp and go digital. Leverage LinkedIn as a way to connect with professionals and seek out headhunters from your top companies to get the conversation going. LinkedIn displays Twitter, blog and Facebook feeds from company profiles that give you real-time updates on job opportunities.
– Put your head in the cloud: Job searching is a long and arduous process – but that doesn’t give you a pass to continue to build debt and become a daytime television critic. Plus, Millennials have spoken, 83 percent of them want to work independently according to the Elance survey. Work as a freelancer for the numerous crowdsourcing companies that link your expertise to micro-tasks for their clients, all done from the comfort of your computer. Check out crowdsourcing companies such as Mechanical Turk, Appen and Clickworker (LCI client).
– Volunteer your skill set: One of the best and most fulfilling ways to build your resume is to offer your expertise to non-profits. Sure, it’s unpaid, but the experience will be a building block for your resume and will keep you relevant in your field. Look into companies that pair your skill set with appropriate non-profits such as TapRoot Foundation.
– Take an internship: One-up your competition and take an internship or two with a company in your field. You’ll build pertinent skills related to your industry and your resume. It’s also a great way to network with colleagues in your field and maybe even get an offer for a full time position. At a minimum, be sure to ask for a letter of recommendation to leverage for future opportunities. If you are interested in interning at LCI, please contact Jordana Frishman, [email protected].
Lastly, don’t forget to say thank you during your job hunt journey. Our PR affiliate in Philadelphia, Anne Buchanan, offers great advice in a blog entitled “Why You Will Never Get Hired at Our PR Firm.”
Happy job hunting.
Want more advice? Email me at [email protected].
6 thoughts on “Job Hunt 2.0”
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Tarah, these are great tips. Where were you when I graduated college? 😉 –Jordana
Personally, I’m partial to Clickworker, but then that’s because they’re a client. 🙂 All kidding aside, I think you make some excellent points, Tarah. Folks just graduating need to hone their game and be better than the competition – which these days is formidable. My talented niece, Jessica Landis, currently holds down 5 jobs – two of them pro-bono – all of which conspire to help her gain the right experience and network to target her dream job. That’s the reality of the new economy.
As someone who tried to find a job in recession upon gradution (I won’t say “which” recession because that would date me!), your post really hit home. And I didn’t have some of the great social media tools that jobseekers have today. I also have one tip to add – take a class on job hunting – my friend Mauri Schwartz offers some great ones through her company, Career Insiders (www.careerinsiders.com).
Truly excellent points, Tarah! There are so many valuable communications tools available to new graduates and job seekers today. Understanding how to position yourself effectively and set yourself apart has always been important, but with the lightening-speed of communications and visiblity in this social media age, understanding how to use these tools adeptly is crucial. I would also add networking and connecting in person to the mix – something that can get lost in the digital mix. Informational interviews and live introductions will leave a lasting impression that email and LinkedIn notes may not. Ideally, a good mix of the above will provide a winning recipe for success!
Having built a patchwork career has truly allowed me to do things a 9-5 job never could. Of course there are tradeoffs but if you know and hold true to your priorities it can be the best of all possible universes!
I am especially excited by all the new crowdsourcing opportunities available. Here’s another one to add to your list if you are an urban iPhone user: Gigwalk. It is exactly what it sounds like, but here’s some more info: http://www.businessinsider.com/gigwalk-iphone-app-2011-5
Great tips, Tarah.
I just had a young woman visit my office. She graduated two weeks ago from Temple University. She showed me her resume and asked if I had any suggestions for strengthening it.
Her resume was very impressive and there was little I would have changed. But I did suggest she put her Twitter account at the top, with her other contact information, and make sure she keeps that account current. Social media skills are in such high demand that it makes sense to emphasize them, if you have them.
Good luck, graduates!