Tough Job Market Calls for Creative Solutions
Many students hoping to land the job of their dreams right after college are finding they must change their expectations and find ways to cope with the the country’s current recession. Although it’s easy to feel discouraged and somewhat anxious about the future, I’ve listed some specific action steps below that can help students and new grads in the short-term and better prepare them for full-time employment in the future.
What can you do if you can’t get an internship or a job in your field?
- Be flexible – check out additional career options.
- Research temporary agencies or jobs - which may eventually turn into full-time job opportunities.
- Build on your networking skills and learn ways to add to your personal network.
- Become proactive in your job search and be sure to follow up on all job applications and leads.
- Consider doing an internship to further develop your skills.
- Target all resume and cover letters to each job you apply to.
Also, be sure to check out Alison Doyle's site, About.com's Guide to Job Searching, for additional information on resumes, cover letters, networking, interviewing, job searching, and much, much more. You can sign up for Alison's newsletter to receive timely tips and advice or join in the ongoing discussions on her forum.
From my experience, it is often beneficial for job seekers to approach some of the job agencies around because they have the business contacts and you can get much more exposure through them than you would if you were to be looking in a newspaper or even online job search.
These are all really good tips. I just read an excellent little book called The Power of Small. The authors have some wonderful ideas including- keep a daily list of positives/accomplishments. I did this and found it much easier to talk with confidence about how I had been spending my time in school and since my last job.
Making face to face contacts and keeping track of personal accomplishments are both excellent strategies in moving a job search forward. A tough job market calls for creative techniques, flexibility, and a proactive approach when seeking to find existing job opportunities that are not advertised.
Penny