Can 2009 College Graduates Find Jobs? |
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Tougher Climate for Recent College Graduates
A poll from the National Association of Colleges and Employers showed that employers in 2008 planned to hire 17 percent more recent college graduates than in 2007. Due to the current economic climate, however, the increase for 2009 is expected to be only about 6 percent. While your chances of landing a job after graduating college in the next couple years may depend on your major and its industry outlook (some areas are stronger than others such as accounting, health care, and education), there are other things you can do to make your job of looking for a job more successful.
Employment after College - Steps for Success
Step 1: Get Experience Now
Many experts are recommending college students get some experience in advance. Internships and even volunteering in your chosen field will give you experience to list on your resume. Remember, you'll be competing in a job market saturated with experienced professionals, not to mention your fellow graduates.
Step 2: Show Proof
Don't leave your college job or internship without letters of recommendation. Make sure you obtain letters from a professor or two as well. Without much experience, these letters add weight to your resume and show proof of your skills, talents, and good work ethic from those who have witnessed it. This can give you a leg up on the competition, especially others newly entering the job market.
Step 3: Keep Up With Your Chosen Field
Don't go into the job market blindly. While you're in college read industry magazines and web sites to be aware of what is really going on in the workplace. Colleges courses are often heavy on academia and don't give you cutting-edge knowledge and experience. Know what skills and technologies are important to have and know in your chosen field and where things are migrating to in the future. Even better, look at employers in your industry and investigate what qualifications they are looking for. This may afford you the chance to tweak your education to meet the needs of employers in your career-area.
Step 4: Start Early
Don't wait to start looking for a job until just before or just after you graduate college. Start early! You'll not only have a head start but you'll gain experience in job-seeking that will allow you to fine-tune your methods by the time you really need them.
Step 5: Be Flexible
Graduates in 2009 will have to be flexible. It’s likely you'll find your skills, talents, and major can lend itself to other fields you have not yet considered. Don't pin-hole yourself into one position. Flexibility may also include relocating or accepting less than your "dream job" right out of the starting gates. While graduates may have been able to obtain such positions in years past when the economy was thriving, things have changed and you'll need to adjust to the circumstances.
Step 6: Network
Finally, networking is always important whenever you're looking for a job, whether it is straight out of college or after many years of employment. Make it known to everyone you know that you are looking for a job. Post your resume online. Join professional organizations to make new career-related contacts. Make yourself and your intentions known!
This year or the next may not be the best time to be looking for a job, but your degree puts you in a better position to find employment than those without one. The undereducated are being hit even harder by the recession. Your academic efforts will pay off and by following the steps above you'll feel even better about your chances of beginning your career after graduation.
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