May 2003


Job Hunting Advice to the Brand New Graduate

By

Jane M. Lommel, Ph.D.

President of Workforce Associates

and author of

NetWork: Maximizing Your Career Resources on the Internet

Available online and in print from Author House

During the last two months, I’ve conducted several focus groups with very bright graduating seniors at high schools and community colleges in several areas of the country. The world looks sunny to them and I’m sure that they’ll do well. But I can’t suppress my worry that, although they may be prepared academically for what will be thrown their way, their skills in finding and keeping multiple careers throughout their lifetimes are pretty weak.

For example, when asked about how many careers they thought they might have, the consensus was two or, at most, three. Meanwhile, we who are over the age of 40 know full well that there are many twists and turns in life that will greet them, and they should really be told to expect at least 7-10 major career shifts during their working lifetimes.

Secondly, when asked about the number and variety of job shadowing and internships they had had during high school and their college experiences, the numbers were disappointingly low. Most had concentrated on community outreach experiences and volunteering, which is fine, but they did not connect those public service hours with having exposure to the world of work. Their counselors made a big point of telling me that their students did not have time for internships, that schools didn’t value those hours spent in trying out new careers or shadowing professionals. They (the schools) were more interested in students’ putting face time in homeless shelters or on environmental projects. I’m certainly not against contributions to their communities, but it is curious that these experiences aren’t seen as internships. Somehow, there is a bifurcated notion that community service and work-oriented internships don’t achieve the same goals.

Thirdly, when asked about folks who have influenced them outside their immediate families, none of them spoke about the help and advice that they received from career counselors. They mentioned sports coaches, clergy, successful professionals in their neighborhoods, volunteer leaders, but not the guidance counselors whom one might think would be instrumental in guiding their academic experience toward career goals. In fact, when I asked specifically about the influence of their career resource center or their guidance counselor, the question met with a loud dull thud or a nervous giggle. And yet, we preach that a career counselor will be as valuable as their financial planner and doctor in the years ahead. Sad story!

Finally, when I reviewed their resumes for their first work experience, I was shocked at how traditional and dull they were. Here are the cardinal sins in their resumes:

    • No keyword section in their electronic resumes;
    • Slavish attention to two-page paper resumes, although the world has gone almost entirely electronic;
    • No clear cut career objectives at the beginning of their resumes;
    • No understanding of how important it is to have several versions of their resumes;
    • Too much emphasis on courses taken, not on what they learned;
    • Too little mention on their experiences, whether volunteer work or job shadowing or internships;
    • Lack or realization of how important it is to research the company in question and to prepare specific questions for their interviews.
    • Lack of stress on their computer skills. Employers expect that this younger generation can handle multiple software packages well.
    • No stress on their people skills, which employers value. Noting how many group projects you’ve been a part of, how adroit your problem-solving skills are, and your customer service savvy will get you far ahead.

Here are some websites to help you develop a more impressive resume and to find better jobs more quickly:

Every local newspaper has a job search section online. Career Builder is a valuable site that lists local papers throughout the country and gives extensive information about applying online. You’ll also find that many local TV stations have jobs websites online.

There are hundreds of niche job boards. One of my favorites is Craigslist.org which covers major cities around the country with jobs in the public, private, and non-profit sectors. The Chronicle of Higher Education lists jobs in academia, as well as foundations, research and training institutes, etc.

There are many job sites just for college graduates. The National Association of Colleges and Employers includes virtual job fairs to check out. There are also Collegegrad.com and Collegerecruiter.com.

There are also websites for every ethnic group. Some of the better known are Blackcollegian.com, Blackvoices.com, Latinoweb.com, and Asia-jobs.com.

Check out the American Society of Association Executives for their exhaustive list of professional associations under the "Gateway to associations" section. Join the student chapter or the young professionals section of your association. You’ll find a goldmine of job opportunities and scuttlebutt about your chosen field.

Small business journals can keep you up-to-date about the business climate and activities in major cities around the country. Here's an excellent resource about small companies: http://www.bizjournals.com/

The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Christian Science Monitor, the Economist, the International Herald Tribune, and the Financial Times are all online with excellent career and business information. Use one of them as your homepage.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics also has excellent information about labor market information in your area plus projections about what the "hot jobs" are projected to be as of 2010.

WorkKeys is a site that provides excellent information for students about the importance of "soft skills" in their proposed careers. Eight soft skills are ranked for each of hundreds of jobs. The information about the importance of teamwork, technology savvy, writing and listening skills will be invaluable to incorporate in your electronic resume.

ACT also has an excellent career assessment system called "Discover". Become familiar with it and use it throughout your career as your interests and necessity dictate.

Check the major search engines and online references daily for new resources: http://www.google.com, http://www.metor.com, http://www.refdesk.com, http://www.ceoexpress.com, http://www.teoma.com, and http://www.dailybusinessreview.com

Vet your electronic resume with online experts such as these:

Best of luck in your hunt for a brand new career. Hang on to these tips and websites, because chances are very good that you’ll need them in 1-2 years. The average job tenure for young people under the age of 35 is that long! Find a good career counselor now --

Contact me for more information at jlommel@WorkforceAssociates.com

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