Spherion, a leading recruiting and staffing company, partnered with MonsterTRAK, Monster.com's college division, to visit a local college campus and find out how seniors are preparing themselves for the transition from campus life to the working world.
I'm going to be graduating soon and like most college seniors, I'm getting nervous about the looming transition from college to the real world. To try to prepare, I've been reading everything I can get my hands on to brace myself for this dog-eat-dog world that I'm about to be thrown into.
The article stated that about 1.5 million undergraduates will receive their bachelor’s degrees this year and those graduates will collide with 1.85 million workers with bachelor’s degrees or higher who are currently unemployed. Pretty scary, right?
The article goes on to say -- "While the recession accounts for a large part of the drop in college hiring and the rise in unemployment among workers with degrees, the numbers also reflect a long-term trend toward producing more college graduates than labor markets can absorb. This trend is exacerbated by an equally long-standing mismatch in the fields of study that students pursue and the skill sets that employers require."
This is the first time I've heard anything like this... I mean, the whole reason I went to college was to prepare for my future career. So my question is: As a soon-to-be grad, what should I be doing to make myself more marketable to employers?
Your resume killed, you aced your interview, and you’ve landed the job of your mildest dreams. Sure, your current arrangements might not be ideal, but for now, you’re just happy to have your little five-foot-square box of heaven. Something’s amiss about that box, though – the people surrounding it look and behave nothing like your old college comrades. No, you haven’t missed a memo – you’re just new to cubicle living. Looks like you’re not in Kansas anymore, but don’t despair, greenhorn; I’m going to show you the ropes.
The first thing you need to keep in mind when navigating the perilous corridors of the office is that, yep, college is over, and it’s time to start adhering to a new set of rules. This means no more all-nighters, no more chest-bumping in the halls, and no more showing up in a ramen-stained T-shirt and tattered shorts. It’s time to start showing some decorum, so a full night’s sleep, more civilized methods of greeting your peers, and some smart threads are in order.
Once you’ve got the etiquette down, you’re prepared to enter this strange new world. Take a deep breath, open the door, and cross the threshold into a good portion of your working adult life. Once you’ve exchanged hellos, shook some hands, and savored the approving looks of your co-workers, it’s time to get down to business. You may have been a slacker in college, and if this was the case, you’re about to learn that bosses, for the most part, are considerably less forgiving than your professors were.
Quit shaking, kid; you can survive this.
If you want to keep your office job, you’ll want to work under the assumption that mistakes will get you canned. This assumption isn’t so far-fetched when you consider the current economic crisis. In fact, there’s a better chance now than ever before that your first flub will be your last, so putting in 110% is that much more important. How to do this?
1.) Stay Alert As mentioned previously, you’ll want to be well rested and alert when you show up for work. Get eight hours of sleep every night, eat your roughage, stay away partying on weeknights; do everything your mother and countless after-school specials have been telling you to do since before you could form complete sentences.
2.) Stay Organized This means that you’ll need to start using that Blackberry or iPhone for more than just texting and playing Bejeweled. Learn how to use the calendar function on these devices, make note of important dates and deadlines, and, if possible, synch it up with your home computer as a second line of defense against delinquency. If you’re not technologically inclined, pick up an old-fashioned day planner and use that.
3.) Stay Informed When a new technology or new approach to the sort of projects you’ve been assigned to comes along, you’re putting yourself at a disadvantage by remaining willfully ignorant of it. Find and devour all the information that you can on work-related topics to help keep you ahead. Search the Web, ask around, or conduct a bit of independent research elsewhere to ensure that you’re not stuck crunching numbers with an abacus.
Now that your boss is happy, your co-workers see you as their equal, and you’re aware of your surroundings, you can comfortably embrace the cube. Just settle in, and see where the corporate journey takes you. If you follow at least some of my advice, you’ll be surprised to see that it’s taking you places faster than you expected. Good luck!
One of the best measures you can take to avoid "Cinderella Syndrome" is to remain positive yet realistic about the career field you plan on entering. For example, my dream career after graduation would be to work for Cosmopolitan, Glamour, or another major women's magazine. While I can certainly try to positions that may be open within those companies, I also know that I will be extremely lucky to land such a job on my first try.
Maintaining a realist's view on the job market will certainly help you should you not get the job you had hoped for. At this rate, you should feel so honored to be a mail clerk at any company-- especially when so many are in hiring freezes. It's scary to think that some of the most educated, top-of-their-class graduates from the Class of 2009 may not have a job waiting for them.
The key thing to do is remain upbeat and remember that you are deserving of a great career. And one day, your job [or prince, as Cinderella would have it] will come.
Your college days are quickly coming to an end. You are about to face the real world for the first time. In other words, you’re going to need a real job— pretty scary, huh? If you’re wondering what to do next, you’re not alone. Millions of new grads have been faced with this same exact situation. They survived, and I promise, you will too! Nonetheless, there are things that can be done in preparation to help make your transition into the working world a little less jolting.
Like most grads, I’m sure you’re thinking that a great resume is going to take you places. While that’s true for the most part, it’s the substance (not the fluff) that determines the greatness of a resume. These days the job market is intense, so you’ll need to pull out all of the stops in order to land the job of your dreams, or at least one that’s worth bragging about. But, before you even think about writing your resume, make it your ambition to get as much experience as possible. That way, you’ll have something impressive to put on that fresh new resume of yours.
Internships, temp jobs and volunteer work are all great ways to rack up experience. Plus, you’ll gain an insider perspective in the field that you want to work in—something invaluable to finding career happiness. It also gives you the opportunity to network with other professionals in your prospective field. Networking is critical. It means getting your name out there and making connections with people who can assist or influence your job search. The right contact could be your golden ticket to a sought-after career opportunity that may otherwise not exist.
As you gain experience, you’ll find out what you like to do and what you’d rather do without. This is an important part of determining what career path will suit you best. While your degree will set you in a definite direction, don’t overlook jobs that play to your natural talents, interests and abilities. A 40-hour work week is tough enough, so make sure it’s a job you that you don’t mind doing or better yet, that you actually like.
Once you’ve got some experience and a grip on what jobs appeal to you, it’s time to write your resume. Unlike those lengthy research papers you’ve become so familiar with, a good resume should be short, sweet and to the point. It should provide an employer a brief synopsis of your education, work experience, skills and achievements. Since you are new to the workforce, it should not exceed one page in length, unless your experience merits it.
Next, you’ll want to write a smooth cover letter. Your cover letter functions as a prelude to your resume, offering you a platform to pitch yourself to prospective employers. It should include a personal introduction, indicate the position you’re applying for, express interest in the company, and expand upon (not just repeat) the skills and experience that make you the best candidate for the job. Finally, your cover letter should fit nicely on one page with ample margin space.
Once your resume and cover letter are complete, it’s time to make your debut to the job market. There are a number of ways to do that—from uploading your resume to job boards and applying to online job postings, to targeting specific employer Web sites and applying to posted positions or e-mailing your resume to their HR department. While it may be tempting to send out a blanket distribution of your resume, it’s not wise. Instead, research each company and job description. Then, modify your resume and cover letter to appeal to each position.
Now that you are faced with the quickly approaching end to your college career, it’s time to apply what you learned to the workplace. Make it count. Your career is a blank slate. It can be everything you want it to be, it’s all up to you. So, take this information and get experience, network, write your resume, prepare a cover letter, post it to job boards and e-mail it to employers. Go out there and make it happen! Good luck!
No previous work experience? It's okay, just get creative and work every angle you've got!
First Job? Are you worried that you’re resume is lacking much needed experience? I promise, you will be okay. Don’t get stuck in a mold. A resume is not just for listing work experience; it can be used for listing all types of experience and qualifications.You can use any and everything to your advantage. Work all of your angles—it’s not necessarily about how much experience you have, but what you’ve learned and how you’ve grown from these particular experiences. You can utilize participation in athletics to highlight your ability to work with a team. You can even utilize past babysitting experience; if a parent trusts you with the responsibility of their child, chances are that you can accomplish other tasks with that same responsibility. There are ways to spin anything into a positive learning experience.
When I first moved out of my parents’ home and into my own apartment, I thought I had made it. I was on my own at last, away from prying eyes and ears of my over-involved family. My friends could come and go as they pleased, and the décor could be as vulgar as my young, brash heart dared to allow. For six months, I lived it up and as the evenings gradually became my mornings; my humble abode began to resemble a toxic waste dump! I came to the realization that living under my own auspices wasn’t going to work unless a few drastic changes were made. I had my folks step in, and now, my floors are swept, my bed is made, and I’ve figured out that doing dishes is a great way to create counter space.
The moral of my story? It’s always good to have people with a little more experience at this whole “life” thing on your side. As a recent high school graduate, memories of your first date, first day of high school, and your first all-nighter are probably fresh enough in your mind for you to appreciate how uniquely harrowing each of these experiences were. Imagine how much more unpleasant these transitional periods would have been without a parent, friend, or significant other helping you to pull through. Scary thought, eh?
Your next big step – getting your career started – looms ahead, and going into your job search unassisted won’t just be unpleasant – it could be an absolute nightmare! Fortunately, with the help of a recruiter, you’ll sleep a little easier at night. When the going gets tough, recruiters can be your best ally, offering advice on everything from how to format your cover letter to providing insight to the job landscape. They can also help you determine what your skill set is and where to best apply it – think a more sophisticated version of that career aptitude test you may have taken in high school. Once you’ve set your sights on a particular type of job, a recruiter can guide you to the market that best suits your needs, ensuring that no matter how demanding a profession you enter, you’ll be reasonably within your comfort zone.
The perilous journey to gainful, fulfilling employment has bested many a recent graduate. However, armed with a good recruiter, you’ll likely reach your destination unscathed. As for the others – they can move back in with their parents.
Saw a great blog post on "First Jobs" on http://getthatjobonline.com/ and couldn't help but think back to MY first job! Did you know that I used to be a dance instructor? Long gone are my cha-cha days! Check out the full blog post here: My First Real Job Posted using ShareThis
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