<p>Some of you will remember me posting about my job search process maybe two months ago. I didn’t get the job in Kentucky, and I graduated from my grad program on the 3rd jobless. (Only about 1/3 of my cohort had a job.)</p>
<p>I decided to move back home with mom and dad since that made the most financial sense, and I’m still applying, but there haven’t been a lot of new postings recently and over half of my cohort now has a job.</p>
<p>How do you keep from getting discouraged? I honestly don’t know what else I could be doing. I’ve applied and applied and applied and I just feel like I’m spinning my wheels.</p>
<p>I don’t remember what field you are in, but I would suggest volunteering to keep your skills up and also as a source of leads.( not to mention as a way to keep busy)
The job market is improving but it can be very frustrating at times.
Even for temp work, there are often a series of interviews.</p>
<p>Keep remembering the time when you didn’t get that RA job on the first go-round. If I remember right, they eventually called you back and hired you.</p>
<p>Have a few people look over your resueme and make suggestions. Do you know anyone who conducts interviews? Maybe you could meet with them so they could give you a few pointers. </p>
<p>Most jobs are not gotten by applying to ads online. Most jobs are gotten through networking. Tell everyone you know what you’re looking for and what your qualifications are. Create a two-minute “elevator speech” so you can tell anyone you meet who you are.</p>
<p>It can take months and months to find a job, and years and years to find the right job. It will happen, however. I do believe it!</p>
<p>Back in the day, the best way to get a job in my field was to establish oneself with a recruiter who specialized in that field, because at least 95% of the time when someone was actually hiring for a REAL job they went to one or more of those recruiters. </p>
<p>Rule 1: finding a job is a FULL TIME job. Sounds simplistic, but that is what is needed. You have to be relentless and work hard at it.
Rule 2: Pursue all avenues, including different ones. You graduated with a degree targeting working in higher education. You will have to adapt to the timing of opening for such jobs, and many might only open until the end of the summer.
Rule 3: If you get little traction from your applications, consider reworking your presentations. Do not rely on the template resumes shared by your typical career centers. Try different versions of the resumes, and ALWAYS invest considerable time and effort in your cover letter. Do not assume that people spend much time perusing your resume. They will, however, read the cover letter with a few more seconds of attention.
Rule 4: The biggest hurdle is to survive the computer screenings. Hence, the need to vary your resumes and letters. Do NOT assume that the people who are hiring will see your resume, let alone hear about you. It is just the name of the beast.
Rule 5. Be creative. Consider starting a website or a blog where you can showcase your talents. This is a place where you can upload some of the projects you did, or discuss part of your education that will be relevant to the jobs you target.
Rule 6: Look to join professional groups in the industry you are targetting. Again, looking for a job is a full contact sport and a sport that takes ALL your energy.
Rule 7: Do NOT pay much attention to the people who looked for jobs more than a decade ago, and this includes most adults. The new world is MUCH different than it used to be. Trust only advice from recent hires and from people who do this kind of job in a world dominated by social media and computerized searches. The good old days are gone, and so are all the old clichés. </p>
<p>And the last rule, and one that I expect to be controversial: Stay away from giving away your services through unpaid "volunteering: or internships. Those were for BEFORE you graduated. Believe it or not … this might actually backfire and will simply distance you from your ONLY job now. And that job is to find a paid job. </p>
<p>Lastly, sign up for the PULSE site and direct your searches on the job market. The are quite a bit or articles on the job market and ideas about resumes and the likes. </p>
<p>I’m talking with a recruiter my dad knows through his work at IBM on Monday. He doesn’t specialize in Higher Ed, but he may know someone who does.</p>
<p>My resume and cover letter have both been looked at by almost every student affairs professional on my campus. My department did mock interviews with us a few months back and had us interviewed by professionals outside our department (so people who don’t know us as well) to get us that experience.</p>
<p>I’m in a Student Affairs professionals group on FB…I suppose I could post a quick note there.</p>
<p>I agree with xiggi, I’m really not looking to volunteer right now. Not only are those extremely hard to find in student affairs (most positions are filled through organizations like NODA and ACUHO-I which closed months ago), it’s something I’ve already done. If I still don’t have a job by late June/July, I’m planning to take the CBEST so I can do some substitute teaching and at least have some income. </p>
<p>Toledo, I’m shocked anyone here remembers that! It’s just very hard to be patient when my peers are all getting jobs and I’m sitting here with jack.</p>
<p>Try working your Linkedin contacts. Search for recruiters that specialize in placement in your field and contact them, but be careful and skeptical of anyone who asks for $$ for their services. Do not get discouraged, and do not give away your services for free, as xiggi says. Good luck! </p>
<p>I agree with VeryHappy that networking is the strongest way to get your foot in the door. So think of every source - alumni groups, professional groups, previous volunteer groups, etc. Set up informational interviews. Assume you have a LinkedIn profile - make sure it’s complete and up-to-date; see if you can get people to endorse some skills. See if you have second degree connections to people in your field and ask to be connected directly.</p>
<p>I think its important to grasp that feeling down is normal. I had a friend who had been a salesman for Lanier dictaphone products who related that their sales manager told them that their goal for the day was to get 100 people to tell them they weren’t going to buy one. Its a little bizarre, but you get the idea about how you have to turn the psychology around. </p>
<p>Also, I will tell you that my own experience in job hunting and other endeavors is that it is important to simply keep chugging along. Something is better than nothing. And when the good things happen, it is remarkable how fortunate and serendipitous it seems. I know of one guy who struggled getting work a couple of years ago, and has slowly moved himself into a position where he’s now working for Google and quite happy, but no one would have expected it if you were looking at him back then. Keep the faith. You’ll get something, and you’ll be happy with it. </p>
<p>Definitely work your LInked iN profile–make sure you join every group you can.</p>
<p>Set up informational interviews with higher ed personnel at all schools any where close to you or where you would like to live–talk to higher ups to learn about the profession from the insiders–and maybe they will think of you the next time they have an opening.</p>
<p>spend your time developing some additional expertise that might set you apart–for example, obtain a certificate in project management or something else that might be of interest or beneficial.</p>
<p>Go to as many social events/networkng events as you can, even if they are not in your field, because you don’t know who you might meet there. For example, if you go to a political meet and greet–you might meet another attendee who could help you.</p>
<p>If you can afford it, see if you can take a class or two at local school(s) so you can access their career centers.</p>
<p>Thank you all! I’m sending messages to lots of people and these are some great tips I’m really interested to see what this IBM recruiter has to say on Monday.</p>
<p>When I spoke of volunteering, I didn’t mean volunteering in your field, necessarily. </p>
<p>I think that volunteering somewhere on a regular basis is a good way to inject some structure into your life, and feel wanted and useful, all of which might help you fight off those negative feelings. It could be anywhere. There are plenty of opportunities to work with kids, for example, that would not equate to giving your skills/work away, but might even help you network.</p>
<p>BTW, no legitimate recruiter would ever ask a job seeker for money. Don’t just be skeptical: run away.</p>
<p>Yes, my thoughts exactly.
Pounding the virtual pavement is very draining.
Volunteering can be a place where you can go forward and see your efforts effect change. Not to mention the contacts you can make.
Many, many organizations sponsor their employees volunteer work, and it can be a good place to expand your contacts.
Also agree with working Linked in.</p>
I’m really interested to see what this IBM recruiter has to say on Monday.</p>