<p>Our daughter finished her AS degree in May and has been looking for a month for fulltime work. If she doesn’t find it, then she goes for her BS degree. I have been helping with the job search and am actually amazed at the number of jobs out there in the Boston - NH area. Most of them want experience though and that can be a tough one for a new graduate. The employment numbers released Wednesday and this morning are very encouraging for those looking for work. There are some companies out there that are willing to train too. In the meantime, our daughter is studying for A+ certification and I’m teaching her how to tear down and rebuild computers along with providing her with some software skills. I went through this with our son a few years ago and it was definitely harder back then.</p>
<p>I know lots of parents with unemployed or underemployed graduates.</p>
<p>Well, husband has calmed down. He still thinks the pay is too low, but he understands that son is doing what he wants to do and where he wants to be working. I always look on the bright sde, and I find it great that he has a full-time job with benefits 5 weeks after graduation. </p>
<p>As far as how to find a job, my opinion is that you do everything - networking, sending out resumes, applying for posted jobs, etc. Of course, my son did not listen to me and only pursued this one option! But for anyone else - I would urge your adult child to try all avenues - you never know which one will provide the best lead.</p>
<p>runnersmom, I suspect that those who have contacted my boys were either (1) trolling based on keywords, and/or (2) looking through the connections of those with whom they are already connected at certain target companies.</p>
<p>I also agree with BCEagle that it’s invaluable to get as much interview practice as possible to work out the kinks in your responses and to hear every possible interview question out there so s/he can formulate a prepared response. </p>
<p>My DS really struggled early on this past winter in interviewing for a summer internship. He would get to the 2nd or 3rd round but not clinch an offer. By the end of the process, he received five offers in a week because he had nailed his responses and could anticipate what would be asked.</p>
<p>I would just like him to get to an interview. He was successful in obtaining this internship, having interviewed with about 6 people, but I still think he’s still going to need prep since he has had few interviews that have not been offered based on connections, and those did not go so well. He is off today and I think I’m going to suggest baby steps - get his LinkedIn Profile updated, join relevant industry groups and send invitations to everyone at his very small company. If I can get him to do that, I will feel as if I’ve had a successful day. I know he should be wanting to do this, but this one somehow missed the proactive gene. I know he wants a job, just doesn’t want to have to put time into getting one.</p>
<p>Sounds like a good start. One additional thought per my previous post. If he has grad school, college or high school classmates who work in his desired industry and/or at target companies, he should send them a LinkedIn invite, regardless of whether they were ever close. The more people’s networks of which he is a part, the more likely a recruiter will come across his profile.</p>
<p>Great idea, I will add that to the list. I informed him that I was going to be on him like white on rice, as they say. His response was, “Good, I need it.” That’s a step forward - at least he acknowledges his weakness in this area. Funny, at work they perceive him to be very proactive - does most things before he’s asked! Let’s hope it inspires him to move forward to do what he needs to do in his own personal arena. I love him, but need him not to live here anymore!</p>
<p>runnersmom - you said he’s in financial services - has he considered getting any type of insurance licenses or anything of that nature? I work in financial services and I have recruiters that call every week. No clue where they get my number. But I get job offers left and right in the mail. Something like that might open doors for him without him even having to do much.</p>
<p>My daughter is trying to decide between two job offers. She’d be very happy at either place, and will be both excited and heartbroken when she makes her decision. </p>
<p>VERY different locations - one in the small Adirondack Mountains town where we camp every summer and the other a small city closer to home. She likes both prospective employers. They both very much want her.</p>
<p>She’s planning to spend a day shadowing both doctors (she’s getting her PA degree) and then decide which one feels like “home” to her. My mom advice is that once she makes a decision, not to look back and wonder about what might have been.</p>
<p>Quick note on health insurance - thanks to those who prompted me to double check. Our family insurance plan is with Aetna, and they confirmed that he can stay on our insurance until he is 26, even if his employer offers insurance. I feel our Aetna coverage is better and this will save him $75/month - what his new employer would charge him for low option medical and dental. Say what you want about Obamacare, this is one aspect of the law I applaud.</p>
<p>We do this with our son because it doesn’t cost us anything (directly) as our daughter is on our insurance. When they both have insurance, though, we’ll reassess.</p>
<p>^ Same with us…it’s another reason we want our D to save what her insurance would have cost her, as we’ll reassess when S gets insurance when he gets job post college…</p>
LinkUp pulls job listings directly from the corporation’s jobs board, so they are all legit.
Most university’s use the NACE software system and often that includes Interview Stream, which is an online mock interview process that can be practised over-and-over again. Also, if the u has the feature activated, there’s an option for alumni to list where they work. This is a great networking/mentoring opportunity.
NPR has a valuable segment called “Ask the Headhunter” - transcripts of recently asked questions is online (great way for parents to bring their knowledge up-to-date). </p>
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<li>Son graduates next year, so I’m finding this thread feeding my proactive nature. Nephew graduated this year and DB has been a wealth of information, too.</li>
</ul>
<p>Great info, thanks. I don’t know what, if any access he has to his university’s career service options at this point since he graduated 4 years ago and did his masters overseas. I will definitely check out the NPR reference though. Insurance is another reason we’d like him to find a full-time position with benefits promptly. He’s already 26, but our insurance carries him until the end of the calendar year in which he turned 26. My eldest just graduated from law school and has had to find insurance to cover him in the breach between the time his school insurance ends (August 1) and when his job coverage starts (November 1). It is very expensive and residence driven, even for catastrophic type coverage, which, as we found out, is not available everywhere.</p>
<p>Apt in gated community for $600/mo?? WOW!!!</p>
<p>My s just moved into a very small (maybe 750 sq ft) old apt in a duplex, with only street parking-- for something like $2250/mo, and that was lone of the less expensive options!</p>
<p>New complex - really nice kitchen. (Not that he cooks, LOL) Did I mention the pool and gym? Seriously. Gotta love NC rents. He lived there last year with roommates - 3br 2ba w/sunroom for $1250.</p>
<p>Killing you! Killing me too. The kitchen in their rental last year was nicer than the kitchen in my 30 year old house! I’d love to remodel/update - but I’m too busy paying for college! And I’d love to be sitting poolside right about now! Memo to self - something is really wrong here.</p>
<p>But seriously, San Francisco! That’s wonderful. Never been, actually. On my bucket list, should I ever be done paying for college!</p>
<p>I sent my DS a photo of the status of the update of the kitchenette in our basement, and he said it was nicer than any of the kitchens in the apts they were looking at. SF is like NY or LA or Boston-- fun to visit-- EXPENSIVE to live!</p>