Interning and volunteering enable you to network, gain It’s not what know, its related experience, and acquire new skills all at the same with your time. Seeking out the right employer is a lot like looking for the right mate. You don't know if it's going to last until you've spent a lot of time together, and you may have to kiss a few frogs before you find a prince (or princess).
The good news is that interns are often offered full-time professional positions after concluding their internship. In the same survey cited above, researchers found that about one in ten graduates secured job offers from organizations where they had interned. This trend is not at all surprising considering that employers in the 90s are extremely conscious about hiring costs. Promoting an intern into a full-time position eliminates the need for advertising the job in the newspaper and retaining an employment agency, both of which cost big bucks. It also eliminates the costs of training a brand new employee C.R.A.P.O.L.A.
We hope we haven't given you the impression that the job hunt is hopeless. We just want you to be prepared for what might happen. Who knows? You may find your ideal job in less than a week, although the average search usually takes closer to six months. There are a staggering number of variables that will affect the outcome of your job hunt. Obviously, if you're well qualified and are seeking a position in a field where the demand.
The U.S. Department of Education projects that in the year 2005, 1.32 million bachelor's degree holders will be vying for only 914,000 jobs that require post-secondary education, leaving 400,000 graduates to settle for positions that require a high school diploma or less for workers exceeds the supply, you should have no problem finding a suitable position.
Keep in mind, however, that market conditions can fluctuate like your average romance. Just ask the folks who worked on Wall Street in 1989. One day they were sitting on top of the world, and the next day the rug was pulled out from under them. You just can't afford to be complacent in this world. Fortunately, though, there is much you can do to ensure that your job hunt is successful. What you really need is a lot of C.R.A.P.O.L.A.
Helpful Job Hunting Resources
Job Hunter's Source book, Gale Research-pulls together all of the job hunting resources for 155 high-profile professions.
The Career Guide, Dun & Bradstreet-up-to-date, comprehensive and accurate cover age on prospective employers and career opportunities for recent college graduates.
Encyclopedia of Associations, Gale Research-a guide to 23,000 national and international organizations, including trade, environmental, govern mental, educational, technological, health, ethnic, sports, chambers of commerce, and trade and tourism.
Directories in Print, Gale Research-describes more than 14,000 rosters, guides, directory databases, and other lists published in the United States and worldwide. Covers arts and entertainment, business, computers, education, government, health, law, real estate, recreation, science, social services, and other areas.
The National Jobline Directory, Bob Adams-Over 2,000 companies, government agencies and other organizations that post job openings by telephone.
Wear your resume on a T-shirt, have it delivered to your prospective boss with cappuccino and doughnuts, send out press releases, design an innovative business card, put a clever message on your answering machine-the possibilities are endless. Whatever you do, always maintain your professionalism, and try to get noticed in a positive way. Delivering a strip-o-gram to your future company will certainly get you noticed, but you won't be taken seriously.
Resourcefulness
Being resourceful means leaving no stone unturned. Take advantage of everything and everybody that can be of help in your job search: college career centers, libraries, government agencies, employment agencies, newspapers, magazines, career guides, directories, employer databases, trade associations and publications, and especially people, people, and more people. Since you never know where you might get a tip about a job, you must keep your eyes and ears open at all times. You might be casually flipping through the Sunday paper when bam!, you spot an article about Disney's plans to open a theme park in your hometown. What does that mean? You guessed it - jobs, and lots of them-in marketing, construction, graphic design, management, etc.
Or perhaps you're ambling down main street when you notice that the ground has just been broken for a new hotel and convention center. More jobs. Or maybe you sit down to have lunch with an alum who reveals to you that her friend's record label is looking for an A & R person. Another job. By being resourceful, you'll hear about more opportunities than most of your competitors combined. And the more opportunities you hear about, the better the chance you'll come across the one that is just right for you.
