Attention College Students: Graduating and No Job Offers Yet? Now Is Not the Time to Panic

Despite the fact that the job market is looking up and graduation is right around the corner, plenty of upcoming grads will find themselves with a diploma in one hand...and the Help Wanted section in the other, offers Elizabeth Freedman, a 2005 Finalist for College Speaker of the Year, given by the Association for the Promotion of Campus Activities and a frequent speaker on college campuses and inside organizations that hire large numbers of entry-level college grads.

Natick, MA (PRWEB) May 7, 2005 -- Despite the fact that the job market is looking up and graduation is right around the corner, plenty of upcoming grads will find themselves with a diploma in one hand...and the Help Wanted section in the other, offers Elizabeth Freedman, a 2005 Finalist for College Speaker of the Year, given by the Association for the Promotion of Campus Activities and a frequent speaker on college campuses and inside organizations that hire large numbers of entry-level college grads.

The reality is that nearly 1.3 million college students will be graduating over the next month," says Freedman, who works with thousands of college students and new professionals throughout the year. Todays economy, despite promises of 'recovery, continues to challenge students and new professionals, making it even tougher to stand out, get noticed, and land a job after graduation," says Freedman. Despite this news, now is not the time to panic, urges Freedman, who points out that plenty of great jobs are out there for savvy, enterprising grads in her 7 Strategies for Job-Seeking Grads:

1.    Start with the basics. In case you were too busy studying (or partying) furiously while you were in school to write a resume and cover letter, now is the time to get cracking on these job search basics. Check out free resources online to get you started, or visit your schools career center-many offer free or low-cost support to job-seeking alumni.

2.    Look for a job right away. Momentum can play a big role in your job search success, so fight the urge to take the summer off" before you look for a real job. Lets face it -- its a heck of a lot easier to get off the couch when youve only been watching TV for a week straight rather than for the entire summer. Plus, try explaining that summer-long gap on your resume to an employer: I was catching up on my Jerry Springer, sir...." So enjoy yourself for a few days, and then begin your job search process.

3.    Do something job-related - then get a life. Ever heard the saying that getting a job is a full-time job"? Instead of looking for a job all day, every day (which is depressing, difficult, and counterproductive), give the job-search a focused amount of time each day -- and then take time to exercise, enjoy your life, make a few bucks working at the local grocery store, practice your interviewing skills, go to a conference, attend a local meeting of an association that interests you, volunteer, work on a project, or do whatever you need to do to recharge. Promise yourself that you wont spend every waking moment sitting in front of your computer searching for a job. Give your job search a few of your best hours every day, and then move on.

4.    Keep sharp. Keep up your reading to get new job search ideas and information that keeps you one step ahead of the game. Read trade journals, newspapers, magazines that relate to your career goals, and include some inspiring business 'classics that you were too busy to read while you were in school, like Steven Coveys Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" or the job-seeking guide, What Color is Your Parachute" by Richard Bolles.

5.    Know what it is youre looking for. Despite the fact that youve invested a lot of time and effort (not to mention, money!) into getting your degree, far too many of us dont really know what we want to do after graduation and were hoping that well just figure it out along the way. You dont need to have your entire life planned out, but not having any kind of real answer to the 'what do I want to be when I grow up? question can definitely get in the way of your job search. Since youre not sure what youre looking for, you run the risk of applying to anything and everything that seems halfway decent. The result is that you get off track and waste precious time and energy applying to jobs you dont really want or feel strongly about. Instead, embrace your new mantra: Less is more. Repeat this anytime you feel the urge to send out your resume to anyone with a heartbeat.

6.    Forget about networking. Think relationship-building.

While networking is probably one of the toughest and most important aspects of the job search, there is good networking and bad networking. Heres one bad networking scenario: A student contacts an alumna from his business school and speaks to her about her company, a place where hed really like to work. The alumna spends 20 minutes of her time over the phone with the student, and tells him that, unfortunately, there are no open positions right now at her firm. The student, dejected, hangs up, and eventually moves on to the next alumnus. In the meantime, hes never sent her so much as a thank you note. Thats impolite, and gives all of us networkers a bad rap.

Starting now, instead of networking, think of relationship-building -- and your new goal is to have as many conversations with as many people as possible. Thats it. Unlike some networking, which ends once youve gotten what you want from the relationship (i.e., a job), having conversations with as many people as possible will help you build real, genuine relationships. Think about it: If you were working at a company, would you automatically help someone get a job there that you hardly knew? (For more on relationship-building, see Elizabeths free article, Down With Networking!" at http://www.elizabethfreedman.com/articles/index.php?article_id=24.)

7.    Not getting results? Take Your Job Search Temperature on a Regular Basis.

Got a fever? Take some aspirin. If youre looking for a remedy to unemployment, stop for a minute and take your job search temperature. Give yourself a moment to slow down, get honest with yourself, and really figure out what isnt working for you. When you assess and diagnose your situation accurately, you can pinpoint the specific job search areas you need to work on, and better identify solutions for doing so.

For example, if youve applied to countless jobs but have yet to land an interview, your resume may need some work. You may be applying to jobs for which you simply arent qualified. Are you only applying for jobs online? If so, youre making things tough on yourself, because youre competing against lots and lots of people for a single opportunity. Those are tough odds, where a fantastic resume may get buried or lost in the clutter. (For more getting results, see Elizabeths free article, Take Your Job Search Temperature: Fix What Isnt Working and Get Better" at http://www.elizabethfreedman.com/articles/index.php?article_id=30.)

Elizabeth Freedman, MBA, is an award-winning speaker and business columnist. Throughout the year, Elizabeth Freedman speaks to dozens of universities and organizations, and at regional and national conferences to help college, MBA students and new professionals transform into leaders, savvy marketers, team players, and, ultimately, successful employees.

Elizabeth is a 2005 APCA Finalist for College Speaker of the Year and is the author of The MBA Students Job Seeking Bible: Everything You Need to Know to Land a Great Job After Graduation. She is also the author and performer of Made Redundant, her one-woman show about the trials and tribulations of job seekers everywhere. The sold-out performances were highlighted in local and nationally-known media outlets, including The Boston Globe and National Public Radio.

For more information, please contact Elizabeth Freedman at info@elizabethfreedman.com or call.(617) 784-6598. You may also visit her online at http://www.elizabethfreedman.com.

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