Ditz

Issue date: 2/2/09 Section: Outside the Bubble

Model: Mackenzie Israel-Trummel

I know what you're thinking. This again? As you glance down at this list, you're probably experiencing extreme flashbacks to your junior and senior year of high school. Well, if you thought applying to college was the last time you'd be whoring yourself out to the highest bidder, think again. In this day's economy, the newly unemployed and fresh college graduates alike are competing for top jobs. As we heard in high school, it's never too early to start thinking about where you want to end up, and how you plan to end up there. Here, we've assembled a list of advice from the professionals-my mom, to be exact, and her friends in Human Resources, who warn her of the terrible job market her daughter is about to enter. I hear this advice every cross-country phone call I receive from home, so I thought I would share it with the world.

You might be wondering why I would jeopardize my competitive edge in such a way-after all, isn't it all about making yourself look better than the other applicants? Well, let's just say I believe in job market karma.

1. Start Early
This may seem obvious, but it's easy to forget when your mind is on many other things, like how to pay bills or how to align your course credits to graduate on time. While 50-page papers are dominating the college students' minds, newly-jobless adults are worrying about how to make ends meet on severance pay. In either case, it seems like there is little time to worry about the job search at the end of the day. Think again! While it is an easy subject to put on the back burner, all those other things are only going to get harder the longer you table your quest for a career. Pursue any leads you get, and pursue them today, not tomorrow. It is a competitive world, and that job you read about on Craigslist was viewed by thousands of people. It probably won't be there tomorrow.

2. The Who/What/Where-Choosing What's Important
Many people end up taking jobs in locations far from their ideal destination. You may be offered a great job in a different place than you hoped for, or be offered a crappy job in your dream location. You must decide what matters to you, ideal job or ideal city. Do you want to stay near your significant other, but be miserable from 9-5 every week day? There's also the possibility that your only offers will be boring jobs in boring cities. You may have to take a crappy job in North Dakota, but remember-the top priority should be having any job. In the debate between Where and What, I think the What is more important. You will likely spend more time at work than outside of it. Most people find that it's easier to do something they love in a city they hate than to wake up one day and realize they hate their job in a city they were too stubborn to leave.

3. Know That You Probably Won't Get Your Dream Job
You should assume early that you will not get your dream job. If you do, it will come as a pleasant surprise, but if you don't, you will not suffer an enormous let-down. You should prepare yourself to take what's available and reasonable. Don't disregard early opportunities, thinking that something better will come up. Usually we're told not to listen when people who advise us to lower our standards, but this isn't the search for Mr. Right here-it's the search for sustenance, and you can't survive on hopes and dreams alone. Those who ignore opportunities that don't fit their idealistic dreams are often left wondering how all of their friends managed to land jobs and they're back living with their parents. Don't be that person.

4. Remember That You Probably Won't Be Paid Well
We all have our movie-star requests and tendencies-things you've stubbornly insisted upon your whole life. Well, this year might be the time to let go of those things. You may have hoped you wouldn't have to ride a bike to work, or live in a studio apartment. You might have to do some things you always said you wouldn't-loners, this means living with a roommate, or possibly many roommates. Organic food junkies, this might mean limiting your visits to Whole Foods. In fact, this could be the year that lives in infamy as that time you lived off of canned tuna and scrambled eggs for two weeks straight. It doesn't sound glamorous, but it isn't supposed to be. You have your whole life to be successful indulgent. The word right now is frugal, for people of all walks of life. College graduates are no exception.


5. Network, Network, Network
I doubt this is the first time you've heard this, and it certainly won't be the last. Networking is huge. You should be talking to everyone you can think of about anything they might know of. Jobs, contacts, events, opportunities. Talk to your professors and strengthen any bonds you may have formed with people in your proposed line of work. During these economic times, jobs are scarcer and more people are out there, vying for them. Fewer jobs and more people mean that hiring teams are now narrowing down from a group of 30, rather than the quaint 5-10 groups they used to examine. From parents to Facebook groups, any in you can get means all the more in this competitive job market, so be looking for things that make you stand out. If all 30 people have similar credentials, businesses will hire someone who comes highly recommended. It really is who you know, moreso than what you know.

6. Participate in Recruitment
You've seen the booths, you've read the flyers about Career Days. Believe it or not, but most major national companies generate the majority of their hiring pool on college campuses. You can participate in scheduled interviews, you can try to make a lasting impression at a booth, or introduce yourself to the team behind a table on Career Day. It doesn't seem like much, but this can be a huge help if you want to work for a large company. Sending in a resume on your own is risky-it can get lost in the milieu of country-wide competition. When regional branches want to hire regional people, they narrow down the pool at universities. You want to be a part of that pool, because chances are you'll drown in a larger one.

7. Be Professional
In case you are looking at smaller companies that don't do recruitment, or in case you don't know anyone to network with, it's still possible to make yourself stand out from other applicants. In the era of Blackberries and iPhones, we've all grown accustomed to using text message lingo in our email correspondence. Stop doing this! Companies sort through enormous piles of applications, and nothing makes their job easier than a misspelled word or an email using slang. These get the boot first, and you don't want to be one of them just because you accidentally typed "wanna" instead of "want to." What's more, be sure to use key terms lifted from a job posting in your cover letter or response. Many companies sort resumes based on words or phrases they are looking for, and if you use the words used in their job description, your resume will make the short list.

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