By Ross Olsen
According to an article from Monster.com, the January 2010 employment figures have emerged. There was a bit of positive information that the total rate of unemployment fell from 10 percent down to 9.7 percent. However, 20,000 jobs were still lost to the economy last month.
Don’t let these figures discourage you from doing everything you can to prepare though! The most important thing you can do is to be active and really make yourself stand out to employers. It is important to get experience, network, and use all of the available resources available to you. Also, as said on Collegeboard.com, work experience isn’t the only thing you can do to make a good resume; you can volunteer, join clubs, and take skill building classes.
While these examples are from the University Of Oregon, all schools will have similar programs. As a University of Oregon Student, you have access to the job link, which allows you to make a profile, find on and off campus jobs, see current events, and find available internships.
Students also have access to internships.com. Simply select the University of Oregon, use the promo code GODUCKS, and you have free access to a large internship database. You can search for an internship through the search criteria of major, compensation type, and internship location.
There are also a wide variety of school organizations you can join to spruce up your resume. Some examples for a journalism major would be to join the local campus radio station, the Daily Emerald, or the PRSSA. If you are majoring in business, why not enroll in one of the many business clubs sponsored by the Lillis Business School such as the business fraternity. Becoming involved also opens up unexpected networking opportunities and widens your experience and skills.
You also have counselors available to help you in your job search. There are academic, career, and counselors for your major. They can help you maximize your schooling to be enticing to potential employers. When you have your resume and cover letter completed, take it into your counselors and have them go over it. They can also show you additional resources that you have available to you that you may have been unaware of.
Beef up that resume with diverse skills and experiences. Be active and get involved. Take advantage to all the opportunities around you.
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[...] way to get real-world experience and Ross touched on a number of different resources in his post, “Getting Experience to Spruce Up Your Resume.” In order to help students connect with internship opportunities, we alerted them of several web [...]