Will you have a job after graduation?

That’s the question our group tackled this term, as the odds are currently stacked against recent college grads looking for full-time work after graduation. The statistics are grim: 85,000 jobs were lost in the United States in December 2009. During that same year, less than half of recent grads were working in a job that required a college degree. (cite)

Facing statistics like those, many college students and recent graduates wonder: How will I ever find a job? While it may take a little work, it’s certainly not impossible to find a job. Our goal was to equip students with the tools necessary for success after graduation. We show current students how they can beat the economy when they graduate by preparing themselves during college with resume-boosting activities, networking and by consideration of different post-graduation opportunities. Ultimately, our goal is to equip students with the tools necessary to write their post-graduation success story.

The first step in ensuring that a student finds a job is building a resume that is enticing to potential employers, and there are so many diverse ways in which to do so. In college, students are surrounded with opportunities. The important thing to do is to get involved and be active. Our blog posts discussed many of the different steps students can take to build a resume: steps whose benefit they may not have previously realized. Showing that you have a wide range of experience is very important to having an effective resume.

We emphasized the importance of internships. They are a great 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 resources, like internships.com and the UO Job-Link site that lists jobs, internships and volunteer work for Oregon students. The school even holds career fairs, another resource you can use to connect with potential employers.

While internships are important for students, we also wanted to stress the importance of gaining skills through work experience. Even a simple customer service job can teach you essential skills and improve your interactions with people. Skill-building classes in foreign languages, public speaking, computers or even career preparation can help you gain additional skills that you can list on a resume.

Most majors also have academic clubs that connect students with similar interests and allow them to gain additional insight and skills related to their desired career. Journalism students, for example, can join the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), or gain internship experience during the year by joining Allen Hall Advertising or Allen Hall Public Relations.

Paige’s post, “Job Search Advice from Three Young Professionals,” gives the perspective of two recent grads and one current college senior who have been through, or are currently in, the search process. All three emphasized the importance of networking. “It’s about who you know rather than what you know,” said Kira E. Young, the current senior we interviewed. By making and maintaining connections with professionals, professors and academic advisors, you put yourself in touch with people who could help you find a job once you graduate.

By giving tips and offering the personal accounts of recent job seekers, we give resources regarding networking and proof that networking can lead to job search success: Both recent graduates we interviewed credited some of the connections they made through networking with professionals with leading them to the job they currently hold. There are a variety of events in which students might need networking skills, like internships, career fairs or special networking events, and our post connects students with tips on how to thrive in such situations.

While many of our posts focused on equipping students with tools for job hunt success, we also understand that some students do not plan on entering the workforce in the United States right away. In order to allay their economic-related fears, we also blogged about working abroad and going to graduate school in a bad economy.

Working abroad is one exciting post-graduation option, especially for a student who is a travel lover and wants to travel outside of the United States while working. Interested students should definitely study abroad or complete an international internship during college. Resources like Southern Methodist University’s “How To Prepare for International Work Experience” and The Big Guide to Working Overseas, provided in Sherry’s “Work Abroad!” post, connect students with tips on international career success. They can find career opportunities through LexisNexis’s advertising Red Book website, which helps job seekers connect with advertising and communications agencies looking to hire new employees. These opportunities are available, even in a down economy: we wanted to equip students with the tools to find them.

Many students who haven’t secured a job after graduation look to grad school as their next step. Stephen touched on this issue in his post “Graduate School: An Individual Decision.” Before deciding if grad school is the right move for you, it’s important to review the pros and cons of each choice. Graduate school is important for students who want to enter a field where an advanced degree is required, like law or medicine. On the other hand, many believe that graduate school is just a way to delay adulthood and is not worth the time or money, especially in a time when most people end up changing careers several times. Rather than take sides in the graduate school debate, we provide students with the resources to determine whether or not graduate school is beneficial for them.

Regardless of the path a student ultimately takes, we want to ensure that he or she knows how to beat the economy and is prepared for success. Through providing resources for successful resume building and networking and by explaining different options for life after graduation like working abroad and attending graduate school, “Recent College Grads in the Bad Economy” aims to help current students learn how to beat tough economic times through smart preparation and consideration of their post-graduation options.

Sources:

“85,00 Jobs Lost in December, Clouding Optimism for Recovery.” The New York Times, 1/8/10

Internships.com, an internship database. University of Oregon students have free access.

UO Job-Link, the University of Oregon’s campus and local job/internship database

The University of Oregon (UO)  School of Journalism and Communication (SOJC) chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists

The UO SOJC chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America

Allen Hall Advertising, the UO SOJC’s student-run advertising agency

Allen Hall Public Relations, the UO SOJC’s student-run public relations firm

“Job Search Advice from Three Young Professionals”, post on the “Recent College Grads in a Bad Economy” blog by Paige Landsem, 2/19/10

Kira E. Young’s Twitter feed. You can find links to the full text of our three interviews and all three interviewees’ Twitter feeds on our Resources page.

“Networking for the New Year,” a post by Mikinzie Stuart from her blog, The PRepguide, on how to make the most of networking opportunities.

“How to Prepare for International Work Experience,” an informational PDF produced by the Hegi Family Career Development Center at Southern Methodist University for students considering working abroad.

“The Big Guide to Working Overseas” from workingoverseas.com, a website devoted to a variety of resources for students seeking jobs overseas.

“Graduate School, An Individual Decision,” Stephen’s post from 2/26/10 on the necessity of choosing whether or not graduate school is the right path for you to take.

Gradschooltips.com, a website full of resources for helping students determine whether or not graduate school is a good choice for them. It also connect students with individual schools that might be best for them.

“Don’t Try to Dodge the Recession with Grad School,” by career blogger Penelope Trunk, in which she discusses why graduate school is not a good option for students in today’s economy.

Does traveling around the U.S. not satisfy you anymore?

Besides going to graduate school or working nationally, for the traveling lover, working abroad is another option after graduation! There’s no career better than one where you can work in your area of interest and have opportunities to travel, is there?

Through globalization, there are more and more international corporations appearing. Did you know, for a student like you who are interested in working in journalism, public relations or advertising industries, there are a lot of opportunities to work internationally? Here are some top worldwide PR and advertising agencies you can find by LexisNexis, a company which has large collections of a wide range of professionals in corporate, accounting, academic markets and so on. If you are a journalism student, CNN, BBC, Time magazine, National Geographic and Discovery are international corporations you can work for. If you are an advertising student, you can look up an international career from a worldwide agency, such as Saatchi & Saatchi, Widden+Kennedy or Leo Burnett. If you are a PR student who wants to work internationally, Edelman, Weber Shandwick, Fleishman-Hillard or Hill & Knowlton might be your top choices. As for students who are still not sure what his/her work interest is, do not worry. This is a part of the reason why we go to college, isn’t it? To figure out who we are meant to be and what we want to do for a living in college years!

Russel Wong graduated from our school, the University of Oregon, in 1982 with a degree of bachelor of science, finance. Eventually, he became a famous international photographer. According to UO office of administration-Your Future, “Wong thoroughly enjoyed his years at the UO, and says the broad span of his undergraduate courses paved the way to his international career. ‘Taking classes in finance, economics, and advertising definitely opened up new horizons. You never know where each piece is going to fit in.’(Wong notes.)”

Another illustrious alumni is Jimmy Tay, who graduated from UO’s professional School of Journalism and Communication- advertising, is currently a chief executive, south Asia/managing director, in Singapore. A lot of students might have this question. “In order to become as successful asWong and Tay, how should we prepare  in college?” Here are some tips.

You can build your international experience by learning a new language, taking international courses, joining international organizations/clubs, simply becoming friends with international students and networking with professionals in your field who work internationally. Also, you can reach out to our school alumni both nationally and internationally through SOJC and International Advancement and Alumni Relations of UO international affairs. On their websites, you’ll find brief introduction to each alumni’s education background and current work circumstances. Moreover, doing international student exchange and taking IE3 Global Internships through UO international affairs are also alternatives for building your experience! Before you set off, remember to check “The big guide to living and working oversea!”

Resources:

By Stephen Hoshaw

As college students, we are constantly planning for our careers. For some, the careers we seek may require more background than a four year school experience offers. Many universities offer a solution to this by providing a post-bachelor’s degree program. However, in our changing economic climate, it is hard to gauge what can be the most useful to our future careers.

The site gradschooltips.com provides some broad tips to students looking at attending a graduate school. They give three pointers on why you may want to attend such a program: “A junior or senior in college wanting to do advanced work in a subject, a profession that requires specialized training such as medicine, law, or social work, a career that has climaxed and requires advanced education to jump start it.” These tips are important to consider, but as the next site describes, graduate school could be the wrong thing to do for your line of work.

This article (from Penelope Truth, a blog devoted to work advice) outlines a few reasons why you may want to delay attending a graduate program. Her “top eight” list gives students a clear view on some important points regarding further education. Some important ideas she brings are: “Grad school pointlessly delays adulthood.” and “Graduate school forces you to overinvest: It’s too high a risk.” In an article from The Chronicle of Higher Education, Thomas Benton warns about the same risks of attending graduate school.

While all of Penelope’s thoughts are important, it may be in your best interest to personalize the decision for yourself. A piece from Petersons.com gives a more balanced approach to deciding if you should go to graduate school and gives you the chance to make this decision for yourself. They provide 20 reasons to go, as well as the 15 biggest reasons you might not want to go. This gives students an evenly weighted collection of ideas.
If you find yourself in the market for attending a graduate school, you can find a great listing of the top programs in the nation here, from U.S. News.

Sources:

Graduate School Introduction

Don’t try to dodge the recession with grad school

Graduate School in the Humanities: Just Don’t Go

A Guide for Potential Grad Students: Should You Go To Gradschool?

Best Graduate Schools

For my post last week, I found three young professionals (one is a current student) who were willing to tell me about their job search process and how the economy affected it.

Case Ernsting, one of the interviewees, asked me if he could mention the post (and our blog) in a post he wrote for his company’s blog about coverage the company had received in the media. Even though we’re not the “professional media,” Case still included a mention of our group and the process we underwent searching for interviewees in his post. He even tweeted about it on Friday, February 26:

Read Case’s post here; the part about our blog is under the headline “Job Searching in a Tough Economy.”

This week via Twitter, I connected with three young professionals who have great advice for college students who are searching for a job:

Kira E. Young, a public relations and advertising double major at Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey.

Case Ernsting, a 2009 University of Michigan grad who currently works for MetaSpring, LLC in Ann Arbor, Michigan, a company that designs websites and web-based applications like iPhone apps.

Kaylee Hawkins, a 2008 graduate of Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan who is now an account coordinator for Tanner Friedman Strategic Communications in Farmington Hills, Michigan.

While they all gave detailed responses full of great job-hunting tips, here are a few of the most informative:

• Networking is key. All three have great advice: “It’s who you know rather than what you know, especially in a down economy,” Kira says. Case noted that he “kept in touch with EVERYONE” he encountered in his search.

• The economy will add pressure to your search. Case discovered that PR firms weren’t creating new positions because of budget concerns. He knew his skills would be in demand, though. “I figured I could create my own PR department in a small company if they just gave me a chance. And that’s kind of what happened,” he notes. Don’t let the economy get you down, he adds. “When some obstacles come up in a job search, you have to keep moving forward with some creativity.”

• Do your homework. “Too many e-mails come in saying the sender would ‘love to talk more about working for your company’ with no obvious demonstration of researching our firm,” Kaylee says regarding potential interns and employees at Tanner Friedman. Demonstrate that you’ve researched the company and that what you’ve learned makes you even more eager to work with them.

• Know what they’re looking for. Kira looked at job descriptions on Monster.com and Craigslist and found that many employers required proficiency with specific software, like Adobe Creative Suite and Excel. She’s now learning those skills outside of her regular class schedule in order to boost her attractiveness as a job candidate.

The tips listed here are only a small part of each person’s response, but they are all important to consider as you prepare for your own job hunt. To read the full text of each individual interview, head to our Resources page.

Links:

MetaSpring, LLC, the Ann Arbor, MI web design and development company that Case Ernsting works for.

Tanner Friedman Strategic Communications, the public relations/communications firm that Kaylee Hawkins works for.

This is a blog post that Case Ernsting wrote for the MetaSpring blog that discusses the need for colleges to step up the Web 2.0 training they offer students.

Mikinzie Stuart, a public relations student at Ferris State University in Michigan, runs a popular blog for PR students called “The PRep Guide.” In this post, she gives practical tips for students attending networking events. While her tips are geared towards public relations students, they’re relevant for any student wanting to know how to present themselves at a networking event.

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.

Sources:

The Unemployment Trend is Shrinking

Resume Writing Help

University Of Oregon Job-Link

Internships.com

Business Fraternity

PRSSA

KWVA Campus Radio

The Daily Emerald

After having a hard time landing a job, people start to question whether having a college degree is necessary. Some people might think, “We’ve spent so much on this higher education. However, right after graduation, what did I get? The pressure of paying off the student loan came, but I have no job!” What’s a degree really worth? Acording to a report from the Wall Street Journal, “a college education may not be ‘worth’ as much as you think.” (Oh-oh… more not-so-good news for college grads.)

For years, people have believed that education is a secure investment so the more they spent on it, the ‘better job’ they get or the ‘more money’ they make. Annual Best Colleges and the Best Career reports are always the most trendy guide for students who want to launch into a bright future by choosing a trendy school and major which could lead them to an ideal job. Nevertheless, in a recession, students should know that while those statistics might be credible, it’s still just talk. A prediction of the best career in 2010 can’t guarantee, after four years of college, the job market will still remain that way. Numerous cases tell us that, even though you are a student of a famous school, for example, Georgia Washington University, you can buy an education, but you can’t buy a job.

So much frustrating news about college grads in recession is not just simply worry about grades but also money. A lot of part-time students or work-study students try to save money for tuition and fees. Wait a minute… what is the meaning of an education? We save money for school; we go to school for money!? It’s all about money then? Definitely not! Education is pricey, but it can also be priceless. It all depends on how you use it.
STOP worrying or being frustrated about all the situations you have seen. Just DO it.

Use all the resources you can and reach out on campus to make every cent you pay valuable! Study hard as well as network as much as possible. Getting a job is not only about what you know but who you know! In the meantime, do not only just pay attention on what you are studying but also research the economy and the job markets you want to work in. The more you see, the more you can prepare and the more you can put out. Again, be prepared to work and be ready to accept that you might do a lot of internships without paying or have jobs you dislike before you get your ideal job. Most importantly, believe you can make it, as long as you are working on it.

Sources:

What’s A Degree Really Worth?

Best Career in 2010

American College Grads Can’t Buy A Job.

College Grads “Will Work For Free”

The Future of the U.S. Economy: 2050

During these days of economic recession, the digital landscape is littered with career advice. Many online news sources have tried to provide articles for job seekers, intended to furnish options for the reader. This article, from the front-page of Yahoo.com, is a great example of the popular “top ten career” list. While articles like this one may be intriguing, others may not be as accurate as they are portrayed.

In a piece written by blogger/entrepreneur Carl Mueller, he outlines a few reasons why we should not listen to some pieces of “hot” career advice. “Chasing the “hottest” jobs of the year is like believing someone who tells you they have a stock tip that no one else knows about.” Mueller points out that it is more important to find the job that you want, not a job that others push as popular. While “top ten position” lists can be helpful in providing information about the current job market, it is not in your best interest to look to these as any sort of career guideline.

Another type of advice to avoid is the, ‘be your own boss, and work from home!’ tip. Many online resources advocate starting your own business or joining an internet based position. While these offers can be profitable for some individuals, the self-improvement site pickthebrain.com brings another view of this pointer. Blogger Ali Hale states six reasons why being your own boss may not turn out to be what you’re looking for; it isn’t stress free, no one tells you when to start work, or when to stop work, there’s no guaranteed paycheck, and no one has your back. The initial draw of being your own boss may be compelling, but these points should all be taken into account before seriously considering a career move like this.

As students, it is one of our jobs to plan for our future careers. Fortunately for students attending the University of Oregon, there are many tools available to assist in career planning. The Career Center gives self assessment workshops, and career fairs (such as the one that was held this week) as just a few devices to help evaluate career interests.

After deciding on a possible career path, students will find that the University of Oregon offers many professors, in a variety of fields. If a student is interested in the field of Journalism, the School of Journalism and Communications offers different routes of job research available. Bill Morril, the school’s Career Services Coordinator, has a Twitter.com feed that is meant to give Journalism students a large array of options in internships and in careers.

Online tips and tricks could get the gears turning for many interested in finding a career. However, for many students, the best way to find the career they deserve is to dive right in to their universities career center’s services.

Sources:

“Fastest growing green jobs”

“Bad Career Advice: Advice You Should Take With A Grain Of Salt”

“5 Reasons Why You Might NOT Want to Work For Yourself”

Explore Majors and Careers (UO Career Center)

UO School of Journalism & Communication Career Services Office (Bill Morrill’s Twitter Feed)

This video might not offer the most serious advice for getting an internship, but if you’re looking for tips on how to conduct an internship search, it still highlights some important points. You won’t want to walk around town wearing a sandwich board advertising your need for an internship, but you will want to talk with people you know in your desired industry and see if they can connect you with an internship. You don’t want to send a thank-you card with a picture of a cat on the front, but you definitely want to send a note of thanks to the people you talk to regarding potential internships. It’s your job to start your search, but once you get going, you’ll become more comfortable searching for positions, talking with professionals and preparing yourself to accept the internship that will launch your career.

• What type of internship does your company offer?
• What kind of entry level positions do internships lead to within the company?
• What’s the percentage of interns who are hired into permanent positions?
• What is the typical career path of an entry level employee at your company?
• Does your company accept interns on a continual basis or just at certain times of the year?
• What are a few questions you consider important in a candidate?
• What courses do you suggest in order to be a successful candidate?
• What is the selection process for hiring an intern?
• Can you give me a few examples of intern projects?
• What made you select this company; how long have you been with the company?

You can expect to see internships or summer jobs provided by Bureau of Lang Magazine, The Southwestern Company, The Pepsi Bottling Company, Costco Wholesale and more. So be prepared, and good luck!

These questions was originally created on Daily Emerald , Monday, January 25, 2010. For more information about this fair, you can directly go to the Career Center’s blog.