Much of the jobs focus during this economic downturn has been on those being laid off; who are already standing members of the workforce.  To a lesser extent has the focus been on recent college grads just embarking on their new journey. With the Class of Spring 2009 having just graduated I thought it was a good idea to give these recent grads some tips on navigating the job hunt. 

You always grew up hearing “do well in school and you’ll get a good job.”  But no one ever added the disclaimer “unless the economy goes down the drain.”   I am willing to bet that for the majority of you, your profs did little to advise you on how to weather the storm (mainly because from their tenured ivory towers they would have no idea how to weather the storm).  So now you are out of school and feeling cheated before you ever got into the game. If you have just graduated and you have not started that cushy new job already, then you have probably already made some initial decisions—got accepted into graduate school or moved back in with the parents.  Whatever your situation, it is still vitally important for your future career and your sanity to continue your job search. 

The awful truth is that there may be no good-paying job for you right now, but eventually there will be.  The longer you hang in there, the more likely you will be to land it.  Just sticking your head in the sand and hoping to wait it out will not work.  You need to be smart and persistent.  Right now your job hunt is your job. 

Here are some tips to assist you in your efforts.

1. Polish Personal Branding.
You are a Millenial, act like one! Everyone expects Generation Y to be far more techno-savvy than the generations before, so make sure to spotlight yourself in a way that captures your digital skills.   It is not enough to say you have these skills, you must show it.  Create your own resume website and direct interested parties to it.  Be sure that you are signed up on LinkedIn and other professional social networking services. Start up your own blog and discuss everything from your job searching to the latest and greatest in social technology.  In doing so, you will connect with others, get more exposure, and impress hiring companies.   

2. Never Stop Your Follow-Up.
If you give up now, you could be setting in motion a pattern for every challenge to come in your future.  You must continue to be persistent and follow-up, follow-up, follow-up.

Follow-up starts before you even get called in for an interview.  Once you have applied for a position, contact the hiring manager to ensure he or she has all the information needed to make a decision. Follow-up after the interview with a thank-you letter to each (yes, each) person who interviews you.  Next, follow-up with calls or emails to the hiring manager to highlight your fit and continued interest in the organization.

There is an art to staying in contact. Coming across as too pushy or with an attitude of annoyance because you have not been called back will only decrease your chances of landing a job.  Instead, stay professional and consistently reiterate your enthusiastic interest. 

3. Will Work for Free. If you find yourself getting nowhere even after taking in all the job search tips you possibly can, it might be time to take extreme measures.  Sometimes you just have to get in the door by any means necessary.  Offering to work as an unpaid intern could do just the trick.  Believe me, I have seen a number of people come in as unpaid interns and land a job because once they were able to prove themselves the hiring manager realized they could not live without them.  If you are already making nothing while hard at work searching for a job, then why not work for nothing within a company that you want to work for? It could be the smartest move you make.

This is not the idea you had in your head when you thought about what you were going to be when you grew up.  You graduates who have been thrust into this unforgiving job market will be better prepared for challenges in the future because of this experience. Be persistent and it will eventually pay off.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009 at 5:20 pm and is filed under job search. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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