What to Do If You Don't Have a Job by GRADUATION

Black Collegian, Apr 2005 by Wells, Kim R

It's graduation day on the yard, and everything is just as you dreamed: The speaker is dynamic, your classmates are having a blast, family and friends look on with pride, everything seems so right. Well...except one thing: When they handed you your degree, they forgot to give you your job offer! Nobody told you that landing the job of your dreams was going to be so complicated; it never worked out like that on television or in the movies. It's time to wake up and step up to make your career connection after graduation!

Understanding the "Post Graduation Job Market"

Let's be realistic. The "post graduation job market" is a much different animal than the campus-recruitment scenario and process during the school year that was much more "student friendly." During this time between May and August, many of the competitive advantages you may have had while engaging employers on campus at job fairs and through campus recruitment interviewing are no longer in play. The new challenge is that you will compete against a much larger pool of candidates, including thousands of other graduates in your area, and other experienced job seekers also looking to make a career move during the popular summer job search season.

To accomplish your goal of connecting with a top employer, you will have to take your job-search game to a whole new level and move forward in designing and executing a job search strategy that will magnify your value and allow you to stand out in this vast post-graduation sea of candidates.

7 High-Impact Strategies to Make Your Connection This Summer

"A vision without action is just a dream, and action with without vision is a waste of time."

The following are high-impact job search strategies that will assist you if you are a serious job seeker. Warning.. .These strategies are not for the fault of heart, or those still trying to kick it with old friends after graduation. These strategies are only for those determined to make something happen!

1. Reflect and Refocus

Coming this far in your academic career and not having secured a job opportunity by graduation can be very frustrating, stressful, and even embarrassing. However, it's not time to go negative and hide your head under your pillow just yet. Take a moment to reflect on all the mountains you have already climbed and the challenges you have risen to during your college career. Also remember the family and friends who love and believe in you and the world that is waiting for you to step up and make a difference. As with other challenges in the past, if you remain positive, focus your energy and attention, and fully maximize all of your personal and professional resources, you will move forward and successfully connect with that great career which is your destiny.

Recommended approaches to help you reflect and refocus:

* Develop and maintain a positive mindset by reading positive career and professional-development motivational books and magazines. Also stay in touch with positive people, mentors, family, and other positive graduates involved in a job-search campaign. Spending too much time watching the latest judge television show, and playing video games can become distracting timewasters. Be careful.

* Eat right, exercise and get plenty of rest. Never underestimate the impact of your physical fitness level on your ability to be upbeat and to think with clarity, confidence, and to have the energy you will need throughout your search process and career.

* Plan for daily quiet time for positive reflection, prayer, or meditation. If your inner-man or woman is strong, the rest of your person often follows.

A positive mental outlook, physical strength, and daily reflection are excellent building blocks to keep you focused, competitive and confident during the weeks and possibly months to come. Remember that opportunity can come and pass you by quickly if you are not mentally, physically, or spiritually prepared to pursue it, capture it, and make your connection.

2. Schedule a Meeting with Your Career Center

Even if you have never been to the career center during your entire college career, it's time for you to do a little research and discover one of the greatest treasures for you in your job search. Find out where your career center is located, and immediately schedule a time with a career center staff member to review your interests, develop your resume, and discuss your individual job search strategy.

The competitive advantages of using your career center after graduation:

* Most career centers continue to receive current job listings during the summer from employers targeting recent graduates from your college or university.

* Career centers can assist you in identifying contact information on employers, alumni, and friends of the university that have a long-term relationship in recruiting or assisting students from your college or university.

* Most career centers provide excellent online resources to assist you 24/7 with job listings, job search information and other valuable career development resources. The career center website is especially valuable to graduates who are no longer able to physically visit the campus after graduation.