CONGRATULATIONS It's Your Senior Year, But You Still Have Some Unfinished Business

Black Collegian, Oct 2005 by Wells, Kim R

Congratulations, it's your senior year, you have beat all the odds, silenced your critics, and even walked on water (at least it felt that way at times) to make it to this exciting milestone in your life. But before you declare "mission accomplished" remember you still have some unfinished business. Some of you unfortunately have been so busy "walking on water" over the years that you somehow neglected to make the time to explore your future career options after graduation. The fact is, minus any serious case of senior fever this year you will be graduating from college in the spring. The question is what kind of future will you be graduating into? Will you be graduating into an exciting future and job opportunity with a top employer, or will you be graduating into a complicated post-graduation job market and facing a summer of unemployment, frustration, and competing with millions of other recent graduates for what some may call "McJobs"? The choice is yours. But fear not, this article will provide you with some exciting Power Moves that will fuel your senior year job search and help you step across your graduation stage this spring with an excellent job opportunity in your hand.

Myths That Can Paralyze Your Job Search

Before we review our power moves, lets lake a moment to silence a few myths, urban legends, and outright lies that can paralyzed and even kill the professional dreams of many students. Students that believe these myths have the potential to make misinformed decisions, lower their expectations, and unknowingly cut themselves off from the people and resources in place on campus to assist them in accomplishing their career goals.

MYTH #1

Campus recruitment programs are only for business and technology majors.

This popular myth is a dream buster for many college students, particularly many students with liberal arts majors. This myth is extended to include career fairs, on-campus recruitment programs, employer information sessions and career development workshops. Although it is true that business and technology majors are heavily recruited on campus, the exciting news is that there is a wealth of career opportunities and programs in place at your career center and usually campus-wide to assist most students in liberal arts and other academic majors in preparing todays job market. If you are a student that has developed strong leadership and communication skills, excelled academically and has acquired work experience through internships and other part-time work experiences, odds are that there is an excellent employer and career opportunity on campus waiting for you. Schedule time to see a career center professional and review the many job opportunities and resource options available to you on your campus.

MYTH #2

"C" Students Need Not Apply!

This myth can be a dark cloud over the heads of many students that for whatever reason didn't excel in the classroom. As some of you know a "C" Grade Point Average (GPA) can happen to the "just and the unjust," but it is still not a reason to give up your dream of working for a top employer. Although a low GPA can make your job search process more challenging, a strong marketing strategy and presentation that highlights your successes and effectively matches your relevant capabilities with the needs of employers can convince many employers to "give you a second look" and consider you as a potential candidate. Even if you do not qualify for some positions advertised, your effective presentation of your skills may open the door for other excellent opportunities that can still position you for future success.

Shying away from employers because of your grades will only perpetuate the problem, so face it head on, and take advantage of the time and commitment of many employers who may be alumni or longtime partners of the college and have a vested personal interest in assisting and motivating students. Lastly, remain positive, look to the future, and remember that many the world's top professionals and leaders were also "C" students... not to mention many of the recruiters that you will be meeting throughout the year!

MYTH #3

Looking for a job is frustrating experience

Believe it or not, job hunting can be an exciting experience. The process of looking for a job will require a great deal of interaction with many talented and dynamic professionals. While engaging in the job search process you will also grow as a professional as you learn a great deal about diverse organizations that are national and global leaders in their industries. Some of you may also have the opportunity to travel to different regions of the country for interviews, conferences, and exciting professional development programs. Looking for a job can also be an excellent exercise in self-reflection, clarification of your life goals, and learning to positively frame and revisit many of your greatest past accomplishments while envisioning and moving towards a bright future. So get started in this exciting process, stop procrastinating, you may be pleasantly surprised with your journey into the world of work.