Get a Job!

Lisa Allen, a career counselor at SUNY Cortland, agrees. Students
have done the work in a classroom, but the goal is to translate that to
the real world. This is sometimes hard to do, but the right connections
make it easier. Using Facebook, Linked, Twitter or any networking medium
is a good way to keep track of different companies, according to Allen.
A graduate should use these sources to get their name out there.

Linda McGraw, Le Moyne College director of Career Services, says
online social networking could help you land a job later, so it is never
too early to start. Be aware, however, that Facebook and other online
media can be used incorrectly, says McGraw. 

This fall, Le Moyne is hosting a “branch yourself” seminar which SU
students will attend as well. While networking and making yourself
visible to companies can easily be done, it can just as easily be done
in a negative way. There should be no drinking or partying pictures
posted to your online accounts, for example. (See related story, page
9).

“If someone Googles your name, what will they see?” asks McGraw.
“Will it help you get a job? If not, create a professional-looking
profile because recruiters will look online before they hire you.”

Allen and other career counselors warn to avoid using big job boards,
like www.monster.com, because few people get hired through them. Cahill
agrees. He says to spend 5 percent to 10 percent of your time on these
sites because they are like a “cattle call.” Instead, Cahill advises,
use them as a basis for a job hunt. But don’t make it the only base.

There is more to getting a job than just searching, cautions
Richardson. You should also have fieldwork in the area, including
internships, jobs or volunteering. “This is the time to pool all your
resources—career services, Internet, intern opportunities, friends,
college databases—and let them help you because most likely they are
willing to help,” says Richardson. “But they will not know unless you
ask.” 

A good place to start is at your school’s career services office. SU
provides interview, resume and other workshops to better prepare
graduating students for the job hunt. These programs are offered to
organizations or as specially designed classes because open sessions
have not received good attendance in the past.

Likewise, Kristen Aust, the director of Career Services at Bryant and
Stratton College, says the school has a lifetime placement program that
helps students become confident and learn the skills they need in order
to successfully search for a job on their own. This includes workshops
similar to SU’s and a database of alumni who are willing to help fellow
classmates. A student is able to access this from their first semester
freshman year until long after they have graduated.  

“Our center is a support for you,” says Aust. “We are providing you
with the tools to do it on your own, especially, with this economy, it
is important.” 

Remember, though, that just because the economy is down doesn’t mean
jobs don’t exist. It might take a little longer and a little more energy
to find them, says Dianne Fancher, director of the Career and Applied
Learning Center at Onondaga Community College.

Further, networking is more important than ever, with the rise of the
Internet and with the current economic situation. It puts more of a
burden on a student to be a better candidate, says McGraw. “We are not
competing against each other,” she stresses. “The more job opportunities
we can find, the better for our students. We are working together to
find and connect students with employers.” College campuses have hosted
job fairs for years, and the future is no exception.

Still, it takes more than a good academic record to truly be ready
for a job, says Cahill. A student must understand himself/herself and
know his/her strengths and weaknesses. They must really get to know who
they are. “Getting a job goes beyond saying you want to be something,”
stresses Cahill. “You need to articulate why you are well-suited and
better-suited than other candidates who are pursuing the same
opportunities. In order to do that a person really needs to get to know
themselves.”