You're a Graduate and No Job - Now What?

By Pamela M. McBride

The secret to a successful job search after graduation is to discover the hidden treasures of your college career center. There is no reason to panic whether your job prospect list is short because you intentionally waited until after graduation to start looking or because the techniques you have been using just aren't working for you. There are still great opportunities out there and one of them has your name on it.

To get the most out of your post-graduation job search, start with a plan to dedicate your time, evaluate your job search techniques and cultivate your network, all with the help of your college career center.

Dedicate your time

First, create and commit yourself to a full day's work of job search activities every day.  Getting a job should be your full-time job, so you should plan to spend more time on that than anything else each day. Establish core ‘work' hours like 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. or 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Then, use a daily planner to schedule blocks of time with specific job search tasks assigned to each of them.

For example, you might allot 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Monday and Wednesday for company research, and designate that same timeframe on Tuesday and Thursday for informational interviews. You might reserve 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. for identifying job leads, applying for them and making follow-up phone calls.

Second, set up a meeting with your career services center to make sure you are fully prepared to conduct a job search, to be advised on specific strategies you need and to determine an overall plan of action.

"Career centers typically provide the same services to alumni as they do to undergraduates, so utilize them for help with resume writing, to conduct mock interviews, and to get advice on how to dress appropriately,” said Saré Arnold, regional recruiting manager for Enterprise Rent-A-Car.

Furthermore, if you are going to relocate, ask career center staff about schools that offer reciprocity of services in other cities and about intercollegiate job banks for alumni. They may also be able to help you identify collegiate career centers that allow graduates of other schools to use their services for a nominal fee.

Third, realize that employers won't think any less of you for not already being employed. They understand that sometimes it makes perfect sense to wait until graduation to look for work. Don't be hard on yourself; just be ready to share your circumstances.

"Be prepared to explain to a recruiter why you haven't secured a job before graduation,” Arnold said. "Perhaps you've been involved in other activities – sports, community, social groups, et cetera. It is very common for Enterprise to bring a candidate on board after graduation.  We are extremely active on campuses throughout the fall and spring semesters to attract the top talent early, but we also value the work ethic of a full-time student who manages to balance a part-time or full-time job.  These students may not have the time to devote to a career search until after they graduate"     

Evaluate your job search techniques

"If you have been actively seeking work, take a look at what you are doing. You may need to evaluate the effectiveness of your efforts,” offered Mimi Collins, Director of Communications, National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). "Maybe you are not targeting the right employers for your skill set. Or, you may have wonderful qualifications but are not presenting them in the right way on your resumes or during interviews. This is where professional career counselors can help you, and the college career center is where you should start"

According to the NACE 2007 Graduating Student Survey, students who actually got full-time jobs tended to use their college career centers and their resources more heavily than those who went directly to the employer.

Experts in these centers can help you evaluate what you are doing and offer tips on how to step up your game.

For example, they may help you realize that you need to eliminate passive online strategies from your job search repertoire.

"Don't rely on general search engines to find job leads. Instead, use them to identify potential employers,” said Michael Gaskins, associate director of career services and internships at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. "Companies are being more cost-effective by investing those recruiting dollars in mid- to senior-level positions, and using their own web sites to attract entry-level candidates"

Another passive online strategy that could go by the wayside is simply posting your resume online and then expecting employers to contact you with offers of your dream job.

"This passive approach will likely result in your receiving hordes of sales opportunities since a number of third-party recruiters access these databases to send blanket e-mails. If you are going to post your resume, tailor it to the type of position you want,” Gaskins added.

If you have done your homework, you will know the key words that will get you noticed.

Career center staff can also help you find and apply for the ‘right' jobs. Sure, it might be tempting to just apply, apply, apply because mathematically, the more jobs for which you apply, the greater the probability that you will get one. But realistically, the quality of the job (with respect to your suitability for it) will outweigh the quantity every time. Find the ‘right' job by knowing the market for the type of work you want to do.

"Job seekers should explore all industries and make sure they understand the difference between a major and a career. For example, not all psychology majors work in healthcare,” advised Marcia Robinson, director of the Center for Career & Professional Development at Cheyney University.

In the career center you can find valuable publications like the Human Services Referral Directory, which in this instance could help you locate employers who offer opportunities to work with certain populations such as immigrants or children with disabilities.  It would be far more effective to target these specific employers for research, informational interviews and job leads.

Finally, as appealing as it might seem to consider having someone else "do the work,” using headhunters might not be the right approach.

"They often target experienced or MBA-level professionals and not entry-level ones,” said Gaskins.

Robinson supports the use of employment agencies and staffing firms. "If there is a company in which you are particularly interested, you could call them up to ask which recruiting firms they work with,” she said.  

And, industry-specific temp agencies may be a good way to gain experience, get behind the scenes without long-term commitment and possibly gain full-time employment.

If you use any of these services, seek to fully understand the arrangement with regard to who is responsible for fees, what services will be provided and how the relationship will end.

Cultivate your networks

Effective networking is achieved through cultivating relationships, so it may be too late to rely on making ‘cold' contacts to help you get a job quickly after graduation. Your best chance for successful networking is to reach out to those with whom you already have a personal, professional or academic connection.

"Tell friends and family exactly what you are looking for. Uncle Joe might not be able to hire you, but he might refer you for an informational interview with someone who trusts his judgment,” Gaskins said. "And, if you give them bi-weekly or monthly updates, they will have you on their radar for future leads"

If you've been an active member of professional or business associations, on-campus organizations, or social groups, don't let those connections fade away. Instead, keep attending networking activities, luncheons and workshops. These events will continue to be wonderful opportunities to gain insight on careers, get job leads, gain informational interviews, and even showcase your talents if you volunteer to serve on projects. Former co-workers and managers from internships, co-ops and part-time jobs also may pay great dividends in networking efforts.

Finally, some of the best networking can occur in the college career center if you have established and nurtured relationships with the staff, especially if they know you by name.

"We talk to hiring managers every day. They call us and we call them. You might show up just as I got off the phone with a hiring manager who has a hot lead and is trying to get people in the door now. If you don't visit often, you might miss out on the benefits of these conversations,” Gaskins explained.

Regardless of how you obtain networking contacts, make the most of them by following four basic networking rules:  

Rule #1:  Always be prepared to give a 30-second elevator speech.

Introduce yourself by succinctly describing who you are, what you want and what you have to offer.

Rule #2:  Show interest in the person to whom you are speaking.

Rather than end your introductions with a statement, ask a question to show you're interested in the other person. If he is in a related career field, you could ask: What did you do to get a job in this field? Then, instead of asking if he knows of or has any job openings, ask: "Do you know anyone in this career field who might be willing to have an informational interview with me?”

Rule #3:  Be aware that networking is a two-way street.

Listen to what others are saying to you and help them make connections just as you want to be helped.

Rule #4:  Follow up with conversations that go particularly well.

Consider sending a brief e-mail or making a follow-up call shortly after the event whether or not the person provided you with a contact or job lead. In fact, good follow-up habits should be employed at any point in the job search process where you make direct contact with someone else. Many hiring managers can tell you of at least one candidate who they hired because he was the one who followed up. It goes without saying that you should be receptive and responsive to follow-up efforts that come your way also.

The bottom line: If you don't have a job by the time you graduate, stay calm, stay focused, and stay connected to career services staff.

Pamela M. McBride is a freelance writer and the co-author of Work It, Girl! The Black Woman's Guide to Professional Success with Lorraine Morris Cole. (Parker Publishing, September 2007)  www.workitgirlweb.com.