Spring Break
Editorial: Desperate times call for desperate grads
http://administration.collegepublisher.com/index.cfm?event=displayArticleSaved&ustory_id=193bbcf5%2D
Issue date: 3/25/09 Section: Editorial/Opinion
03/25/09 - No one wants to hear the words "economic crisis" ever again after this year. The media has had a love affair with detailing this country's economic strife, and with good reason.
But even though U.S. economics has been hammered into everyone like nails in a board, it doesn't change the facts: graduating seniors from the University of Rhode Island are entering the worst job market in recent history, and they're going to have to put in 10 times the usual effort to find a job in May.
This message isn't just for seniors. It is likely that juniors, sophomores and even freshmen will feel the effects of the worsening job market. Things don't just change overnight, as President Barack Obama has said in his speeches many times before, so it's important for all college students to work their way to the fast track a lot sooner than they were planning.
Some freshmen and sophomores might want to consider looking into summer internships now instead of waiting until their junior or senior years to find one. The more experience one has, the more marketable that person is to an employer.
Some job fields are a pretty safe bet right now, especially in the technical and health realm. But for others, Career Services offers some astute advice: be ready to use a backup plan.
Even if a student sends resumes and cover letters to 50 prospective employers, there's a possibility that only a few will bite. The challenge is not to get discouraged and to keep looking until the right job listing finds its way to Monster.com, Craigslist, or even RhodyNet.
But a student's so-called "dream job" isn't going to be attained straight out of an undergraduate program. Graduates should look for entry-level jobs that may relate to something they eventually want to do if they can't find the first stepping stone into their actual field. Then, at least, those employees can use that opportunity to network and eventually find a better job more geared toward their aspirations.
This includes looking beyond job postings and sending resumes and cover letters to companies or organizations that aren't listed on job forums online. A lot of big companies tend to hire internally so they don't feel the need to post open positions online or in newspapers. But if a graduating senior was to send a resume and cover letter to those places anyway, it makes it possible for them to at least consider that senior's application.
Desperate times calls for desperate graduates, and students leaving this institution need to at least keep one thing in mind: be realistic. Be prepared to put in a large amount of time and effort into the hunt, but don't expect too much on the return right away. It can only help one's chances in the working world to put his or her name out there as much as possible through any means.
But even though U.S. economics has been hammered into everyone like nails in a board, it doesn't change the facts: graduating seniors from the University of Rhode Island are entering the worst job market in recent history, and they're going to have to put in 10 times the usual effort to find a job in May.
This message isn't just for seniors. It is likely that juniors, sophomores and even freshmen will feel the effects of the worsening job market. Things don't just change overnight, as President Barack Obama has said in his speeches many times before, so it's important for all college students to work their way to the fast track a lot sooner than they were planning.
Some freshmen and sophomores might want to consider looking into summer internships now instead of waiting until their junior or senior years to find one. The more experience one has, the more marketable that person is to an employer.
Some job fields are a pretty safe bet right now, especially in the technical and health realm. But for others, Career Services offers some astute advice: be ready to use a backup plan.
Even if a student sends resumes and cover letters to 50 prospective employers, there's a possibility that only a few will bite. The challenge is not to get discouraged and to keep looking until the right job listing finds its way to Monster.com, Craigslist, or even RhodyNet.
But a student's so-called "dream job" isn't going to be attained straight out of an undergraduate program. Graduates should look for entry-level jobs that may relate to something they eventually want to do if they can't find the first stepping stone into their actual field. Then, at least, those employees can use that opportunity to network and eventually find a better job more geared toward their aspirations.
This includes looking beyond job postings and sending resumes and cover letters to companies or organizations that aren't listed on job forums online. A lot of big companies tend to hire internally so they don't feel the need to post open positions online or in newspapers. But if a graduating senior was to send a resume and cover letter to those places anyway, it makes it possible for them to at least consider that senior's application.
Desperate times calls for desperate graduates, and students leaving this institution need to at least keep one thing in mind: be realistic. Be prepared to put in a large amount of time and effort into the hunt, but don't expect too much on the return right away. It can only help one's chances in the working world to put his or her name out there as much as possible through any means.
