While many 2009 graduates have found jobs or are looking forward to graduate school, many are in the midst of a challenging job search.  While it is definitely true that the market is the toughest it’s been in years, it is not true that finding a position is an impossible task.  However, expecting to find a job by spending one’s time searching the listings on Craig’s List is very likely NOT going to lead to success.  These times call for coming out from behind the computer screen and getting proactive!

Visiting the Career Services office or calling to schedule an appointment with a counselor should be high on the to do list of any job seeker.  The counselor can review cover letters and resumes and suggest any important revisions, can assist with interviewing preparation and presentation, and can make sure individual candidates are tailoring their job search strategies effectively by helping to identify targeted and specialized job and networking resources.

For example, any graduate who has not registered with eRecruiting, where jobs are posted which have been sent to Career Services by employers seeking candidates from Suffolk, is definitely missing a good place to start.  Call the office and get the information for how to register online for this. 

Additionally, there are websites specific to certain job fields and industries that job seekers should be tapping into.  There are alumni to connect with for networking, and professional associations in which to become involved.  There is research to be done to identify both the industries which are growing and the individual contact information for the companies and organizations within those industries.  None of these things can be done by sitting at home behind your laptop.

In the coming posts, we’ll look at each of these strategies, so stay tuned!!