Christie Bell - Human Resources Director

Looking for a job has always been tough work, but finding a job in today’s economy is a challenge to say the least. A recent study by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) found that employers expect to hire 22 percent fewer new college graduates from the Class of 2009 than they hired from the Class of 2008. So what’s the best way to find a job with fewer jobs available? Here are a few tips.

Expand your job search: You may have known what you wanted to be when you grow up since you were five years old, but now is not the time to limit yourself. Consider options both within and outside your major and areas of interest. You don’t want to take just any job, but do consider positions in related fields that you think you might enjoy and could excel at. Also, don’t shy away from applying to a job because you think you aren’t qualified. Highlight the qualifications you do have and address any areas where you have less experience to show the employer how you can succeed in the role.

Keep your grades up: It’s tempting to slack off once you get to your senior year, but now it’s more important than ever to keep up your GPA. Nearly 70 percent of employers who responded to NACE’s 2009 Job Outlook survey screen candidates by GPA; for most, the cutoff is 3.0, or a B average. With employers having more candidates to choose from, you don’t want to be eliminated from consideration because of your GPA before you even make it to the job interview!

Get involved: Remember how important extracurricular activities were to get into college? Well, the importance didn’t stop there. Employers are looking for applicants with communication skills, work ethic, teamwork and initiative — traits that will help a new hire succeed and contribute to an organization. Getting involved in organizations both on and off campus will show your new employer that you’ve got the skills and dedication that they are looking for. Leadership is also very important. When asked to compare two otherwise equally qualified candidates in the NACE survey, employers chose the individual who had held a leadership position over a candidate who simply was involved in extracurricular activities.

Gain some work experience: The NACE survey shows that nearly three quarters of employers prefer to hire candidates with relevant work experience. It also indicates that nearly 20 percent of employers look for any type of work experience — relevant or otherwise. Less than 3 percent of employers said they don’t factor in work experience when deciding to hire a college graduate. In an ideal world, it’s best to find an internship in the field that you want to work in. Especially in accounting, many of these internships will turn into full time job offers. But if you can’t land an internship with your dream company, make sure you do get some work experience. There are lots of jobs that will teach you skills that are highly transferrable such as working in a team or leading a group. Employers are looking for you to relate the skills that you do have to the job that they are offering.

Have a contingency plan: If you aren’t successful in finding that dream job right now, have a plan to fall back on. Maybe it means enrolling in graduate school and getting that Masters degree sooner rather than later. Whatever your plan may be, try to stay optimistic and network as much as you can. You never know when that person you met while at a volunteer event or the person sitting next to you on the airplane will help you get your foot in the door to a great job opportunity!

For more information on this topic visit: http://www.employmentwebsites.org/college-hiring-falls-22-percent or the National Association of Colleges and Employers’ (NACE) website:www.naceweb.org