A big fear for those of us graduating in December, and even in May, is the level of uncertainty one feels for the future. One may ask, ʻWhere will I be in two monthsʼ time? ʻWill I be stuck in the ruthless world of retail forever?ʼWhat one has to face is that a job is not going to be handed to you on a silver platter after receiving that diploma. Unfortunately, itʻs not that simple anymore. So the daunting task of endless job searching begins, but you donʼt know where to go to find a vast array of opportunities, without spending days searching in a million different places. Before you actually begin searching, you must do a bit of introspection; you donʼt have to pinpoint exactly what you want to do with the rest of your life. All you need is a general direction that may lead you into the career path of your choice.
Next, think about your skills and weaknesses. Something simple you can do is take a personality test, like those offered at Emode.com, to help you realize your abilities. This can help you decide whether or not you might be able to be successful in the position youʼre looking into applying for.
After you get to know yourself better, brainstorm what qualities youʼre looking for in a company. Would you like to work for a profit or not-for-profit company? What about a large or small corporation? Are there opportunities for fast growth? What about benefits? In terms of searching, start at the career center in Lawrence. Not only can you search through company listings, but you can submit your resume so that when employers come to the university, they can search through qualified applicants and contact you. In addition to this, attend career fairs, not just at your school but at other local area schools as well.
Possibly the easiest and most convenient way to search for jobs is on the Internet and in newspapers. Sunday newspapers typically have the largest section for employment. Employment listings for newspapers can also be found on the paperʼs Web site.
The Internet can be a bit of a waste of time if you donʼt use a search engine wisely. Start with large sites that include jobs available across the country as well as across the globe.
According to Employment360. com, the two best Web sites to use during a job search are WorkTree.com and Employment911.com. WorkTree claims to be the largest job search portal in the world with access to millions of jobs that are sourced from over 50,000 places on
the Internet. Ads are included from not only the Web, but newspaper classifieds and employers ʼ Web sites as well.
Employment911 has over 350 U.S. job sites listed and over three illion job listings. Through this site, you can also access other popular search sites like Monster.com, Careerbuilder. com, and HotJobs.com. The most important aspect of job hunting that one must remember these days is that despite countless hours of searching on the Internet and newspapers, a job opportunity could be waiting just within reach if you know the right people. Emphasis has always been put on networking; itʼs who you know these days, not what you can necessarily do.
So ask your parents, coworkers, friends, former bosses, and other relatives. They may just have the key to the door that leads to the job of your dreams.