"School's out, you have that degree and you are ready to conquer the world. Only
one thing stands between you and your professional success: You don't have a
job. So now what? Should you begin a massive online resume campaign and then
wait for employers to call? Should you take any job you can get now and hop
around until you find one that fits? Should you enlist the help of a headhunter?
Should you ask everyone you know for a job?"
These are the timely questions explored in Pamela McBride's feature article, You're a Graduate and No Job - Now What?, from THE BLACK COLLEGIAN's Second Semester Super Issue, and they will likely resonate for a number of soon-to-be-grads who are struggling to fend off senioritis, growing anxious about what lies ahead.
More so than in recent years past, many of our readers from the Class of 2008 who have not yet landed jobs after the campus recruiting are understandably uneasy about the mixed messages they've been receiving about their employment outlook. On one hand, official reports of a general economic slow-down are punctuated by news reports of a hiring drop across many sectors (not only clearly struggling ones like manufacturing and those directly affected by the housing bust) and rising unemployment in many states.
On the other hand, as Dr. Phil Gardner reports in his annual study of the Job Outlook for this year's college graduates, there are bright spots on the horizon that should help motivated new grads get a shot at launching rewarding careers. Shortages of skilled, educated workers in areas such as IT, healthcare and secondary education have created a good range of opportunities for certificate- and degree-holders in these fields, according to numerous industry reports. (However, taking advantage of the good, better-paying opportunities in these areas may mean widening a search to jobs outside the most popular locations, looking at businesses in new regions that could require relocation.)
In many other industries, however, the bright spot for new grads is the result demographic trends: The retirement of workers from the "Baby Boom" generation that has been forecast for a number of years is now clearly upon us. As retirees leave the workforce, many employers are retooling their approach to hiring to fill vacant positions with young candidates, sometimes following a period of "probation" and additional training, or sometimes directly hiring out of their intern pool.
In fact, this year, THE BLACK COLLEGIAN's annual Top Employers survey showed that many national organizations and smaller employers had planned robust college hiring activities for 2008. Among the Top 100 hiring employers ranked in our survey, some indicated in our follow-up survey that they were still accepting applications from students and new grads even after their campus recruiting was over for the season. As a result, we are holding a spring 2008 Pre-Graduation Virtual Career Fair, creating a space to connect jobseekers with those employers who specifically told us they are still actively considering entry-level applicants for open positions.
The Fair begins March 15, and will be updated on an ongoing basis in the run-up right until graduation at the end of April / beginning of May. Students who still need a post-graduation job (or, in some cases, a summer appointment or internship) are encouraged to make repeat visits to the Fair, as it is updated during this period, and review and apply to open positions right away. Time is of the essence, in most cases, which is why we have decided to circumvent our normal, paid job listings and publish the employer-provided, direct-access links to the relevant open positions where students and grads still have a shot.
We extended our congratulations on making it through the school year, and our best wishes in your search. We also encourage you to let us know if you land a position for an upcoming special feature we will be publishing.
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