Issue date: 3/9/09 Section: Money/Health

By now it's common knowledge that the job market is suffering. But what does a "tough market" mean for students looking for jobs or internships? Employers are expecting to hire 22 percent fewer graduates from the 2009 class than from the year before, according to projections from the National Association of Colleges and Employer's Job Outlook 2009 Spring Update. With that in mind, it's time for students to start getting smart about the job hunt.

About.com job search expert Alison Doyle said the most important thing students need to do now is visit the career office because it can offer access to many resources, not only for jobs but also for interviewing skills and resume and cover letter writing.

Staci Heidtke, arts and sciences internship manager, said Career Services, 230 Schofield Hall, offers many helpful tools for students looking for internships or jobs. One tool is Career Link, an online database students register for. Employers search the database, often directly contacting the student, she said. Another helpful tool is Ask an Alum, where students can contact alumni, ask informational questions and network, making important contacts.

Steven Rothberg, founder and president of Collegerecruiter.com, the leading job board for college students offering many free online resources to aid the job search, said the biggest thing he can stress to a student looking to land a job is to avoid relying on the Internet to find a job.

"(Students) need to get out from behind the computer," he said.

But that doesn't mean don't use a computer. Rothberg recommended looking at two or three online job boards, targeting niche career paths as well as a desired location. Students should search job openings, set up job match alerts through the site if offered and apply for any job they are qualified for. This should take no longer than a day, he said. After that, students need to stop wasting time perusing the online job boards, he said.

"It's not a productive use of time," he said. "Eighteen months ago it was OK to do it. Well, not now."

Rothberg, who has been through three recessions, said he sees newcomers to in the job market making the same small mistakes when looking to get hired. In good economic times, Rothberg said employers are more forgiving when reviewing resumes and interviewing applicants; they are financially in a place to be hiring. In bad times however, Rothberg said employers are looking for arbitrary reasons to eliminate candidates for a particular job from the hiring pool simply because they cannot hire as many people.

For this reason, Rothberg has six pieces of advice for the inexperienced job hunter:


Pick a specific industry
One mistake Rothberg said he sees from students is trying to be everything to every potential employer.

"When you do that, you end up being nothing to everyone," he said. "It's the kiss of death." Rothberg said students should pick one specific industry and focus all efforts on 10 to 20 employers within that industry. Rothberg also said resumes and cover letters should be tailored to each of those 10 or 20 employers; no one should ever receive the same copy of a resume or cover letter.


Incorporate the "lingo"
Rothberg said students should pay careful attention to the language used in position descriptions and job requirements and incorporate the same language into resumes and cover letters. This includes using job titles that are similar interchangeable, Rothberg said, as long as the resume is not misleading. It is important to use the same wording because when potential employers run key word searches, they are more likely to search using their own job titles or language.

Heidtke agreed. Students should be sure the language on a position description should match what is on a resume, "and really articulate those action verbs and the things you have done," she said.

Rothberg said everyone should also be sure to use full job titles, as well as any acronyms, on resumes or job descriptions. For example, if someone is a nurse, he or she should include both the title registered nurse and RN on all documents.

Network with the big guys: Rothberg said students should use sites such as

LinkedIn to identify people in a target organization and network and send resumes to those people rather than apply online. Someone not part of a human resources department is less likely to be receiving resumes, and the applicant is more likely to be noticed.

"You won't get blocked out by a gatekeeper in HR," he said.


Blog
Blogging about a target company, what's going on in the organization and what it is doing, will draw the attention of the company, Rothberg said.

"I guarantee you, you will stand head and shoulders above your peers," he said. "You'll be showing a level of knowledge and engagement."

Rothberg did caution against being overly critical or being overly aggressive in recommending change in a blog, however, because it can come off as naivete or as being a know-it-all. Blogs should merely report.

And if a targeted employer doesn't notice, contact the employer, Rothberg said.

"Say 'hey, I want to have coffee and by the way, you might want look at my blog, it's all about you,'" he said.Volunteer

"There is no reason to be sitting at home if you lack the experience, … connections you need to get noticed."

The most productive, and effective, way to find a job is through networking, Rothberg said. The best way to network? Volunteer in a way that highlights skills. Rothberg recommended students approach small businesses and ask if they can do some work for free, such as helping balance spreadsheets or helping with taxes.

"Employers don't care if your most recent job was paid or unpaid; they just care that you can get the work done," he said.

Rothberg said that while some people might say no to an offer of free help, some will say yes. And while volunteering might not pan into a job, it is worth the effort.

"You'll get the experience you probably lack and the connections you probably lack," he said.

Use Career Services: More specifically, Rothberg said students need to make an appointment with a counselor in Career Services to ensure a student gets the counselor's undivided attention and full guidance. Rothberg said using Career Services is important because the counselors are experts and have many, many resources. Unfortunately, counselors are also very busy, Rothberg said, making an appointment is key in having a successful trip to career services.

Heidtke said it is important for students to go to Career Services to have a counselor there to help process the procedure of job hunting and brainstorm with, adding that counselors can give specific advice and help students tap into networking resources.

Another advantage of going to Career Services is that students can sit down with a counselor and get personalized feedback about giving interviews, Heidtke said. Students can use the computer-facilitated program Patty Practice to facilitate a mock interview or hold a mock interview with a counselor and then sit down with a counselor after the mock interview and go over their responses, learning how to answer interview questions and what makes a good interview.

Doyle said in a tough market, however, students may want to start considering other options outside of the traditional job track, such as post-graduate internships, a summer job, or short-term or seasonal jobs. Doyle said www.coolworks.com is a great resource for finding these types of listings.

Graduating in May and feeling panicked about finding a job? Want to get ahead of the curve now? Career Services is holding a Job Search Boot Camp all day April 23, with time and location to be announced. Heidtke said students can have their resumes reviewed, have mock interviews with area employers, get feedback on interview skills, attend presentations about cover letter and resume writing and network all in one day.

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