Jobless? Invest in Yourself.

You’ve heard it on TV, read about it in newspapers, magazines and online…job prospects for recent college grads are few and far between but instead of listing a bunch of grim statistics, I thought it would be more useful to give you some action steps to bust out of that job-hunt rut you may be in.

I won’t sugarcoat it- everyone knows job hunting can be frustrating. You’ve worked hard for 4 years, earned a diploma, have a stellar resume, yet haven’t received any bites from the dozens of resumes and applications you’ve sent out.  Before long, you realize the humble stash in your savings account won’t last forever, so you reluctantly revisit that pre-grad job.

Guess what? There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, but it’s important to find other avenues to make yourself more marketable, simultaneously. Companies are pinching pennies and if you can offer them something of value at little to no cost, you’ll be in an excellent situation when the economy comes back or an opportunity arises. Don’t be afraid to take on FREE, yes FREE, work in your field- it’s undoubtedly one of the best ways to gain experience and make new connections.

It’s so important to hang on to those skills you gained in college by keeping them in practice. The reality is, you have to pay bills and that waitressing/cashier position will take care of that—but you also need to continue moving forward professionally. Think of a free or low-paying part-time gig as an investment in yourself, and I promise, it won’t take long to see the R.O.I.

I know, it’s overwhelming and you’re probably thinking, “Okay, I’m willing to do some work for free to gain experience, but where do I even start searching for an opportunity?”

That’s where those connections you made during your undergraduate career come into play- your internship supervisors, advisors, professors, coaches, friends, organization leaders, etc. Determine what it is you want to gain experience doing and seek out the person who can introduce you to someone in that particular field.

Ready to make your resume shine even brighter than it already does? Here are some action items:

1. Brainstorm: Write down 5-10 people who you have had direct interaction with, that know your work ethic well.
2. Draft an Email: Draft an email/LinkedIn message letting them know your current situation. Give them an idea of what you’re interested in doing, but make the email more about them than you. Remember, people are busy so be very clear as to how you could help THEM or someone THEY know. If you are using e-mail instead of LinkedIn but have a well-developed LinkedIn profile, consider adding a link to it in your e-mail signature.
3. Step into the recipient’s shoes: Re-read your email, as if you were the recipient (say, a former internship supervisor). In the first few sentences, can you determine “WIFM” (in case your unfamiliar, WIFM stands for what’s in it for me)? You want the recipient to instantly realize how your skills could directly benefit them.
4. Send it off: Double check that your email is grammatically correct and concise. Short and sweet is good- many people get hundreds of emails to tend to per day.
5. Follow-up: Regardless of whether your contact has an opportunity for you or not, be sure to follow-up to say thank you.

Reaching out to your network and letting them know your situation should be one of the first steps in your job search because a whopping 85% of jobs are obtained through networking! The worst case scenario is that they don’t respond to your email—no big deal at all. You’ve planted a seed and who knows, when they hear of an opportunity, they might just think back to that tactful email you sent!

Advertisement