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Free Online Job Fair Feb. 3, 2009

I recently came across a press release announcing an upcoming virtual career fair and thought I’d pass this along in case we have any techies out there looking for a job. VisualCV, Inc. and eJobFairs.net announced yesterday that they will host an online career fair on February 3rd of this year. They’re saying they already have more than 20 employers and recruiters who will offer a range of positions within the high tech sector. I would bet there will be more recruiting firms than anything else, but it may be worth checking out anyway. 

The event will take place from 10am to 3pm EST on Tuesday 3rd February. To register for the online job fair visit www.visualcvjobfairs.com. Participation is free for job seekers however candidates are required to have a VisualCV, which is also free and can be created at www.visualcv.com.

According to Jason Vrane, Vice President of Client Services for Complete Career Network Inc.,”These live and fully interactive job fairs are not virtual, they are real events where job seekers and employers meet and interview one-on-one with each other in real time.” 

IT and technology companies like Graham Staffing, Hoffman CFO, Mansonboro Partners, Motley Fool, Nextforce, Proxy Personnel, Rosetta, SportsPlex, The Heiden Group, and The Richmond Group are already signed up for the eJobFair, using their own company VisualCV as a way to communicate why they are a great place to work and list the vacant positions they are seeking to fill. 

If you participate in this career fair, please come back and give us your feedback. If you find this helpful we will include more articles about virtual career fairs on the GradtoGreat.com web site and updates about when these events take place in our newsletter. 

Trade Jobs Imitate Britney Spears

My New Year’s prediction is that trade jobs will make a comeback waayyyy bigger than Britney’s. A resurgence of trade focused careers is on the horizon; with an emphasis on the production of goods, as opposed to providing intangible services. Think goodbye celebrity dog psychologist and hello Joe the Plumber. (Of course, he’s actually Joe the Reporter now, but his real plumber friends who actually have the proper credentials will be getting work anyway). 

So if trade jobs are going to be somewhat recession proof in the next ten years, (yes, I said ten years), what does that mean for the average student enrolled in a traditional 4-year college? If you’ve done your homework, it means you’re gunning for a job in one of the following so-called “recession proof” fields:

1. Accounting
2. Computer Science (network administration, security, software developers)
3. Education
4. Engineering
5. Environmentally Friendly
6. Government
7. Healthcare (Especially Nursing & Pharmacy)
8. Homeland Security/National Defense/Law Enforcement
9. Physical and Occupational Therapy

No job is ever truly recession proof though. As discussed in Grad to Great, you need to have a good attitude and be flexible enough to roll with management and operation changes in the workplace when they occur.  You need to make yourself be invaluable to your company during an economic downturn. To do this, be sure to maintain an optimistic outlook, and help your managers find solutions to their challenges in instead of complaining to them about yours.

We’re interested to know what  jobs are most appealing to you right now, in addition to what jobs you’ll be applying to soon? Check out our new Grad to Great job board for some ideas, and let us know what types of jobs you’d like to see posted there. Be sure to sign up for our FREE job tips and leads also.

How to Land an Internship Right Now

Did you know that companies need more help during a recession than when the economy is actually thriving? It’s true and the reason is simple. When companies have layoffs, fewer employees are expected to do the work that several employees once did. While this period of being overworked is no fun for the employees, it’s your ticket to securing an internship that otherwise may not have existed if the economy was in better shape.   

So where do you find all of these newly created and available internships? First, realize that not all of these internships have even been identified yet. So, that means there are two types of internships available to you. 1.) Internships available through formal internship programs within companies and that may be advertised through your on campus career center; 2.) Internships that companies create after you approach them and ask for one.   

I can tell you from my experience, that all of my former bosses wanted to hire interns at every single company I have ever worked. Often I was tasked with hiring interns, and I ran into the same problem over and over again. If I called up the campus career center and asked to be connected with professors who taught the subject matter we were interested in, the person answering the phone would insist that I open some online account with them and post jobs through the web site. That way, any student, whether they had the type of experience we wanted or not, could then post their resume for us, or send us an email. This process is cumbersome, and frankly just plain annoying. Forget it! 

Now, when students  approached me through email and explained how much they wanted to do an internship with our company, that would get my attention right away. Especially if we had not listed an internship opportunity anywhere. When a student takes the initiative to create their own job description and propose what the internship could look like, I know that student will have the ability to move initiatives forward as an employee as well. 

By the way, professors are great referrals because if they are impressed by a student, chances are an employer will be too. Professors teach hundreds or thousands of students each year. If they think you’re a standout, I guarantee an employer will think you’re outstanding. While you’re still in school, and even after you graduate, make it a point to be on good terms with your professors. 

So where can you find internships? Here’s a few creative ways to land an internship right away:

1. Visit the web sites of companies that interest you. Write a letter to the person in charge of the division at the company you want to work for. Forget the HR department for now. And this is not a cover letter. It’s a letter explaining your deep interest in this company,  and more specifically in that division. Clearly state that you want to do an internship for them, that you’ll work for free, and that you’re available immediately for part-time. 

2. Pick up the phone and call the person you want to work for. Ask if you can send over your resume and again, explaining your deep interest in this company,  and more specifically in that division. Clearly state that you want to do an internship for them, that you’ll work for free, and that you’re available immediately for part-time. 

3. Visit or call your campus career center and ask to learn about any opportunities they know about that may not yet be online.

4. Ask your professors, family, and friends about any companies they know of that might be willing to hire an intern. 

5. Pay for highly sought after internships.

6. Find an internship (that you don’t have to pay for) at YouIntern. 

Most of these positions will be unpaid, but don’t let that deter you from pursuing the internship. Don’t be put off if you don’t get college credit for the internship either. Getting experience in your chosen field, even unpaid/no credit experience, is worth ten times more than showing up to a job interview with a 4.0 GPA from your undergraduate university and having zero job experience . Employers want to know you can put theory into practice. And even if you’re only getting coffee for the senior executives at the company during your internship, you’re benefiting from learning about the decisions they have to make on a daily basis. You’re getting exposure to the industry. You’re learning the lingo of your chosen profession, which is not taught in the classroom. In other words, your starting (just starting) to pay your dues. So don’t let an unpaid internship slip through your fingers just because you think you should get paid.

For more career tips and job search opportunities, visit GradtoGreat.com and sign up for our FREE quarterly newsletter.

Two Ways Gen Y Can Save Money in 2009

With recession hanging over our heads and a depressed job market, we thought everyone could use some helpful money saving tips. Here are two great web sites that we love that will help you save money in 2009. 

BradsDeals.com was created by an alumnus of University of North Carolina and features more than 3,000 active coupon codes a day from more than 1,000 stores.

Restaurant.com is a fantastic and little known about site that allows you to buy gift certificates for eateries in your neighborhood for much less than the actual value. For example, buy a $25 gift certificate for $10. My mother-in-law told me about this site and we’ve used it several times. Works great and is totally legit. 

Sign up for our newsletter at GradtoGreat.com to learn about other money saving tips and job search strategies in 2009.

Chris Matthews Offers Sage Advice to Gen Y

This past Friday on MSNBC’s “Hardball”, Chris Matthews bequeathed the first ever “Hardball Award” to the new Illinois Junior Senator, Roland Burris. Matthews said the award was in honor of Burris’ “moxy” for showing up on Capitol Hill and demanding to be seated by the U.S. Senate. Photos of Burris standing in the rain after being turned away from the swearing in ceremony were splashed across the television screen as Matthews applauded Burris for having the guts and the courage to show up and demand what Burris believes is rightfully his. Matthews went on to say, “This is what I tell people, especially young people. If there’s something you want, show up and demand it. Make the [other person] tell you no. Don’t you say no for them.”

 I wanted to share Matthews’ comment with Gen Y and anyone else looking for a job right now because I think we often have a tendency to let our fear of rejection hold us back from asking for what we truly want. And when people don’t know what you want, how can you expect them to give it to you?

 In Grad to Great we talk a lot about being authentic, not only in your interactions with others, but with yourself as well. Because if you know what you want to do, if you know what job you want; there’s no reason to be intimidated by the gatekeepers. Ask for an interview: ask to be introduced to someone that works for the company you want to work for: ask for the job. Don’t be meek; be confident, but never cocky. By directly asking for what you want, you put the pressure on the other person to come up with a reason to say no to you. If you have the qualifications for the job and if you have played by all the rules, then like Roland Burris, hopefully it will only be a matter of time before someone says yes.

 

Five Tips for Getting Hired in a Bad Economy: Class of 2009

For the Class of 2009, it’s not turning out to be a happy new year for career planning, as the job market hasn’t been this scary since 1945. The Labor Department’s latest report reveals the U.S. unemployment rate is the worst it’s been in over 16 years at 7.2%: the highest rate since 1993. In 2008, an astounding 2.6 million jobs were lost with 73% of those jobs disappearing in the last four months of 2008. With more than 11 million Americans out of work right now, college seniors are now panicking about their own impending job searches.

There is good reason to be nervous about the current job market. In fact you would be silly not to be worried. But if you’re a college senior who is planning to graduate this spring, here are six tips to make your job search a little less stressful.

1. Become an intern
If you haven’t yet completed an internship, apply for one immediately. Not all internships are full-time. Companies that offer unpaid internships may be willing to allow you to work part-time or have more flexible arrangements that won’t interfere with your school schedule. And be creative about approaching a company for an internship opportunity.

You could also pay for an internship.  

2. Begin the job hunt now
Start your job search early. Start networking with friends, family, and professors; tell them about your job search and what type of a company/role you would be a good fit for. Reach out to people in your network and request informational interviews. Be sure to send handwritten thank you notes to anyone who takes the time to speak to you, even if their advice does not ultimately help you land a job.

You should also get to know the staff at your college career center. Take advantage of the services they offer such as information sessions, on-campus interviews, mock interviews, career fairs, career skills assessments tests.

3. Work for the government
Consider government jobs. In 2009, the government is going to be one of the best resources for entry-level jobs. Check out the links on this blog for resources regarding how to find government jobs.

4. Take advantage of the opportunities in education and healthcare
Explore a career in education or healthcare. According to the U.S. Labor Department, these are currently the only two growing sectors of the job market. Over 45,000 jobs in these sectors were created in the past year.

5. Don’t live beyond your means 
When you finally do get a job, do yourself a favor and be smart about your living arrangements. Live someplace where your rent each month will be extremely affordable. This could mean moving back home, or living with several roommates to make the rent manageable.

Recent Graduates More Likely to Find Jobs Before Leaving Campus

According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), when employers rate the effectiveness of recruiting methods for college graduates, they rank the following as their top 10: 

1. On-campus recruiting
2. Organization’s internship program
3. Employee referrals
4. Organization’s co-op program
5. Career/job fairs
6. Faculty contacts
7. Job postings on the company web site
8. Job postings on the campus web site
9. Student organizations/clubs
10. Job postings on commercial web sites

Notice that the top five preferred recruiting methods involve some degree of face-to-face interaction between the job applicant and the company. This means you need to get in front of the person who is making the hiring decision, preferably well in advance of graduation time. And forget about the job boards since simply posting your resume online is highly unlikely to yield positive results in the current job market.

 Now, more than ever, it is critical that college seniors and recent graduates do the following three things:

1. Learn how to network properly and start now
2. Visit your on campus career center often and get to know the staff there
3. Start your job search early (3 months is optimal)

Read full article here.

December Job Losses Should Motivate the Class of 2009

The ADP National Employment Report revealed today another 693,000 jobs lost in December 2008, indicating an even weaker economy that anticipated. Read full story here. What does this news mean for college seniors getting ready to graduate in May?

The graduating class of 2009 is going to face an extremely competitive job market. More competitive perhaps than anything we’ve seen in the past several decades. Less jobs, more candidates means that it’s more important than ever to start your job search early.

To help you get started check out the resources available at www.GradtoGreat.com. To review companies that hire college grads, take a look here.

If you want to search specific jobs available right now, take a look at www.careers.org.

Internships in Publishing

If you’re interested in a career in the publishing industry, check out these companies that offer paid and unpaid internships.