One of my favorite New York Times columns, Career Couch, yesterday answered four important questions on the minds of the Class of 2009. Bottom line, writer Eilene Zimmerman says the job situation is troubling, but it certainly isn’t hopeless.
The column also refers to two websites we hadn’t previously heard about–PricewaterhouseCoopers career site and CollegeRecruiter.com.
Although not focused on PR jobs, the PricewaterhousesCooper site is sophisticated and worth a look. It underscores Eilene’s advice to “shape your job expectations to fit the economy, and make sure to cast a wide net.” The site also carries podcast Q&As covering internships, networking, resume building and job-search tactics during the recession.
The second site–CollegeRecruiter.com–does a great job of localizing job searches. I tested the site by looking at PR jobs in several cities, and was impressed with the large number of opportunities. However, I was amused that the document scan system used by CollegeRecruiter.com sometimes puts strange jobs into the mix. For instance, housekeeper positions came up in Tulsa, Oklahoma due to the job description reading: “. . .effective working relations with the public.”
Finally, I endorse the point of view expressed by Rebecca Sparrow, director of Cornell’s Career Services, who encourages grads to keep in mind that the rest of your life is unlikely to be determined by your first job. Rebecca says, “Understand that no matter what you choose, it will be an opportunity to learn about work and about yourself, and that will help with your next step.”
Thanks for this post. Any positive news us seniors can hear these days is great. I recently read that unemployment for those with college degrees is at about 4% versus the national rate of 8%. I bet the rate for those who have just graduated is above 4%, but it’s still nice to hear that it’s not as bad out there as we might think.