The above headline asks the question going through the minds of graduates who have not landed jobs. Fortunately, more graduates already have landed jobs than at this same point during the past four years. Increasingly, grads are getting picky about where they want to work and what they want to do. That may be a mistake, especially if they don’t have a solid job-search game plan.
For those graduates who have not yet mapped out their employment game plan, time is “awasting“. Get started with this job-search spreadsheet. Fill it with individuals in your network and target organizations where you’d like to work and begin researching those and related firms. Since up to 85% of all jobs are found through networks, you’re next job very likely is going to come through this exercise–not job postings. Join PRSA and other related professional organizations where you will meet individuals able to help in your search.
Finally, make your job search a full-time job. Too many people send out a few resumes and wait for responses before launching the next round of applications. One friend set a goal of making 70 networking contacts a day (both face-to-face and virtual) over a three-month period. She ended up with five offers within the same week. It took a lot of work and she encountered frustration and disappointment along the way, but she loves the job she landed.