So You Have Graduated College, Now What?

In tough economic times, more students are graduating with little or no career prospects. Many of these graduates who cannot find jobs are starting to feel the pressure. Just six months after graduating, all those loans they had to take out to pay for their education are coming back to bite them. Recently, I went searching for open positions related to my field of study (marketing and communications) for when I graduate in May. Even when searching through the countless positions on websites like Monster.com, most positions for my major requires years of prior experience. I also visited a college career fair, and most of the companies were not looking for business graduates, but were more interested in pharmacists. Unfortunately, four or five years of sitting through endless lectures and classes devoted to the very position they are seeking does not count toward any experience. The odds are not in their favor either. In the second quarter of 2008 the Labor Department gave the unemployment rate for those in the 20 - 24 year old group (the age range is the most likely for new graduates). Unemployment had risen from 7.7% last year to 9.8% this year. Most colleges require students to intern and/or take career counseling to give them an idea of what to expect after graduation, but they still do not guarantee a job after graduation. So you are a new graduate and cannot seem to stand out of the crowd? Here are a couple of tips to make you and your resume more noticeable to potential employers. -Network. Networking helps you stand out to an employer. If you are currently a student, become involved in plenty of events and groups related to your major. -An impressive resume. Making your resume stand out is not as hard as it may seem. Little things such as adding a picture of you or using positive phrases can add luster to an otherwise vanilla resume. An example of a use of positive language is instead of saying you have no experience in a certain area, saying that you are willing and open to learning is obviously more constructive. Employers are always more open to someone who is willing to conform to their job descriptions, rather than a position having to conform to an applicant. Student loans are creeping up and you still have not gotten the position to build your career on? Some people have begun to take a more unconventional attitude on job hunting: Create their own career by starting their own business. Once thought to be something only highly experienced professionals do, new graduates are starting businesses related to their fields of study.If you have the ambition to start your own business, either a new graduate or someone who just has some new or great ideas, here are a few pointers that may help you start:-Since you are probably bogged down with debt (thanks to student loans), try to limit your start up costs. Internet companies generally have very low start up costs, as long as you have an idea as to what you're doing. Starting a business with a friend can also limit your costs and you will have more than one person working toward a goal. -Remember those old textbooks that you could not or did not sell? Some of them have some great ideas in them. I have kept marketing books just because I thought in the future they could come in handy. -Have a business plan. If you have a business plan, even a simple one, you always have a reference point. Eventually we all hit road blocks, like writing essays and having an outline, a business plan can keep you in order.-Finally, do not give up and work hard to achieve your goals. Getting through college was not easy (or cheap), so do not be discouraged if your business does not take off immediately. Successful businesses take patience, time and a LOT of hard work.It is not hard to become discouraged by the declining job market. Plenty of people I know are working in fast food restaurants while waiting to land "the job." When the economy is good, graduates may get multiple offers with competing salaries, but now these offers are not landing in people's laps like they once were. An applicant must do more to be noticed in today's job market.