A Job in itself: The Job Search

As a recent graduate with degrees in Public Relations and Philosophy I have been faced with the seeming impossible task of finding a job in this economy. Like most people in my situation I have struggled to compete with the hundreds of individuals who are actively pursuing employment.

My personal theory is that there are so many people in today's market who have been laid off their jobs after having worked for years. This trend in lay-offs is no secret, but what some people may not consider is the fact that for those companies that ARE hiring, a person with more experience who is willing to work for less money is quite the deal. This leaves the poor lowly recent grads no where to turn as the "entry-level" jobs are snatched up by above-entry-level professionals.

Despite the gloomy setting in which my career hunt has begun, there has been an increase in helpful hints and advice for the unemployed. While browsing Twitter I ran across this post in regards to Optimizing Your Online Job Search and found all of the tips useful in terms of turning the unemployed status to employed. (See number 4 in the post and you'll understand my eagerness to perk up my blog) :) I am very thankful to people like this who are willing to offer their input in order to contribute to the advancement of strangers' careers.

Luckily I have been able to remain employed since my journey through the arches. I am wrapping up a PR/Event Planning internship with the Hinman Dental Society, and am now moving on to hopefully even more exciting adventures in the real world. Initially I believed that I would graduate from college and have my dream job in 6 months time, however that really was just a dream! I have found that at times it you must take very small (maybe even frustrating) baby-steps before making that leap into full-time professional life (especially with the economy the way it is now).

My advice would be to try picking up a few part time jobs or internships. As a colleague of mine once said, "No experience is bad experience." And who knows the people you could meet while working a part-time job for a few months! Already I have truly come to appreciate the power of networking and the opportunities it has to offer. Below I will list some sites that I find useful.

• PRSA Job Center
• ASAE & The Center for Association Leadership
• Meeting Professionals International (MPI)
• International Special Events Society
• Craig's List -- I know this sounds surprising, but Craig's List can be a useful resource if used wisely.
  

Just a reminder, continue to be careful when applying to any job, and be sure to research the company thoroughly before jumping into something head-first and blind.

Good luck to you all!