Hello all, it’s been awhile.
Life has been fairly crazy for me, trying to find work with a four year degree in History/Political Science can be extremely difficult when you don’t want to be a politician or a teacher. Despite my consistently good grades throughout my academic career, I never felt that a formal education was ever for me. Hell, even in Talented and Gifted class (i.e, the nerd class) throughout elementary school I was routinely being disciplined for being a smartass and was almost expelled from the program for cheering after learning Egyptian children drank alcohol at dinner with their parents. Despite the tide against me, my grades and good nature always seemed to save me.
I had myself a fairly cozy (and dull) office job for a small utility company in my area doing mindless spreadsheets and writing cover letters and proposals for working men who often missed the finer points of the written word (always spelling ‘light’ as ‘lite’ and not knowing the difference between a colon and semicolon). Being unaccustomed to office politics, I was caught off guard by the subversive assault on my character by the conservative office ladies who couldn’t understand how a tie-dye wearing, scraggly haired punk like myself could do millions of dollars in invoices in several hours while they were still trying to make a legible template in Excel. After some nefarious actions on their part (which I care not to discuss in detail only because of how long it would take to accurately convey the full impact of how I was screwed over) I found myself floating after graduation no longer with the promise of a full time job with benefits. In a word: fucked. But I’m not the only one of the graduating college students of 2010 who are struggling to make some sort of living on what little opportunities are out there – it’s an epidemic. I know people with four year degrees working at Starbucks for $8/hr. who can’t help but feel betrayed by higher education.
If you’re in this position, qualified and intelligent yet still struggling to find respectable employment, here are some steps that will help you get your feet on the ground and get going.
1. Get Your Resume Together
- This should really be obvious, but it amazes me how many of my peers have poorly constructed resumes or no resume at all. Do you think you’re going to get a good job with a smile? Big business has little time for character investigation, and a resume is a surefire way to concisely list your skills and achievements – think of it as a self-promotional tool (LOOK HOW GREAT I AM!!!) You need to sell yourself to your employer, you want the job don’t you?
Here’s a link to a brief example from employmentspot.com
2. Be presentable
- This is dependent on what career you’re pursuing, but remember the age old saying: “Dress for the job you want, not the job you have.” Invest in some nice button down shirts, shave, get some cologne, brush your teeth, and remember the first 30 seconds of face time with an interviewer is your main opportunity to make a good first impression. Overstock stores such as Marshall’s and TJ Maxx are great places to find heavily discounted designer clothing as well as the necessary professional accessories for a fraction of what you’d pay at the normal retail level.
3. The Internet is not for porn – it’s for opportunities!
- Yeah there’s a lot of garbage on the internet, but there is also a lot of opportunities at your fingertips if you know where to look. Be wary of using Craigslist as ANYONE can post and there are often cases of scammers trying to mine your personal data. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is! Nonetheless, there are legitimate posts and even some small quick jobs if you’re in a jam and need the cash. Here’s a list of some sites you should try:
Monster.com
Indeed.com
CapitalAreaHelpWanted.com (for those living in the NY Capital District, a great site!!!)
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