Ed Note: A segment hit hard by the economy is the new graduate. So I asked Kristen Davie, a recent college graduate to write from time to time on her experiences with her job search. This post is timely if heart wrenching.
By Kristen Davie, for WWDS
If my life resembled a fairy tale in any way, at the stroke of midnight tonight I’d be transformed back into a college co-ed, free from student loans, a laborious job search, and an evil economy. Instead, midnight will mark the two month anniversary of my college graduation ceremony and my transformation into a modern-day Cinderella, shackled to my parents’ couch in the midst of unemployment.
Granted, my story doesn’t have the makings for a Disney animated classic (my routine is seriously lacking scripted song and dance numbers), but it’s common to many.
Some argue that such beloved stories of our childhood actually disillusion us as adults and lead us to believe that all that separates us from true love is an ill-fitting glass pump and an obnoxiously large piece of produce.
Now I’m sure no one considers the current job market a fairy tale by any means. Still, as the stroke of midnight approaches, I find myself disappointed, disheartened, and reconciled yet again to a job search that began in February. When I spoke with several friends recently, I learned that several others felt the same way- unmotivated and apathetic.
As friends escape entry-level position purgatory in grad school or ESL programs abroad, the rest are left with depressing statistics, growing unemployment figures, and one glass shoe.
Heck, even Cinderella had a fairy godmother.
It seems that the economy has also caused a recession in optimism in the graduating class. So often, unemployment focuses on the money lost, the benefits and salaries, rather than the self-esteem. In such a competitive market, how are job seekers supposed to retain the poise and confidence needed to continue the difficult search?
Kristin Davie is a recent Marist College graduate who studied Communications with a concentration in Public Relations. While wading through the job market, she recounts her experiences here and on her own blog CapAndGownCountdown, armed with nothing but her resume and a sense of humor.
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Dear Kristen,
First, know that you are not alone and look at it this way, you say you’ve only been looking for work for a few months? Many people have been looking for a job for 9 months and even 18 months, so 3 months isn’t really that bad, is it? I know it seems like an eternity.
Second, read this blog entry on Being Positive Through Difficult Times -> http://budurl.com/v6sh and then listen to this BlogTalkRadio episode of Help Me Get Hired on Fine-Tuning Your Job Search… http://budurl.com/2vkb You want to set your brain to hone in on the types of jobs/companies you want to work for but also be open to alternatives or opportunities/positions you never even knew existed.
Make a list of your positive attributes and keep that list in sight and write down everything you do each day (even if it’s just 1 thing) to get yourself hired.
As a job coach, I’d love to help you pro bono but I need work too in order to pay my own bills and I have already worked with several people this year for free. I cannot afford to do so anymore, so please take advantage of my free resources to help you through this time. I’m right there with you (and your parents, right?) Browse my blog posts and the BlogTalkRadio episodes of Help Me Get Hired – even if you just get ONE tip or idea from each post or article, that’s a good thing! That’s one step closer to finding work.
And if you want more personalized service (you & your parents), GL knows where to find me. I know exactly what you’re going through first-hand and I really do wish you the best! –Lisa
Kristen-
The industry is in a very tough place right now- and you definitely have my sympathies. You have a good thing going for you in blogging however, as the ability to utilize social media is becoming increasingly attractive to companies and agencies. The more you can familiarize yourself with them now, the better. Also remember that in PR lack of a job posting, doesn’t mean lack of a job. It’s always worth sending a resume and cover letter to an organization you think you might be a good fit for.
Your ESL friends face may be facing some additional hurdles in the job market, so I thought I would share one of our clients who might help them gain a competitive edge – http://www.curvecommunications.com/blog/?p=811.
All the best,
Brian
Thanks to both fo you for your helpful comments and kind words.
It’s comforting to know I’m not alone, and I consider myself a bit luckier than some of my fellow graduates. I started my search in February, and though I have yet to find a full-time position, many of my friends did not begin to seriously look for a job until April or May. I think the most frustrating part of the entrie ordeal is the competition between similarly qualified candidates and the struggle among job seekers now to differentiate themselves among a potential pool of hundreds. Even with my own blog, writing samples, and internships, it’s still difficult to get a leg up fast enough!
I suppose though that it’s reflection of the American job pool at the moment- without jobs but with plenty to bring to the table.
Kristen,
I’m not Dad, but I could be Mom. I am a senior who is still working with no end in sight, IF I can find a job.
This is the deal, the economy comes and goes, a nice fluctuating curve. If you graduate at the wrong time, this is what you get. It has always been that way. You need to know that it will pick up (or the earth is flat) and you also need to know that it will go down again. Its really the luck of the draw timing wise and your luck isn’t the best right now. Something good will come of it, that’s inevitable.
Follow all the good advice you get to keep your chin up and when things do get better, manage your money with the down times in mind. In fact, start to manage your money wih your entire life in mind immediately. Wish I had understood that.
If you have serious depression problems talk to a professional. We all feel down, but it isn’t really normal to not be able to cheer yourself at all. We are all frustrated and success won’t change that. There is something internal that makes us fly high or sink low that isn’t just day to day stuff. So make sure you don’t feel down all the time without taking a serious look at it.
But, like this Bible says, this time “came to pass” and pass it will. Hold on. Remember to hope for the best, but plan for the worst till its over and beyond.
We have a wonderful way of life here that gives us great opportunity. Don’t fall for doomsday talk. This is a transition for sure but we are always in a transition, that’s the human condition.
There’s no doubt that it’s easy to take things personally in these situations. After all, this is about a person, right? The reality is, it will take more perserverance now than at any other time in recent history. The key is to say to stay positive and leverage all your resources to win this fight.
My blog has many articles on this–here’s a sample:
http://jefflipschultz.wordpress.com/2009/03/25/stay-upbeat-during-the-downbeat/
http://jefflipschultz.wordpress.com/2009/07/22/momentum-in-the-job-search/
Hang in there!
Jeff
Great blog! I think people underestimate the emotional aspect of job hunting.
Kristin, even once you have a job you’ll need sources of validation and inspiration to pull up your spirits from time to time too. For that reason, investing time with a social organization, a non-profit or a community group of your choice is a good choice. Plus, it provides networking opportunities – and when you’re interviewing it demonstrates a rounded-out character and initiative in pursuing your interests. Many job seekers find that they can use the time with volunteering to develop marketable job skills too or build out a portfolio.
Job seeking can be a downer. Good luck to you and remeber – you’re honing your job-seeking skills and resiliency in a tough market so these skills will be well tried and solid in the future when needed again.
Kristin, I think that you have no other professional times to compare it to only magnifies the effect. This too shall pass, but it really is the pits in the meantime. But, these types of times have a tendency to reinvent whole cultures at many levels and no one is as ready to deal with the new and the innovative as the educated young!
Ultimately, you will thrive. But, I don’t want to insult you with fairy tales in the meantime. Stay resilient. Spend time with friends. And know that, weird as it sounds, you will look back at so much of this period with a certain exhilaration when you harvest the crop it yields.
As bad as it is for the unemployed student, this is also taking a toll on the rest of the family. Not only is this an emotional burden trying anything possible to get the student a job, any job. But it is also a financial burden. While the student is not working the parents have to continue to support the student because they have no money to pay their bills.
I know that they will eventually get through this and find work, but, “it ain’t easy.”
PS. My student graduated May 2008
great post… i was out of work for a long time and it hurts, thanks for the motivation.