Much is written about the increase in job seekers laid off by companies of late, but what about recent college grads entering the market for the first time? How are they faring in the recession and can those of us a few years past the cap and gown ceremony (ok, a boatload of years) learn from the experience of young professionals?
The picture isn’t much rosier for the newly graduated: The National Association of Colleges and Employers reported 20% fewer offers year over year for 2009 graduates with bachelor’s degree and a drop in starting salaries. Local career coach Susan Kennedy of Career Treking who spoke to Gail Smith on local cable TV show Get That Job!, said only 19.7% of college graduates have a job today compared with 51% two years ago.
Chart a career path: Despite the stats, Susan says graduates should not abandon the dream job goal. She recommends an A-B-C approach where A is the dream job you aspire to and B and C are stepping stones to get there. The example Susan cited was this:
- A “Dream Job” goal: Dave wants to work in Brand Management at Under Armour, the performance sports apparel and footwear company
- B goal: Dave seeks a marketing position in comparable companies such as Reebok, Saucony or New Balance, potentially in a temporary or an internship role.
- C goal: Dave starts by working part time at a high-end health club today in a marketing role to close the gap in his experience (e.g. events planning) and takes a class to expand his skill set (e.g. graphics design).
It occured to me that the same approach can apply to more mature workers. As an example, a “B” strategy might be to pursue start ups, smaller companies or less well known brands who value experience and perspective and who might consider contract or internship roles.
A “C” strategy could be part time work, or it might include taking a significant pay decrease in order to acquire a specific skill or close an experience gap. Alternatively, a “C” strategy could also be a non-paying internship.
The point is not to give up on your dream job, but to move forward towards it with a thoughtful plan that is realistic, keeps you engaged, learning and contributing.
Make the internship work for you. Gail shared a recommendation from Larry Stybel co-founder of Stybel Peabody & Associates a retained search and executive outplacement firm. He says it’s critical to clearly state what you expect to get out of an internship role up front. Agree on a title for the intern role you have today that you can use down the road to reflect the work you did. It will give credence to the work and position you better. Secondly, get agreement that at the successful conclusion of the internship, the employer will provide referrals and recommendations on your behalf – assuming of course you exceeded expectations. Neither of these are onerous requests. They show you are savvy, confident and forward thinking. Who knows, this approach just might turn that non-paying internship into a permanent, paying position!
Finally, The Job Coach for Young Professionals is a workbook developed by Career Treking to help first-time job seekers with hands-on exercises and step by step advice. Rumor has it that mature workers will find it as useful as recent grads.
With thanks to Gail Smith, Producer of ”Get That Job!”. Gail can be reached via LinkedIn at http://www.linkedin.com/in/gailgsmith or by email at: ggsmith7@comcast.net.
