Advice for College Seniors

Advice for College Seniors If youre graduating soon, Ive got some advice for college seniors. Know the labor market, know what you want to do and be ready to work for it! Graduation is just around the corner but you probably dont have a job lined up yet.  Time is ticking and there are eight really important things you need to know if you are a senior getting ready to head out into the real world. But first Good Data and Bad Data The good news is employers plan to hire 13% more college graduates this year than they did last year, according to NACE’s Job Outlook 2012 survey. More good news is that those with a  college degree have better odds of being employed than those without a degree. The bad news is about 50% of recent college graduates are still out of work (or are they?) There is a full report on this number and what it might really mean. Actually, it is a super exploration of what is really going on with employment in the US for college graduates. How Bad Is the Job Market For College Grads? Your Definitive Guide from The Atlantic. We are still in a competitive job market. It is going to require more work and effort to land that first job out of college. And with a scarcity of traditional jobs or good paying jobs, your first job out of college probably wont be the norm. For those of you reading this and thinking, but I cant afford to take a job making minimum wage or less let me suggestyou cant afford not to! You need money and experience! But dont feel defeated. Most people started in bottom of the barrel jobs! It builds character and teaches valuable life lessons! Rise to the challenge. Make your way! Take calculated risks and innovate. Start your own solo-business. There are thousands of problems that need solving in our world today and chances are pretty good you could help alleviate one. Also keep in mind the idea of a portfolio career, which is a term that means a collection of different jobs that provide meaning and money. If you want to learn more about portfolio careers, you can read these posts: Portfolio Careers For Multiple Income Streams: aka Job Security Portfolio Careers- Are You Ready? Did you graduate last year? This advice still applies. It is never too late to re-invent your job search tactics and try a different approach to create your own work. If you arent graduating yet, but want to proactively start nurturing future opportunities, you MUST read this post about what you should be doing while enrolled in college! Advice for Incoming Freshman By the way, this isnt your parents job search. They are probably not equipped to help you traverse the tricky landscape of todays job search.