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A serious thread about employment ideas...

I've spent the last two weeks applying for jobs, going to interviews, etc. Fresh out of college with no "real" work experience, however, I am finding that I'm going to have to start out as someone's coffee boy before I get anything at a decent pay range.

So, I've applied at several private firms, a few banks, and a handful of state agencies. I'm trying to brainstorm new places to apply. Anyone with some actual job experience got any ideas? (Hint: If you're under 21... don't reply to this thread. If I wanted a job in a restaurant or at a store in the mall, I wouldn't be posting about this... because I've had those jobs in the past.)

I just need ideas... And in case information about me helps... I've got my diploma, my Associate's Degree, and my Bachelor's Degree in Communication/English. I also have a Microsoft certification in Access and another in Excel, I can type up to 130WPM, and I have been around computers since I was three years old. I know desktop systems inside-out and can handle just about any problem related to them, including networking, hardware, and software. I also have about as much volunteer experience as you could possibly expect the average person to have. (Takes almost three quarters of the second page of my resume.)

Thanks in advance to anyone who posts something helpful.

oh, I thought maybe you had a degree in web design er soemthing. From what ive seen, bach degree in english or some other lib arts thing are useless. seemsliek the pathway you have to take (unless you have someone hook u up with a job) is the coffee boy routine where you go through the shit and work ur way up.


have you thought of relocating to a city with a better job market?

You can go into sales. There are a lot of places that are willing to try their luck on a "fresh out of college" kid. I started out in telecom, and made bank there, but the job sucked. It all depends on what you're willing to put up with.

quote:

Originally posted by Boomer187 oh, I thought maybe you had a degree in web design er soemthing. From what ive seen, bach degree in english or some other lib arts thing are useless. seemsliek the pathway you have to take (unless you have someone hook u up with a job) is the coffee boy routine where you go through the shit and work ur way up. have you thought of relocating to a city with a better job market?

I almost went to school for computer science, but decided that it would be pointless to pay $30k for a piece of paper that says I'm capable of doing things that I have been able to do since middle school.

I had the time to focus on two things for my major, so I did. English was just something to play around with because I didn't find any of the courses even remotely challenging. Communication, on the other hand, required some actual effort. I plan on using it to get me into public relations, marketing, etc. I just can't find anything in those fields in my immediate area (Olympia, WA) that interests me.

I think I might have to move to Seattle or Vancouver, BC to find the kind of job I want. This sucks.

Re: A serious thread about employment ideas...

If you were in NY I coulda got you a job ages ago. You have all the qualifications to work at my corporation.

Off the top of my head I do know that Geico is always hiring according to my friend who was a manager there, you should check them out.

I would say, if worst comes to worst go to a temp agency at the very least you will get some type of $$ for the time being and sometimes those jobs lead to permanent positions. I can vouch for that because I got my job that way. I was temp here for 6 months and then they perm hired me. I been here 3 years now.

If you dont want to go the temp route try post offices, look up some major corporations in your area on hot jobs and even if they arent hiring fax a resume over in attention to human resources, you never know. I know people who had some luck doing that, in certain cases they employers need someone but havent gotten around to posting an add but if you respond before they do it saves them work and they decide to give you a try.

Post your resume on any site you can just to get your name out there, go to hot jobs, monster etc. In addition to the paper check websites as well, some companies dont list opening in the paper.

Go to a technology expo. they set up LOTS and LOTS of appointments with the average "hello, i'm jacob, i like games"-ers. Then they have a SERIOUS inverview (about 45 minutes) to what your educated or uneducated ass can do for the company.
believe it or not, big companies do have part timers.

go back to college and get a real degree.

Check out this book!

clicky, info!


I finished this book in three days for my study. It was very fun and inspiring to read and it totally changed my view on hunting for a job.

If you have time check it

quote:

Originally posted by wwu.punisher it would be pointless to pay $30k for a piece of paper that says I'm capable of doing things that I have been able to do since middle school.

Believe it or not, but it's all in those papers!

quote:

Originally posted by igottaknow go back to college and get a real degree.

The communication program at WWU is the second-most competitive in the university. (The most competitive is the Woodring School of Education, followed closely by the Industrial Design program.) There were 13,000 students enrolled this past year. The communication program allows about 450 students at a time. The average applicant has to apply three times before getting into the program. I got in on my first shot because I had the benefit of an existing student mentor that told me how to put my portfolio together. My portfolio was 72 pages long including my application, resume, letter of interest, four writing samples, three letters of reccomendation, and an essay on what I thought made me a viable candidate for the program.

If you think communication is a bullshit major, think again. The two most sought-after skills in the American workforce today are communication skills and computer skills, in that order. Why? Because other majors don't require that students know anything about how to communicate effectively with other people. (Business majors at most major universities aren't even required to take ethics courses, so I find it hard to believe that anyone could find anything bad to say about a communication major.)

Do you even know what a communication major does to get their degree? I've yet to run into someone who calls it a bullshit major that even knows what it takes to finish the program.

I apologize for coming out on the defensive, but if you had just spent two years of your life studying things that most of the rest of this country doesn't even understand only to be told to go back to college, you'd be pretty fucking irked about it. One of my final papers for my degree was 53 pages on the influences of residence hall life on the social and educational development of college students in the United States, for the love of God. There are no studies on that. I had to develop my own surveys... conduct my own interviews... I did it my fucking self. I didn't sit in the library and piggy-back on someone else's research. If you know someone else who has done that for their Bachelor's degree, please tell me. Otherwise, think before you post something stupid.

quote:

Originally posted by Creamfields23 Check out this book! clicky, info! I finished this book in three days for my study. It was very fun and inspiring to read and it totally changed my view on hunting for a job. If you have time check it Believe it or not, but it's all in those papers!

Looks like pure gold. I'm going to pick up a copy tomorrow. Thanks.

Sorry kid, the likelihood of you getting a job, and then being laid off in 5-10 due to outsourcing is extremely high. The average joe (AA, BA) can expect to have up to 15 real jobs in his lifetime, and make 3 serious career moves.

Welcome to the real world.

Re: A serious thread about employment ideas...

quote:

Originally posted by wwu.punisher (Takes almost three quarters of the second page of my resume.)

2 page resume, and no work experience? Sounds like you have a lot of useless junk in your resume, which leads straight to the trash can. Most times you only have the first section (Objective) to catch an employers eye.

quote:

Originally posted by wwu.punisher The communication program at WWU is the second-most competitive in the university. (The most competitive is the Woodring School of Education, followed closely by the Industrial Design program.) There were 13,000 students enrolled this past year. The communication program allows about 450 students at a time. The average applicant has to apply three times before getting into the program. I got in on my first shot because I had the benefit of an existing student mentor that told me how to put my portfolio together. My portfolio was 72 pages long including my application, resume, letter of interest, four writing samples, three letters of reccomendation, and an essay on what I thought made me a viable candidate for the program. If you think communication is a bullshit major, think again. The two most sought-after skills in the American workforce today are communication skills and computer skills, in that order. Why? Because other majors don't require that students know anything about how to communicate effectively with other people. (Business majors at most major universities aren't even required to take ethics courses, so I find it hard to believe that anyone could find anything bad to say about a communication major.) Do you even know what a communication major does to get their degree? I've yet to run into someone who calls it a bullshit major that even knows what it takes to finish the program. I apologize for coming out on the defensive, but if you had just spent two years of your life studying things that most of the rest of this country doesn't even understand only to be told to go back to college, you'd be pretty fucking irked about it. One of my final papers for my degree was 53 pages on the influences of residence hall life on the social and educational development of college students in the United States, for the love of God. There are no studies on that. I had to develop my own surveys... conduct my own interviews... I did it my fucking self. I didn't sit in the library and piggy-back on someone else's research. If you know someone else who has done that for their Bachelor's degree, please tell me. Otherwise, think before you post something stupid.

Hope you didn't hyperventilate while writing that reply. Take a deep breath and re-read my post the smiley indicates I was j/k. I thought as a communications major you could pick up on that.

Everyone and their mother has a BA now, so what I suggest is going outside the country, getting your TEFL cert and teaching English in some foriegn land for a year. Then coming back and working on your MA while doing LOTS of volunteer work, interships, and then by the time you've got it you've got experience, education, and money. Lots of work, but thats life.


Or, you could do some SERIOUS soul searching and find out what it is you really want to do. I've known several masters holds that worked for large firms, and then just realized the job is eating away at their being. Two now work making candles and love life..

dunno whats up in there...we have different cultures....
but, dont expect to reach the top from the beggining....
ofcourse you'll make coffee for your supervisors...

i studied information technology....but my knoledges are way beyond that piece of shit paper that i've got...
after i finished my army-time i started working as a security guard....
1 year later, out of nowhere i got a phonecall...
one of greece's biggest electronic shops will open a branch in my town, so, they want me for executive manager
twice the money i'm getting now and less hours...
fuck, i'm 22, thats big shit!!! i'll quit my current job next month and then someone else is going to make my coffee (nah, i'm not that kind of guy )

It would have really helped to get an internship relating to your studies; more-so, networking with people inside the company you did the internship at. It really helps to know people in high places.

Like they say it's not what you know, it's who you know.

From the sound of your experience and knowledge and previous volunteer work though, I wouldn't worry too much. Frictional unemployment isn't bad; in fact, its the most desirable type of unemployment since it usually isn't long-term. Keep the interviews going, and don't get discouraged. Even if you do get an offer, you don't have to take it just because it 'is' a job (I.E. coffee boy)...keep posting and you're bound to get a good offer with a decent company/firm. Persistance is key. Good luck bro.

quote:

Originally posted by plastikE Like they say it's not what you know, it's who you know.

Most people i know that have graduated with degrees of that nature are head hunting right now(odd) - the others went back to school for a masters, law degree, etc... I'd say suck it up and move to a bigger city. I had to move for work right after school and everything worked out really well, just gotta put your balls out there sometimes. There are way more opportunities in bigger cities.


Now here is a spinning smiley face....

make your resume one page

quote:

Originally posted by wwu.punisher The communication program at WWU is the second-most competitive in the university. (The most competitive is the Woodring School of Education, followed closely by the Industrial Design program.) There were 13,000 students enrolled this past year. The communication program allows about 450 students at a time. The average applicant has to apply three times before getting into the program. I got in on my first shot because I had the benefit of an existing student mentor that told me how to put my portfolio together. My portfolio was 72 pages long including my application, resume, letter of interest, four writing samples, three letters of reccomendation, and an essay on what I thought made me a viable candidate for the program. If you think communication is a bullshit major, think again. The two most sought-after skills in the American workforce today are communication skills and computer skills, in that order. Why? Because other majors don't require that students know anything about how to communicate effectively with other people. (Business majors at most major universities aren't even required to take ethics courses, so I find it hard to believe that anyone could find anything bad to say about a communication major.) Do you even know what a communication major does to get their degree? I've yet to run into someone who calls it a bullshit major that even knows what it takes to finish the program. I apologize for coming out on the defensive, but if you had just spent two years of your life studying things that most of the rest of this country doesn't even understand only to be told to go back to college, you'd be pretty fucking irked about it. One of my final papers for my degree was 53 pages on the influences of residence hall life on the social and educational development of college students in the United States, for the love of God. There are no studies on that. I had to develop my own surveys... conduct my own interviews... I did it my fucking self. I didn't sit in the library and piggy-back on someone else's research. If you know someone else who has done that for their Bachelor's degree, please tell me. Otherwise, think before you post something stupid.

if its so spiffy why hasent some super communications firm scooped you up

quote:

Originally posted by Pettiscool make your resume one page

Definetely. Two pages coming out of college??? That would go right into the trash bin. Christ, I've had 2 jobs and 4/5 years of experience, and I couldn't fill a second page. The only time you should ever have more than one page is if you have a curriculum vitae.

By the way, two weeks is nothing. Your job search will probably take several months.

quote:

Originally posted by djwright if its so spiffy why hasent some super communications firm scooped you up

He should save that 'communication major is so hard' speech for the job interview. I'm sure that part about writing long papers will have them on their knees. hehehe

quote:

Originally posted by occrider Definetely. Two pages coming out of college??? That would go right into the trash bin. ... By the way, two weeks is nothing. Your job search will probably take several months.

right on both counts. btw it took me 3+ months to land my first job after college.

quote:

Originally posted by Pettiscool make your resume one page

Quite impossible for me....I have been working for about 8 years now. Never went to college but have tons of experience working in various positions so I never really had a problem. Its hard enough keeping my resume down to 2 pages.

I am in the same boat!!
I went to job fairs/monster/craig's list did it all!
I graduated this semester from a pretty good school SUNY binghamton top SUNY in NY. Now after applying over 100 places past several months I got contacted the interview is today at 3pm! Let's fucking hope I get this because I don't want to be down on my luck anymore. The pay is fine(12-14/hr) because I am at the bottom but where did every engineer start at 50,000! Those are the college kids with exp(intern) already and thats not me so I am fine but after 3pm today I will find out if I got this job! In the end if you got no exp during college it is LUCK! and just keep on applying even to jobs that says work exp required just hope for entry level and theuir nice whoever hires you!

-Also I knew people that knew they had jobs in OCT of their seior year.
-People who knew they had jobs that started in oct after they graduated and got sent to Europe to be trained
-People who got siging bounses for a compnay (5k)

those are lucky people and I am not one of them but I hope to get this job no matter what so I can start my work exp!

quote:

Originally posted by ZzZ The Goddess Quite impossible for me....I have been working for about 8 years now. Never went to college but have tons of experience working in various positions so I never really had a problem. Its hard enough keeping my resume down to 2 pages.

Most recruiters I know won't even look at a resume that's longer than a page. If they have to go through hundreds of resumes generally the last thing they want to do is go through your life biography. Personally, I even left off all my internship work experiences to focus on my actual work experinces (and even that I had to shorten). The resume is to just get your foot in the door ... the interview is where you bombard them with all your experience. But, a 2 pager seems to be working for you ...

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