Do you
remember when you finished high school and had to look for a summer job? It was a challenging chapter in a young life.
Fast
forward - the 2015 marketplace for newly graduated men and women is like reading
a mystery novel. How will it all end?
My own
view is today's job search is tougher than yesterday's was for a number of
reasons, starting with the applicant him/herself. Our youngsters these days are accustomed to
having it pretty good, certainly compared with those who experienced periods of
economic depression or recession. These decades of economic well-being coupled
with changes in society that favor a more “laid back” approach to life make for
a powerful incentive to bank the fire in one's belly. Parents, let alone
grandparents, simply don't recognize the present when thinking back to their
own time when striving for success was part of one's DNA. Only when actually
applying for a job does real-world shock set in. Sometimes it can be brutal.
High
school years were arguably the best times of our lives. You were still under the parental roof where
room and board came with few if any burdens, including access to the family car
if there was one. Those who enjoyed such
a life were fortunate indeed. There were plenty of youngsters who did not have
such good fortune but they were largely out of sight to the fortunate ones.
What's
going on with job search these days? The
waiting line for almost any job is a long one. In the pack of applicants are
those who already have experience or have college degrees, plus there is the
new wrinkle of older folks reentering the work force having both of the above.
Do your
homework on the company for which you are interviewing. First impressions are
vital – firm handshake, eye contact, relate how you made a difference in your
academic and part-time jobs. Above all, convey a desire to be part of a winning
team.
Good
luck, graduates. Welcome to the real
world.
