Newswise — In today’s tight job market, new college graduates will typically spend up to 24 months seeking employment, says Butler University’s Director of Internship and Career Services Gary Beaulieu. “You can’t wait until two weeks before graduation to start looking,” he said. “You’ve got to start early and be very organized in your job search.”
Scouring job postings isn’t even the best first step, Beaulieu added. To “get where you want to go,” he said, the soon-to-graduate should
• Make connections and network with people in their chosen fields. • Complete an internship.• Build a resume and portfolio showing job-related knowledge and talents.
New graduates who don’t find their “ideal” jobs right away should consider employment and volunteer service that help them build professional skills, Beaulieu said. “Right now, with the job market the way it is, it’s really about the experience.
“In all jobs you can gain knowledge that’s going to help you in the future. You can build that knowledge, those skills so that you’re much more marketable when the job market really does come back.”
While Beaulieu believes that “There’s no such thing as a ‘dead-end job,’ ” he acknowledges that there are reasons to consider changing employers. Signs to watch for?
“When you’re no longer challenged. When you’ve gone as far as you can go. When you know you can’t advance anywhere.”
But, he adds, be sure to use your current job “as a springboard toward the next experience.”
An eight-year veteran of career counseling and advising in a university setting, Gary Beaulieu directs six staffers and multiple programs to help Butler’s 3,800 undergraduate students prepare for work after graduation. He has pioneered online networking and recruitment fairs that increased participation by employers and students. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Human Resource Development and a master’s degree in student affairs for higher education, both from Indiana State University, and is certified in Strong Interest Inventory Relationship Awareness Theory.
To find other Butler University experts, visit http://www.butler.edu/experts/.
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