Forum - Ask the Hiring Manager

QUESTION:

I have spent five years studying for an Associate's in Arts degree in Graphic Design because I have traferred to three different colleges and I had to work so the classes weren't convienent for me to take schedule-wise.

After I graduated I sent my resume to most of the big companies that have positions in design and other related fields. So far I keep getting letters saying that they will put my resume on file for six months etc. etc. Any tips on what should do next?

From: Laura K.Owen, Recent Graduate, Ohlone College


ANSWER FROM BRIAN KRUEGER:

Hi Laura -

Sounds like you've found out the hard way that getting a degree is no guarantee of getting a job. It's a tough reality, but it is the reality.

First of all, congratulations on your tenacity to stick with it in completing your degree. It must have been a difficult road for you over those five years and it probably feels great to be finished. But now on to the more important work--getting a job to put your education to work.

While your open-ended "what should I do next?" question could be answered in volumes (actually, my whole book was written for people just like you), following are several immediate steps to take:

1. Contact by phone every company that you have sent a resume to. It will minimally force them to pull your resume out of the file (and give you the opportunity to send another if they "can't fint it at the moment") and ideally will give you an opportunity to make an ACTIVE presentation of your background (vs. the passive presentation via the resume). Also, if it truly is a dead-end, ask the manager what other departments in their company may have a need, and if that still produces a dead-end, ask what other companies they are aware of that may have a need. Use the "I know you're probably well-connected in the field..." type of stroking before asking the question, and personal vanity will prompt them in assisting you.
2. Commit yourself to never again sending out a resume without an intial phone call first. Always make the direct contact first. If the resume is required, follow with another phone call after delivery. Fax is best and most immediate. You can be back on the phone with the manager one hour later.
3. Don't just contact the big companies. Talk to the medium and small companies. That's where ALL of the job growth is in this country (the Fortune 500 companies are typically holding steady or reducing employment).
4. Network, network, network. Build your personal and professional network! If you don't know where to start, visit the information on networking at our Web site--or see the full Networking chapter in my book for more ideas.
5. Stick with it. Don't give up. Your new job is out there. You just haven't found it yet. Your job right now is to find that job. Increase your odds by being fully prepared to make the very most of every contact, every connection. And keep knocking on doors until one of them opens for you. Remember, you only need one.

Make your own good luck in your job search.

Do you have a question that you would like to have answered here in this forum? Send your question direct to Brian Krueger.

All job search information at this forum is provided by Brian Krueger, author of the book College Grad Job Hunter, the definitive guide for college grad job search. Used by permission of the author.