Friday, April 2, 2010

It's Hard-Knock Life for Us

Its been almost 2 weeks since my last internship ended, and right now I'm beginning to feel that thing where many college students are struggling to find an entry-level job or any job for that matter. I applied to 6 different places and I have been turned down from two of them so far. I've never had that much trouble getting into classes with the budget cuts (which I am very thankful of), but I guess I am paying for it by having a hard time finding a job, or even another internship.

So here are a few things I like to share (from my personal experiences, of course) when dealing with this kind of problem.

1) Apply everywhere. Don't be picky when searching for a job or an internship, and don't settle yourself short. Of course, don't apply for a medical internship if you are a business major, just don't limit yourself to the fields related to your major.

For me, I have not only been applying for positions in Marketing, Journalism, and PR, I've also been apply to jobs in customer service and to businesses who need an assistants.

2) Follow directions when applying to internships/jobs. If the post says "put this... on the subject line" then do it. If they say "list 5 things that make you tick in your cover letter," then do it. A lot of the postings I saw on Craigslist, the employers are looking for people who can pay attention to details. So if you can't follow a few simple instructions on how to send in your resume, then how can the employer know for sure you will follow directions when they give you assignments?

3) Once you send your cover letter and resume, wait for a few days. If you haven't heard from them by then,its best to send them another email, asking them for a follow-up. This is so you can show them that you really are interested in the position. Unless the internship/job posting says otherwise.

4) If they ask you for references, its best to give your references a heads up. That way they know where you are applying and what they can do to help. Its also a good idea to do this once you had an interview with them and they asked for references.

5) If a internship/job posting is a few days or even a week old, still apply for it. You never know. They could still be looking for someone.

6) Never give up. I know it sounds cliche, but its true. It is important to stay positive and have a good attitude. Someone is going to be interested in you; someone is going to take a chance on you, you just have to be patient and keep on trying.

FYI: Your cover letter is a good place to show them why they should consider you.

TIP of the BLOG: I just gave you 5 : )

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