Graduated? How long did it take to get a 'real job'?
 

Im going to graduate in May 2004 with a B.A. in Telecommunication (emphasis in IT management and a business cognate), and Im starting my job hunt now.
At this rate it seems like I'm never going to find a real job.
Anyone have any suggestions/stories/ideas?

Well....

http://www.qvm.com/display/mcdonalds1.gif

:D

Seriously though, I'd definately use all the resources the school has while you are still there. Check with your school to see what they can do.

It doesn't hurt to throw the resume on monster.com

Best of luck!

i know that being part of clubs that are focused on your major help a lot. you can get a lot of information and opportunities from it. but....thats a bit too late.

i'm being hopeful right now and hoping that our economy blossoms before next may so that i've got something to look foward to.

Be flexible.

Are you willing to move? Are you willing to start at something that you don't necessarly want?

Don't think you'll get your dream job out of the gates. Look hard for jobs.

A friend of mine had a chance for a job with the National Security Agency (I have no idea what they do, but it seemed like a sweet set up) and she didn't even bother to go through the interview process. Why? Because it's 6 hours away from her family. So she didn't work for months and months instead. She has a decent job now, but she could be making $60,000 a year for a goverment agency which is damn good.

So... be flexible and good luck!

also remember if you have office skills getting into the organization as an office temp or fileclerk etc, just to get your foot in the door, or into the city of where the concentration of industry you're looking at.

good luck. open your options to open your possibilities.

Re: Graduated? How long did it take to get a 'real job'?
 

The name of the game is contacts...get out and make as many contacts as possible...be prepared to work at something that might not be your dream job in the short term...just don't sit at home waiting for said dream job to drop into your lap.

Does your major have a national/international professional society? It's always a good idea to go to conventions or seminars they sponsor to make contacts. As someone said, it is mostly about who you know. Most jobs that make it to the newspaper stage are because they are desperate to find someone. Most jobs are filled before they ever hit that stage. Use your professors to help give you contacts within certain companies. There are many things you can do along this line, but it is all about networking and getting to know people.

That part about moving is spot on. Be willing to move for your first job in the profession. A few of years down the road, when you have a track record, you'll be able to land a job in the place where you actually want to live.

In the unionized trades, there's a status called journeyman. It means somebody who's capable but hasn't achieved master craftsman status. In the old day of the guilds, a person who finished apprenticeship with a master craftsman literally went on the road -- took a journey -- moving from place to place to pick up work and experience until he finally was ready to be a master and found a town or place where he could set up his own shop. You are a journeyman.

got mine right out of school, but I had done an intership there, so they already knew me.

I was lucky and went back to doing some temp sys admin work and interviewing for full time sysadmins for the company I interned at, had a 2 month break and then started in my current job (of 4+ years)

My last two years of college I worked as an intern for practically nothing. When I finally graduated, the company I was working for hired me on as a full time employ. No waiting and a seemless transition. I highly recomend finding an internship somewhere, even if it means working your butt off for next to nothing, salary wise.

It took me six monthes

I got an Masters in Sociology and got a job as an analyst for a fuel card company, and after lots of sideways moves, Im now an Assistant Financial Accountant :(

I've been looking for two months now. It's tough right now.

Monster, yup. Organization, yea somewhat.
Willing to move? HELL YEA!
I wouldnt mind getting out of michigan! I'm open to most any place, even in the world! My parents might not like that idea, but like some of you guys said, moving elsewhere for that first job is something im all about.
Other than school resources, anyone know of other places where jobs might be posted? Websites, etc

I wouldn't recommend Monster. These days, it tends to be nothing more than a hunting ground for email addresses to spam, and a haven for headhunters.

Let me tell you about headhunters. These are people who work on commission for an independent company. In some cases, you can expect to see them take your resume and spam it to everyone whose address they can get ahold of, which can turn your name to mud. Often you don't even need to contact a headhunter. All you have to do is post the resume, they grab it, and next thing you know you're getting an angry call from someone telling you to stop faxing them your res. And if you don't watch the fine print, headhunters can garnish your wages. For years. From job to job. Monster is not the best place to go.

In my experience, a good way to break in is by getting an internship, striking up a rapport with several of your superiors during the internship, and picking a company large enough to absorb you in the first place. Also, it doesn't have to be 40 hours a week. You can do 20 and split your time with an hourly job. It might be just working the counter at a coffeeshop or working at a phone bank, but I can't stress how important it is to put one's ego in neutral for just a little while. I've known people who've just about been thrown out onto the street peniless because they refused to do something "below their station" while looking for real work. Or they were just self-destructively unmotivated and not experienced enough to appreciate the long-term ramifications of such a decision.

So, networking is everything. Starting an internship now or immediately after college has worked wonders for many. In fact, the overwhelming majority of internships do not accept someone who is not a student. Find out if the companies you want to work for offer internships. That's your best bet, in my opinion. It gives them a chance to sound you out, and gives you the chance to see the company from the inside with no strings attached and no long-term obligations.