College students and their parents know the difference between landing a job and landing a good job. College leaders know too, but some help more than others.
When college seniors and recent grads obtain a “good” job, it means that the job:
- Holds great interest for the student
- Has opportunities to learn and grow
- Has opportunities for advancement
- Has career potential
- Pays a salary that enables a student to live independently
- Pays well enough for students to meet their expenses and loan obligations
- Utilizes some of what has been learned in college
- Justifies the time and expense of obtaining a college degree
- Makes family members proud of the student
However, too often, a student may have little choice but to accept a job that:
- Holds little or no interest for them
- Has few or no opportunities to learn and grow
- Has few or no opportunities for advancement
- Does not have career potential
- Does not pay a salary that enables them to live independently
- Doesn’t pay well enough for them to meet their expenses and loan obligations
- Utilizes little or none of the information learned in college
- Does not justify the time and expense of obtaining a college degree
- Causes friction between family members
To prevent large numbers of new college graduates from being forced to accept jobs that hold no interest and/or career potential and do not pay a living rate, students and colleges must work together.
1. Issues for which Students Are Responsible:
- Understanding what it takes to succeed in a competitive job market
- Knowing whether their Major leads to satisfactory employment opportunities
- Researching what it takes to attract their target employers
- Performing job search preparation activities during each semester of college
- Gaining some job-related work experience during the college years
- Building a list of impressive accomplishments by participating and getting results
- Building strong references by demonstrating character and performance over time
- Creating an impressive Resumé with their list of accomplishments and successes
- Practicing and perfecting their interviewing skills
- Building an effective employment network
- Recognizing that the competition for good jobs is stiff
- Mounting and conducting a strong and serious job search campaign
2. Concerned Colleges Help Their Students:
- Receive career education information and training
- Understand the employment process
- Figure out what it takes to succeed in a competitive job market
- Select majors that lead to satisfactory employment opportunities
- Prepare a personal plan of action for job search preparation activities
- Methodically gather the information and tools to be used for their job search
- Identify appropriate job-related work experience opportunities
- Identify activities that can result in impressive accomplishments
- Explain how to cultivate powerful and enthusiastic references
- Prepare an impressive resumé
- Gain and practice interviewing skills
- Learn how to network effectively
- Develop realistic expectations – Preparation, Hard Work & Disappointments, etc.
- Learn how to conduct an effective and comprehensive search for employment
- Realize that completing all of the steps above is four-year process that has
consequences, if it is ignored
“The job market for college students and recent graduates is seldom user friendly.”
The best college leaders recognize that landing a good job at graduation is of critical importance to students and their parents. They aggressively identify and implement systems and techniques that will make their students more successful in the job market.
It should be obvious to everyone that there is a big difference between landing a job and landing a good job. That is why prospective students and their parents should do their research and choose a college that is dedicated to helping (all) students do the things that will get them better prepared to succeed in the job market, as they move through each semester of college.