New college graduate from the class of 2009 have found themselves faced with the worst job market in over 25 years. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, employers announced this spring that they were planning on hiring 22% fewer graduates this year; in addition, the Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed that unemployment for those between the ages of 20- to 24-years-old is currently over 15 percent with an overall federal unemployment rate of 9.4% in July (down from 9.5% in June). 

These recent labor statistics will undoubtedly leave new graduates feeling discouraged and somewhat frustrated over the lack of potential job prospects as they begin looking for their first job after graduation. Although the current recession has made it extremely difficult for new graduates, there are specific strategies they can employ to increase their chances of getting hired even in a tough job market. I’ve listed several strategies below that can assist in conducting a successful job search.

Keep Motivated & Maintain a Positive Approach in Your Job Search

Staying motivated in a tough job market can be difficult. Being proactive in your job search requires a conscious effort in maintaining a positive attitude especially after you’ve just received several “personal” rejections.  Since a recession is not something you’ve personally experienced before, the timing couldn’t be worse for you as a new college graduate.  It’s important to understand that “this too shall pass” and by making the most of your time by maintaining a proactive approach and a positive attitude, you will be paving the way to getting hired once the job market opens up.

Focus on Your Goals yet Remain Flexible in Your Job Search

Establishing and developing strategies in reaching your individual career goals will help you achieve success in the job search process. Since we usually don’t go to college to get just any job, we are often faced with the harsh reality of how we are going to sustain ourselves and begin repaying our current student loans. Definitely begin your job search with jobs you really want; but be sure to keep your search flexible so you will be able to sustain yourself until the right job comes along.

Create Targeted Resume & Cover Letters

The goal of sending in your resume and cover letter is to gain an employer’s attention and have them contact you to come in for an interview.  With the fierce competition in today’s job market, it is crucial to develop a resume and cover letter that stands out above the rest. You must develop a unique resume and cover letter for each position you apply to. By carefully reviewing the organization’s website and looking over each individual job description (if there is one), you can begin crafting your documents by highlighting your skills and accomplishments based on what you believe the employer is looking for in its job applicants.   

Increase Your Professional Network

Networking is considered to be the #1 strategy for finding a job (research shows that between 50 – 75% of jobs are found this way).  Learning how to network early in your career can be beneficial no matter where you are in the career process. You can contact the Career Services Office at your college to see if they have a group of alumni who have signed up to act as a mentor to students and other alumni.  Adding LinkedIn to your list of social networks is important as you begin making the transition from college life to the professional world of work.  The people you communicate with on these sites can serve as contacts and provide you with information on what it’s actually like working for a particular organization and even give you tips on what it takes to get hired. It’s important to remember that even introverts can learn these basic strategies and can develop the skills they need to become a successful networker.  

Prospect for Jobs

It has been said that 85% of all jobs are never advertised.  If this is the case, where do we go to find these unadvertised opportunities? This is where researching employers as well as potential jobs becomes a part of the job search process. Checking out company websites, researching employers with potential jobs in your field, and networking are all excellent ways to uncover unadvertised jobs. This strategy is often overlooked because it takes more time and may be considered to be more challenging than reviewing help wanted ads in the newspaper and online job postings. 

Become an Entrepreneur

Finding a professional job is definitely the dream of most new college graduates.  But in lieu of finding that perfect job, there are many jobs in demand even in times of a recession.  Do you have advanced knowledge in a particular area (math, English, foreign languages) or possess a special skill (playing an instrument, art, martial arts computer programming) that you could use to tutor others?  Busy professionals often hire out for many jobs they themselves don’t have time to complete, such as: landscaping, nanny, shopping, computer work, and web design are just a few that I could mention.

Following the above strategies will help keep you focused on the job search process rather than the outcome. By focusing on the process, you will help yourself stay motivated by consistently setting and meeting your daily goals.  Maintaining this positive and proactive approach will increase the odds of finding that job you really want and that you have spent your time preparing for.

Penny Loretto is Assistant Director of Career Services at Skidmore College and also has her own career counseling business, Career Choice, working with adults looking to make a career transition.