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Originally Posted by The J-Man
OP, I'm going to be a little harsh with you here, but I think you need some very direct and real advice.
1.) The job market is not bad right now. Don't buy into the media doom and gloom. White collar jobs are booming for the most part. If you can't get a job, you're doing something wrong.
2.) The vast majority of college grads get job offers before graduating through on campus interviews and career fairs and/or internships. If you're graduating in a few months and you don't already have something lined up, you've shit the bed. Don't worry, I did the same thing. I found it very hard to get a job after graduation because I ignored the on campus stuff. If you have any opportunities for career fairs (probably virtual) between now and graduation, DO IT.
3.) Too late now, but your major is somewhat generic. Marketing/management majors have a hard time getting jobs, followed by finance. Accounting and info systems majors get jobs very easily. You have an uphill battle with this. Look into the consulting firms and big 4 accounting firms (they will hire management majors for advisory jobs). I can all but guarantee you that these firms are recruiting on your campus right now. KPMG, EY, Deloitte, PWC, Accenture, etc. Consulting firms in client facing roles are by far the best way to launch your career, but the hours suck. Fortunately, you only have to put in a few years and you're well on your way to $100K+.
3.) Your first job is about getting in the door somewhere and getting years of experience on your resume. Don't be picky.
4.) When interviewing, it is critical to ask thoughtful questions. When I interview somebody I don't care about them answering my questions. I want them to ask me questions about the job and the company. Asking relevant, thoughtful questions shows intellect. This is as much or more important than your answers to the questions that they ask you. I cannot stress this enough. This is how you will get a job offer. Ask questions. Ask questions. Ask questions. Questions about the company, the team, the job, etc. You will impress them with your questions, not with your answers.
5.) If you don't know how recruiters work, they are scum. Literally scum of the earth. Do not be intimidated, used or manipulated by them. They will lie to you and waste your time every chance they get. Use them to your advantage, not the other way around. They work for you. Just remember that. They get paid when they land you a job. Without you, they don't eat. I have used recruiters as a job seeker and as an employer. 99/100 of them are scum. Beware.
Like you, I ran my own little part time business before/during college. After college I took a job with KPMG. The job sucked because I didn't land it on campus - it was an internal job (not client facing) that I got 6 months after graduation through Monster.com. I quit the job after 2 years to double down on my business. I was very successful with my business full time for 4 years and then it started going to shit due to various market forces. I sold the business and went back to the consulting world. Having KPMG on my resume was the only thing that got me interviews and back into the corporate world. Nobody cared that I ran my own successful business. Running your own business full time is a grind and every year that you do it is year that you aren't building skills on a resume that large employers care about. 5+ years out of college, I found myself in a nearly entry level position. Something for you to consider. I have no regrets.
As far as relationships, those are key once you land a job. Collecting business cards or Linkedin connections doesn't do much anymore (although it is a necessity). I'm talking about meaningful working relationships with like minded people who you connect with. When you have a meaningful connection with somebody, embrace it and nurture it, don't ignore it. Those deeper connections that you make with people will serve you well throughout your career. It only takes a handful of tight connections to accelerate your career. Find a mentor if you can, and when you're in a position to do so, be a mentor to others. Always be confident and assertive but not an asshole.
Good luck and report back when you land something.
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Thank you for being blunt. Sugar coating things never accomplishes anything.
The spring job fair is soon and I am much more prepared now than I was in the fall. The spring job fair is always smaller than the fall one but there is still some opportunity for me.
I don't want to "properly" run my own business until I am certain it will upend an entire industry or the way we live as a whole. That could be in five years or never come at all. I could probably continue my retrofit business for a few years but I don't see all of these BMW retrofit companies lasting into the next decade. Others on this thread have told me the words "I ran my own business" are scary for most recruiters and my experiences align with that statement.
I will look into more consulting firms. Like many kids I had no idea what I wanted to do when I was 18 and picked a more generic degree. If I could go back I still would not be 100% sure what degree I would have picked.
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Originally Posted by thestimp
I am hiring interns and low level manufacturing people at my robotics startup. We are based in Pittsburgh. Send me your resume and I can see if you fit something here. One of the intern roles is my apprentice for supply chain and operations. Starts in the summer.
www.iamrobotics.com - I am the director of Ops and Supply Chain. |
PM Sent
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Originally Posted by 4Hockey4
add to that, interested in living in Richmond VA, PM. Our consulting firm works with everyone here.
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I am willing to move pretty much anywhere in the US for the right opportunity. I will send you a PM.