The Ugly Truth, what “they” don’t tell you…

[clabrat]

Last week I met a new friend on Twitter and after exploring his site We Compare Books - A Great Blog For New College Students, I came across a very interesting blog that I thought would be nice to share here.

The blog talks about how common a college degree is. What he wrote is exactly what my parents wanted me to do and what they perceived as having a stable and successful life. That perception is to finish school, get a job, get married and have a family. Upon finishing college, I realized that I was like every other graduate student out there. I hold in my hands the diploma of an undergraduate degree with no experience and the expectation of finding a job in Corporate America. Let’s not discuss climbing the Corporate Ladder just yet…we first need to get our foot in the door and land an actual job.

The blog title is:

Some thoughts about college from a recent graduate: “The Ugly Truth, what “they” don’t tell you”
By: Eugene Aronsky
WeCompareBooks.com

Remember as you were growing up your parents inundating you with the idea that to be successful you have to go to college? It was good advice on its own, but guess what? Everyone else’s parents were telling them the same thing.

The ugly truth is that a college education and a Bachelor’s degree is to our day what a high school degree was to kids fifty or sixty years ago. It’s so commonplace to have a B.A. or a B.S. that it doesn’t really set you apart from anyone else in the job market anymore. And it’s no revelation that the quality of collegiate education isn’t what it was back in the days when it meant something to go to college.

So what do you do to set yourself apart from the rest, especially with these challenging economic times and the highest unemployment rate in roughly forty years? As a recent graduate and one facing the grim prospects for the job market in the near future, there are a couple of things I would recommend to current and prospective college students.

First, internships. Though they may be required at certain schools and in certain programs, internships are an invaluable thing to have on one’s résumé regardless. Studying abroad is great if you have the opportunity, but it doesn’t impress as much as an internship. An internship shows employers that you are able to translate classroom learning to workplace skills. A (hopefully) successful internship demonstrates that you have real world experience and relieves worries that they’d have to train you from the start. You may learn how to use a specific software or system that is crucial in your industry, or you may gain management or administrative experience. If you’re lucky, some internships may even become actual job offers upon graduation. At the very least you will meet people and gain networking opportunities.

Speaking of which, the second thing to pursue is networking. This has become something of a hype word, but the hype doesn’t reduce its importance. Networking, or meeting people and making connections, is the most vital thing one can do as a student and as a professional. It has been said that around only 30% of job opportunities are advertised in classifieds or on job sites, while the other 70% are acquired through direct referrals. These statistics may not be completely accurate, but what is accurate is the fact that more people get jobs through contacts in the company or organization they are applying to than through cold applying and hoping for an interview. Networking is a skill that is developed and can’t be learned overnight. I know from experience how intimidating it can be to face a room full of established, successful people and find the courage to approach them. But if you can overcome your fear and master this skill it will become the most essential tool in your belt.

Lastly, learning a marketable skill will always distinguish you from the sea of applicants. Are you a business student? Learn a foreign language. Art? Learn web-based graphics. Whatever industry or sector your studies are taking you, if you take the time to learn the skills that are required and valued in your line of work you show employers that you bring to the table abilities and knowledge that you can use from day one.

Don’t neglect the classroom, but know that academic success won’t necessarily get you everywhere you wish to be. Augment classroom studies with real world experience, networking and a marketable skill and you will be sure to impress on interview day.

[aelle]

Agreed with all these - except the myth that everyone has a college degree: a college education is still a privilege even in places where it's virtually free, and if you only know college graduates, then you evolve in very privileged and reduced circles.

Apart from that, yes, and I have done all of these. And it put me in the comfortable position of having many great options to choose from right out of college (with a bit more effort than usual because of the economical crisis, but still).

But it's easy to misinterpret such articles. Do not accumulate internships, diplomas, foreign languages, potential contacts etc... randomly, just to get a job. All those things, you should choose because you want to accomplish them for what they are. A resume that makes you employable is first and foremost coherent, and if you only do stuff you are passionate about, there will be one coherence to your resume: you. And it will open more and more doors that fit you perfectly.