New College Graduates Failing in Job Searching Skills

50% of recent college graduates are either jobless or underemployed as this article is written. Most of these graduates are working at jobs that do not require the college degree just earned. Many are working at part-time, minimum wage jobs. With these statistics, many will face the harsh reality of being unable to repay their student loans on time, if at all. There must be a better outlook for these young adults who put so much time into preparing for their future. But are they really prepared?

We crank out college grads who think that great grades and perfect attendance is what will land the dream job they always wanted! Unfortunately, employers are looking for something entirely different, and it's time that our grads learned the one thing they did NOT learn in college; how to actually look for a job!

Sadly, millions... yes, millions... of jobs go unfilled each year. This is a sad commentary in our current economic situation. With 50% of recent college grads without work, or with inadequate work, this is a statistic that should not even exist. Why, then, are businesses still faced with all these unfilled positions? Because so many applicants don't understand what the employers are truly seeking in the people they hire. Poor resume upon poor resume finds its way to the desks of HR departments on a daily basis. If a candidate happens to make it to the interview process, the majority of candidates have no idea what they're doing in the interview chair. Employers feel that these skills are not given the attention that is vital to a college graduate's successfully landing a job in his or her chosen career field. They don't know how to market their degree.

To most employers, the candidate who spent a year abroad on foreign exchange very likely does not have as much to offer as the college student who works part time at the local JC Penney. There, they may be learning about marketing, customer service and teamwork, as well as proving they can make it to work each day. The student who is all about academia and very little about the real world, demonstrates very little about how they will perform in the working world.

The bottom line is: these graduates need to understand what makes their employer prospects tick; what will make themselves employable. That is when the employment rate of our grads will go up, and the job vacancies will get filled. It's all about working with a professional who knows how to lay out a strategic, productive job search. The sooner these grads act, the sooner they will realize the financial rewards of their degree... as originally intended.