Getting the Job

Can you get a job in this economy? The unemployment numbers have been on a steady rise for the past couple of years; similarly, there have been an incredible enrollment increase in colleges and universities around the country. What are those graduates going to do? Many claim that they are preparing for the future and others are willing to move thousands of miles away in pursuit of the right opportunity.

Do you really have to move away to get a job? Even in this economy, people get hired on a daily basis. What are they doing right? What do they know that others don’t? A college degree used to offer an edge over the competition, bur nowadays, there are millions of college grads without a job, and even those with postgraduate degrees are struggling. So you have got the degree (s) and years of experience in your chosen field, what can you do to stand out in this fierce competition? Take the time to finally do so community service. Go to your local chamber or commerce and/or city Hall and offer your help. Your job search can be emotionally draining. Don’t spend all of your time looking for job when you can actually be working. Community service can be as little as one hour a day or couple of hours a week. New graduates are eager to get in the corporate world and they forget to give back to society. As a human resource manager, it baffles me when a candidate, fresh out of college, who never works a day as an adult, is trying to get a highly complex job. Education is important, but community service is impressive. When selecting those candidates worth interviewing human resource managers gravitate toward those who have taken the time to help their communities. I urge my students to spend at least one hour weekly in community service. It is just too bad that out society sees customers service as a punishment. In fact, our court system often sentenced people to community service.

When questioned about volunteering, candidates complain a bout not knowing where to go. You can go to any hospital and nursing home. There are people “dying” for companionship and or conversation. Many have not seen their family for years. You can read to them or you can do nothing. They look forward to it. You can volunteer at a children hospital. There are children who are abandoned by their parents. They are terminally ill but they need love as well. You play with then or teach them a skill for a few minutes. There is always an opportunity to help, you just have to find it. If you want to stand out in a crowd and dazzle your next interviewer, add a valid list of community service. Good luck!