10 Reasons Some College Graduates Can't Find Jobs

We are fast approaching graduation season.

Although the economy is bouncing back a bit, it will still be challenging to find a job.  New graduates from vocational or career training programs need to remember that job search success requires constant effort.  Use this list as a checklist to ensure you are doing everything you can with every job opportunity that comes your way.  This list of the 10 reasons some vocational and career training graduates can't find jobs can keep yourself on track.  In most cases, you can do something about a job search if things are not working out.

• Using bad resumes and cover letters.  Find sample resumes at TheHBCUCareerCenter 
• Not using their college resources.  Check out the alumni network and VISIT the career center.
• Overlooking internships after graduation. Internships are still possible after college.
• Engaging in negative social networking. Clean up your online persona.
• Resumes show a lack of leadership experience from college.  Not all experience has to be paid.
• Not understanding what employers want. Do your research.
• Poor networking skills.  Networking doesn't just mean asking for help.  It means helping as well.
• No job interview preparation.  Find a way to do a mock interview.
• Little or no follow-up.  Every lead is important.
• Too much career ambiguity.  If employers think you don't know what you want, they might not hire you.

Resumes for STEM Majors Should Include These Items

There is huge demand for students, college or vocational, to focus on education in one of the STEM disciplines (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math).  The career prospects for students in these majors are very good.  So says the US Department of Labor.  

As STEM students seek internships or jobs after graduation they should be thinking about how to include information on these four things in a STEM resume.   

PROJECTS - Include relevant information from non-trivial projects.  Don't forget to add information about what role you may have played on a team or what lab equipment you used.

RESEARCH - Lots of STEM majors collaborate on research with professors on and off their college campus.  Add information on research methods etc.

INTERNSHIPS AND CO-OPS - Successful STEM majors do their share of internships and co-ops.  STEM students should know that employers want students who have completed internships.

SUMMER FELLOWSHIPS - Many STEM majors spend summers during summer fellowships.  This is a great way to show employers and graduate schools that you have had productive summers.

Land a Job on the Top 10 List of Hard to Fill Jobs with a Vo-Tech Degree

Have you seen this list of the Top 10 Hardest to Fill Jobs in the U.S.?  It might surprise you that many of the jobs on the list requires vocational training or an Associates Degree that you can complete in eighteen to twenty-four months.  According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, for example, becoming a Machinist requires vocational training, on-the-job training or an Associates degree.

The Top 10 Hardest Jobs to Fill in 2011 were identified in the annual Manpower Talent survey as:

• Skilled Trades
• Sales Representatives
• Engineers
• Drivers
• Accounting and Finance staff
• Information technology staff
• Management and executives
• Teachers
• Secretaries and administrative assistants
• Machinist and machine operators

Many of these positions from Skilled Trades to Machinists and Machine Operators require an Associates degree which you can get from a good Vocational training or career training program in twenty four months or less.   

Read How to Land One of the Jobs on the Top 10 Hardest U.S. Jobs to Fill to get six additional tips on how to get one of these jobs.

The Types of Tech Jobs President Obama Wants

Payscale.com says there are three kinds of tech jobs that President Obama wants to fill.  These are tech jobs in Science and BioTech, Software Engineers, Professional, Scientific & Tech Services and Engineers.

In the most recent state of the union address, you probably heard the President speak about these millions of jobs globally that Americans can't fill.  Why?  Our workforce just doesn't have all the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) skills our industries need.  

We can change that.  Check out the article from Payscale.

Planning an Alternative Spring Break Experience

I developed this list of websites for my other site (TheHBCUCareerCenter) to help college students research alternative spring break options.  For those college students who want to spend less time partying and more time volunteering, an alternative spring break experience is the way to go.

College students should know that alternative spring break experiences can be found in local community, a nearby city or could include travel abroad.  These resources will help students and families do the necessary research to plan a meaningful alternative spring break experience.

Spring Break and Study Abroad Articles

Employers Value Candidates Who Study Abroad
11 Resources for Planning an Alternative Spring Break Experience

Are Today's Grads Unprofessional?

Source - InsideHigherEd. The entire article is a great read, but I have summarized it here!

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A new study from York College of Pennsylvania attempts to shed light on the issue of whether or not today's new grads are unprofessional. As this small liberal arts college works through a re-brand the newly established Center for Professional Excellence is hoping to address some of the survey results.

Overall, 88% of the more than 500 human resources professionals and business leaders responding, defined professionalism roughly as follows:

"as being related to a person rather than the position. The traits or behaviors mentioned most by the respondents as being characteristic of professional employees were personal interaction skills, including courtesy and respect; the ability to communicate, which includes listening skills; a work ethic which includes being motivated and working on a task until it is complete; and appearance.”

The same survey defined unprofessionalism roughly as follows:

"The traits or behaviors most associated by the respondents with “unprofessionalism” included appearance, which includes attire, tattoos, and piercings; poor communication skills including poor grammar; poor work ethic; and poor attitude.”

The survey results showed that more than 37% of the respondents reported that “less than half of the recent graduates they have hired exhibit professionalism in their first year." Slightly more than 51 % of recent hires exhibited “professionalism.”

Among the traits or behaviors employers said they value most, here are the ones they believe are most deficient in the recent graduates they hired:

- accepts personal responsibility for decision and actions

- is able to act independently

- has a clear sense of direction and purpose

Not everyone surveyed believed the “professionalism” of their recent graduate hires has significantly declined in recent years. About a third, indicated that this lack of professionalism has declined significantly in recent years due to:

- an increased sense of entitlement

- new cultural values

- changed work ethic

Professor David Polk, whose research group at York conducted the study offered several insights as to whether or not these behaviors are totally a result of inter-generational differences or should be taken more seriously.

Polk offers that getting professors to buy in and serve as role models could be challenging since professors might see their role as "conveying knowledge and making sure our students comprehend it. I’m not sure how many would respond that it is also their job to help a student develop good behavior. There’s this moral authority that some professors get uncomfortable with. For this to work successfully, when a professor calls out a student’s behavior, the administration should be there to back them up immediately and say, ‘Your behavior is wrong.’ ”

The school's goal is to use the newly created Center for Professional Excellence to cultivate the “professionalism” employers want in the workplace. It will host seminars throughout the year where employers share expectations of employees and workplace issues. Polk said he would like students to be required to attend a certain number of these seminars throughout their college careers.

If you work with new grads - what say you? Do you agree? Comment at the end of the article here.

Soft Skills That Could Land You the Job

Do you think "soft skills" don't matter? It's just about how you can do the job, right? Wrong. Here are just six of the other things employers might be looking at as they interview you.

-Leadership/Team Building. These are not just for supervisors but for candidates who want to demonstrate an interest in that career direction.
-Team Player. This just seems so overstated but it is true. Team players make offices work and move forward. Silos can kill a positive workplace culture.
-Goal-Oriented Self-Starter. The article states, "while employers don't necessarily want loose canons or mavericks, they do appreciate people who don't need to be told what to do and can set their own tasks and follow through."
-Excellent Communicator. This one is a no brainer. Or should be. No matter what the task. Communication skills - verbal, written and non-verbal are important. Read - How Body Language can Bury You in the Interview. The article states, "the ability to write a coherent memo or email, give clear verbal instructions, and help meetings run smoothly -- or, at least, not sabotage meetings -- will probably be needed." Excellent communication skills go along with understanding of office etiquette.
-Flexibility/Multi-Tasking Ability. Think about being able to "walk and chew gum" at the same time," as the saying goes. Especially in tight economic times, candidates must come with the ability to bring value beyond their specific job description.
-Sense of Humor. This just makes the day go faster. Author of 'Career Wisdom", John McKee says, "unless you're applying to Comedy Central, you don't have to make them double up laughing." Getting folks to crack a smile ever so often, can keep you sane.

Keep soft skills in mind in the job interview.  

Job Skills Employers Want from Students

Students considering vocational training should pay close attention to more than just academics. Althouth good grades are important, because it demonstrates positive behavior, it is not all employers want from new grads.

Employers continue to be concerned about the lack of soft skills they need from good employees. Some of these soft skills that employers want from new grads include:

-good attendance
-positive can-do attitude
-strong communication skills
-actual work skills

This information was summarized in a 2006 study written by researcher Paul Barton for the Education Testing Services.

A National Association of Manufactures' survey where employers select multiple reasons, shows common reasons employers reject applicants:

-More than 66% cite a lack of "soft skills"
-About 33% of employers cite lack of experience
-About 33% cite inadequate reading and writing skills
-Academics and school achievement rank below soft skills for employability

Although the manufacturing sector is declining in the US, new grads should pay close attention to skills required beyond graduation. The skills required by employers cuts across all industries and jobs.

Where do you stand with these in demand job skills? Do a quick Skills Inventory!

Make an effort to find good examples of skills you possess that demonstrate positive behaviors and the ability to compete in the workplace and succeed at work. If you need to work during college, try to develop soft skills on the job.

These Resume FAQs and Job Interview FAQs will help job seekers showcase job skills and soft skills on a resume and during job interviews.

What Employers Want in New College Grads

CollegeGrad.com shared the results of this year's survey on what employers look at when hiring new college graduates. Read the complete survey here.

-college major (44%)
-interviewing skills (18%)
-internship/experience (17%)
-the college from which the student graduated from (10%)
-other miscellaneous qualifications (5%)
-student's GPA (4%)
-personal appearance (1%)
-computer skills (1%)

Did anything surprise you here?

Aside from having the right college major, employers expressed that it was important for job seekers to set themselves apart from other graduates in the same major.

Steven Jungman, Division Manager for ChaseSource says, "The war for talent still exists, but hiring managers are going to be more picky about who they hire. Anything that a job seeker can do to set themselves apart from the crowd will be a benefit."

No Experience? What Employers Want on Your College Resume?

Having worked with and coached many college students and new college graduates to successful careers, I know that one of the big obstacles they face is - Where will I get the experience that employers seek?

Of course we encourage students to share information and experience from any of the following sources:

- volunteer work on and off campus
- classroom individual or group projects
- internships
- campus work study and non work study jobs
- campus clubs
- student chapter of professional organizations
- greek life leadership
- overseas experiences or study abroad
- working in a family business
- seasonal part-time jobs
- technical skills (self taught or otherwise)
- campus teams (eg. sports and music)

I have just discovered another great resource from QuintCareers. It is the College Experience Worksheet for Resume Development.

The worksheet goes well beyond just work experience but also helps college students identify their own positive skills or behaviors that employers are eager to see in new grads.

Philadelphia Apprenticeship Opportunity for Electricians

Local Union No. 380, IBEW (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers) in Collegeville, PA takes applications on a year-round basis for their apprenticeship program. The latest announcement from the Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (JATC) advises that the deadline for applying for the next selection process is November 26, 2008.

To be eligible for the apprenticeship program, persons must:

- be at least 18 years old
- be a high school graduate or possess GED
- have completed a full year of high school algebra with a passing grade or one post high school algebra class with a passing grade
- provide official transcripts
- attend scheduled notified meetings for eligible applicants
- achieve qualifying score on the IBEW/NECA (National Electrical Contractors Association) NJATC aptitude test

The JATC will conduct oral interviews of qualified applicants on an as needed basis.

For more on apprenticeship programs for electricians:

Pennsylvania at Work Blog as well.

100 Words College Students Should Know

Who doesn't like a list. Ever so often, I run across really interesting lists of things. This time it is a list of top 100 words that all high school students should know.

This list of 100 words is compiled by the American Heritage® dictionaries.

"The words we suggest," says senior editor Steven Kleinedler, "are not meant to be exhaustive but are a benchmark against which graduates and their parents can measure themselves. If you are able to use these words correctly, you are likely to have a superior command of the language."

Here are the top 10 on the list. How many do you know? How many would come in handy if you were job hunting?

Remove the ones you know and develop a strategy to learn the others.

Find the entire list here!
-abjure
-abrogate
-abstemious
-acumen
-antebellum
-auspicious
-belie
-bellicose
-bowdlerize
-chicanery

What's Your College Degree Worth?

Here is what one jobseeker, Bea Dewing says in an article for the Career Journal, "A degree isn't any big guarantee of employment, it's a basic requirement, a step you have to take to even be considered for many professional jobs."

Having worked with hundreds of new college grads over the years, I am always amazed and how many of people believe that the college degree is the end of a dream. My job is always to remind them gently that although it marks a significant accomplishment, it is really just the beginning - again.

There are a lot of factors that contribute to the value of your college degree including:
- reputation of college or university
- achievement and involvement of alumni
- perceived return on investment from organizations that recruit on your campus

Dewing pondered the value of her own degree, when after a layoff from Sprint, she found it difficult to gain another job at the same rate. Dewing finally landed a job with Wal-Mart at around a third of the salary she made before.

The article continues, Dewing has a new appreciation for how insecure any job can be and how little a college degree by itself is really worth. "There is enough competition for entry-level positions that employers are going to ask, 'What else have you done in your life besides go to college?'" she says. "And in information technology, a portfolio of hands-on experience with programming is a really good thing to have."

In reality, this doesn't just apply to the IT sector. New college graduates should know that employers want to see more than the degree. They are looking for behaviors and the more positive campus involvement you have to show, the more competitive you will be.

Not Your Father's Vo-Tech! Pennsylvania Vo-Techs Redefining Themselves

VoTech education in the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania is changing per an article in Morning Call.

The article states, "No longer just a stopping point for students destined to become carpenters, beauticians or mechanics, area vo-techs are now tailoring courses and curricula to help students land high-paying white-collar jobs in fields such as architecture, Web design and health care".

Example of one student who will benefit?

Tara VanDenEynde is 18 years old and spends half of her day at the Lehigh Career & Technical Institute in the school's dental lab. Her anticipated salary as a Dental Hygienist after completion of her Associates? $55K.

How is Tara different from VoTech students in years gone by? She is an honors student at Northwestern Lehigh High School.

Emma Ratz is enrolled at Lehigh in the Commercial Photography program. "Almost everything about this school, a student had a part in...I love this school. If feel like I have a family here".

If you or someone you know is exploring vocational training and careers, take another look at VoTech education and how it is evolving to meet the needs of students and communities. Read Resume/Interview FAQs for Vocational students and grads at BullsEyeResumes. Check out the BullsEyeResumes-Vocational blog.

If you are a Pennsylvania resident, subscribe to Pennsylvania At Work!

Internship programs from the Employer's Perspective

Much is written to help college students and new college graduates succeed in internship programs and cooperative education programs.

Explore employers' perspective in these exerpts from the new manual - Total Internship Management Guide; The Employer's Guide to the Ultimate Internship from Intern Bridge.

These exerpts will give you insight into what the employers are doing on their end to make sure there is a return on investment for their internship programs.

What Employers Look For in Vocational Grads

Here are the top 15 characteristics and skills employers look for in new grads. You gain many of these skills in career training or vocational training programs.

1. Communication Skills
2. Honesty/Integrity
3. Teamwork
4. Strong work ethics
5. Analytical skills
6. Flexibility and Adaptability
7. Interpersonal skills
8. Motivation/Initiative
9. Computer Skills
10. Detail Oriented
11. Organizational skills
12. Leadership
13. Self Confidence
14. Well Mannered/Polite
15. Friendly outgoing personality

Source - NACE Annual Survey