Soon (as in next week) I graduate from college with an MIS degree. I reside in the pacific northwest and unemployment is high. I have applied to quite a few positions recently to no avail. I am competing for positions with people who already have 4-5 years experience (because of the high unemployment). I have experience as an intern for KPMG Consulting (last summer) but recently they have tightened their hiring. There may be a chance soon that I will be employed by them, but I cannot take any chances.
Do any of you, who have been in similar situation have any suggestions as to the moste effective way to get a professional job out of college? Lord knows I do not want to go back into food service.
So, what else did you do in college? I take it an MIS is an information technology degree?
I studied psychology and sidetracked into the brain as an organ, which led me away from the how-do-you-feel-about-your-mother side of the field. That lead to studies of physiology and physics, and I ultimately wound up a geophysicist (most rocks ain’t sweatin’ their momma too much). Decisions towards this career were made post-graduate.
So, if your immediate field is filled to over-occupancy, what frills do you bring to the game? My best friend is an attorney, who happens to be a pilot with a B.S. in aeronautical engineering.
It’s a different twist, and he’s got an audience that’s not occupied by many. If you’re in Info Tech, I’d imagine being able to bring something else to the party would be the key.
Somewhere, out there, is a 20 person company that needs a person in your field, but can only afford to pay 2/3rds the market value of a first-year college graduate.
I found that company, worked for them for two years, then used my experience to move to another company where I got paid what I was worth. Don’t be scared to do the same.
(Finding them can be the problem, as they also have no budget to look for you with. Chances are, they are the ones with the two line classified ad, or the notice that’s been on the job board for six months.)
As recent college grad in the Pacific Northwest I spent a lot of time looking for a job in the biological sciences with absolutely no success. Eventually I signed up with a temp service that does scientific staffing. Alot of places to temp-to-hire as a way of trying people out before making a committment and that how I got my current job. It did take about a year to get a permanent job though.
Try looking for a federal job. They need a ton of IT people all over the country. Try usajobs.opm.gov, it allows you to search for federal jobs all over the nation.