So I graduated in a Recession, Now What?

Recession….

Oh, how that word has been thrown around lately. Something like a pong ball in a fierce beer pong match. It is almost as if the recession knew you were graduating and waited for you to cross that stage before it hit the scene to reek havoc. However, before you continue your pity party ask your fellow brethren, who graduated directly after the 9/11 attacks, how they coped. They too experienced the air of uncertainty; scarce jobs, lack of career growth, companies going out of business, etc. According to employment firm Challenger Gray & Christmas in 2002, the average job search in 2002 was 3.5 months (which was a 40% increase compared to the the first three quarters in 2001). The relapse in the current job market has soured a little more with the average job search in 2008 increasing from four to six months. The most appalling stat being that the unemployment rate is 5% higher than 2001, at nearly 10% in April 2009 (according to the U.S. Dept. Of Labor). Within this larger unemployed pool, leaves a healthier amount of accomplished and seasoned professionals that fresh graduates with limited experience now have to compete with.

So what does one do to make sure they are not in the unemployment line forever?

You persevere.

You have have already heard the jargon about how to ‘separate yourself from the pack’, so we won’t go there. I am going to share with you 5 sticky ideas on how not to become a victim in a tough job market  and how to better maintain your path to a successful career.

1) Realize that cover bands don’t change the world.
You may ask, “WTF?” That saying is said best by Todd Henry of Accidental Creative, which basically means – Find your own unique expression. A lot of times we try to model our professional personality after someone we admire in our industry or we act and perform how we think we should to fit in a certain corporate environment. Now stop!!! Please do not insinuate I am saying be professionally inappropriate and a bad corporate citizen. However, what I am saying is that you simply need to be yourself. As you look to establish your career and look for what you are passionate in doing, always seek a corporate environment that is conducive to your professional personality. If you like to wear jeans five days a week, there are organizations that will fit you. Don’t be afraid to seek for what makes you happy. If you don’t know what your professional personality is, well dammit you better hop on it, because in this climate the worse thing you can do is let a company tell you who you are. If you ever get the boot or decide you want different employment, you will leave your employer a brainwashed little soul. Know who you are. You will not always find that perfect fit, but you should aim high and make concessions down to the place where you can still be comfortable.

2) Monster and Careerbuilder are great, but don’t lose the human touch of networking.
These large webs of networks online are so wonderful and so freakin sweet I don’t think some young folks understand how great it is. The job search business was so much harder for our parents. You had the newspaper……and that was about it. Oh and you also had this little thing called word of mouth and/or connections. Now I don’t have a stat on this but the majority of new jobs for people come from your connections or word of mouth, PERIOD. Don’t be so invested in the social and professional networks online that you forget you will probably get your next job, from an associate or friend that you know.

3) If all fails, wait tables or flip burgers.
After you are finished laughing, finish reading what I am saying. Never let your ego take control of you. Sometimes you have to park in the back of the parking lot to get where you are going quicker. Just don’t make this temporary spot, permanent. If this means flipping burgers or serving at a restaurant to make ends meet, DO JUST THAT. The longer you drive around looking for that closer parking spot, you may miss the really good one that the hunched over grandpa left open. If you don’t get the metaphor, shoot me a message. No offense grandpa.

4) That silly business idea that was awkwardly concocted while out with friends, may make you rich.
I think entrepreneurialism is one of the pillars of community. We all thrive off of all entrepreneurs with their great ideas and forward thinking. I am not referring to quick-get-rich-schemes. I am talking about true entrepreneurs who want to make a difference in their community with a business idea that also helps them be successfully personally by making a profit. If you have a good idea, that makes good business sense, then do it. Make it a hobby, I am not saying go quit your day job, I am just saying do it. If it pans out not to be a good business idea, you will find out in your business planing stages. If you truly don’t have the chops for it, then you will find out. And if that’s the case, at least you tried. Stop being scared. Scared money don’t make none. Don’t be afraid to bet on you.

5) Never Quit.
You have to want it. What else do you want me to say? Nothing I say can make your actions scream success. You have to want it. That’s it. So as the saying goes: You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t force em’ to drink. So, go drink horsey. That’s – if you want to.

Hopefully these ideas are sticky enough to post on your wall for success. If you have questions contact us at readers@theideasthatstick.com and please be sure to leave comments in the comments section we would love to here from you.