College Senior's Fears and Solutions to Finding the First Real Job
The mistakes people make:
1) When cold calling, say, "I'm doing research", which is true. You want to know if this company is one that you want to work for, whether they have any current openings, and if they are willing to teach you about their company.
Do not say, "I'm looking for a job." They will ignore you if they don't have a current position to fill.
You get a very good gauge of the company and the person you are speaking with if they will take the time to answer your questions. If they do not or aren't nice to you, you don't want to work there anyway.
2) Ask for a tour, the worst that could happen is they could say no. Getting to see the place is crucial if you want to work there. Also, it gives you more time with your potential boss and they have a better chance of remembering you.
Do not show up in person to turn in a resume without calling first. Who are you going to give your resume to? The secretary? Is he the one who will hire you? You need to know who is head of Human Resources and the quickest way is to call and ask for that person.
3) Don't limit your options too far. Megan thought she wanted to work for one of the well known production companies, but ended up working for the Capital Children's Museum, and even there she learned valuble skills and had a great time.
Remember 20 no's for every yes, and no is not the worst answer you could get. *
"It's a scary time," says Silverstein, "soon I won't have my parents support, and I will have to worry about my own housing, taxes, insurance, utilities etc."
With the economy taking a major plunge at the end of 2001, it cast a lot of doubt on whether there would be jobs available for her and her peers upon graduation.
Fortunatly, the last quarter numbers are showing the economy starting to improve again, so this might not be as much as a concern for Megan and her peers.
But because of the down turn a lot of companies stop offering pay for their interns. A lot of the internships offered now are credit only positions. This makes it harder for students to take internships far from home, or without a second job.
Though many people share these fears, not very many know how to get their first job out of college.
How do most people land jobs?
Through something called known candidate pool.
Employers are looking for people who they know can do the job. Why put an ad out on the internet, if a friend of a friend or someone you know can do a good job?
How do you get to be known as a good canadidate?
This word is one that a lot of college students are afraid of: networking. You need to get employers to know who you are, and remember you when they have a position they need filled.
I will recommend what most career counselors do: join a professional organization. Most professional organizations were created with networking in mind, so use them to their full advantage.
Something the career counselors may not tell you to consult is the phone book, but it's a great resource if you know how to use it.
Wetfeet U.S. only, not a specific to film. Categories:
Broadcasting or Television/Video
Internship Programs is Wetfeet's login service
Mandy Any type of job, international, but missing some states.
Entertainment Careers Only lists a few "featured" jobs, the rest you need a subcription for.
Film Connection is a school where you train as an intern.
Beware of collegegrad.com or internship.com they are the same company, and not yet up to snuff.
She is also not responsible for content on recommended sites...