The Big Day is Approaching and Your Graduate STILL Has Not Found That Dream Job!  So, What Should You Do?  Job Search Tips for Parents of New and Upcoming Graduates
        Face it.  It’s every college graduate’s worst nightmare:    graduation day, with its enticing liberation from classes, tests, research papers and that cherished diploma just a handshake and a walk across the stage away and no job at the end of the academic rainbow.  For millions of newly-minted college graduates, the fear of not finding a job after graduation is far, far worse than the most difficult class taken while in school.  Not only must they face their parents, family and friends once the post-graduation glow has worn off, but they have to confront the reality of how they are going to support themselves now that they are “all grown up.”
          For many new grads the task proves to be too daunting.  Many run as fast as they can to low-paying, non-challenging jobs or enroll in graduate school so as to dodge the stressfull and nerve-wracking job search process.  And while they know that these are only temporary escapes and that at some point they will have to deal with the situation, they seek to delay the inevitable as long as possible. 
          Surveys have again and again indicated that the principal reason why most graduates wind up with less than stellar or no job prospects       at all is simply a lack of planning.  Students say that the first two years of college are fraught with the hard decisions of choosing a major and settling into a workable academic regimen.  While the focus on the last two years should be on the planning process that will facilitate transferring that academic knowledge to the workplace, most students ignore the warnings and assume that there is plenty of time to start the job search---until graduation day is literally upon them.  Then the panic sets in. 
          But the graduates aren’t the only ones who suffer.  Parents who have mortgaged their homes to help defray the rising costs of their children’s college education and/or have watched their children literally sign away most of their future earnings through long-term education loans, are just as entangled in the job search process.  While they may sympathize with their children’s struggle to chart their career paths, many lack the career-savvy that could make the difference.  With this in mind, the BGSU Career Center offers the following food for thought to parents and encourages parents to share it with their graduates:

1.  Know your graduate’s degree.  Do you really know what career options exist with the degree he/she is pursuing?  Believe it or not, most students think traditionally in regards to their degree, i.e, “With an education degree, I can only teach.” or “If I get a degree in political science, all I can do is go to law school.”   A good site to explore is the “What Can I Do With a Degree in…..?” options is www.uncwil.edu (University of Wilmington at North Carolina site).  Parents and graduates will be pleasantly surprised at all of the possibilities.
2. What does your graduate really want to do?  Which three to five occupational choices is he/she willing to explore? Teaching? Research? Program Management? After conducting their research, the Career Center can help the graduate sift through those options that truly interest him/her.
3.  Where does your graduate want to work?  Which three to five geographical locations is he/she willing to explore?  What factors are important to him/her:  climate, weather, population, racial/ethnic diversity, housing options, social life resources, proximity to family/friends, etc.?  Believe it or not, this is a key factor in the graduate’s early career success.  A pleasing physical environment helps make the adjustment to the world of work easier and less frightening.  
4.  What employment values are important to your graduate?  Which two of these three are the most important:  types of duties/responsibilities required under the job, location or salary?  In essence:  what is he/she willing to sacrifice in order to get that “dream job?”
5.  Have your graduate research his/her field.  Know who the major employers are, what the latest hiring trends are, what career options/paths exist, what salary levels look like throughout the country and specifically with the employer(s) in the geographical area(s) that interest him/her.  Your graduate should find out the names and professional backgrounds of those who have achieved success in their desired field to use as resource contacts.  The Career Center can assist your graduate with this.
6.  Conduct informational interviews.   Encourage your graduate to identify individuals in their chosen field who have achieved what he/she hopes to one day and, either by phone, e-mail or in person, learn how they did so.  What challenges have they faced?  What guidance can they give your graduate?  What contacts are they will to pass on?  Professional journals in the graduate’s field, his/her professors and the Career Center are good resources for this.
7.  Join professional organizations related to the graduate’s field.  Not only does the graduate get journals and publications detailing the latest accomplishments in his/her field, but he/she learns about conferences, presentations, workshops that not only provide first-hand experience and insight from those actually in the field, but provide wonderful networking opportunities and contact resources.   Virtually all occupations have a professional organization and most have very affordable student memberships.  The Career Center’s Resource Library has a variety of related books that can assist your graduate.
8.  Has the graduate’s cover letter and resume been critiqued?  The Career Center offers, in addition to individual appointments, weekly drop-in hours from 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. and 2pm-4pm every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday for all BGSU students and alums.  
9.  Has the graduate’s interviewing skills been assessed?  Throughout the school year, the Career Center sponsors scheduled mock interview sessions conducted by employers to help BGSU students assess their interviewing strengths and weaknesses.  New and upcoming graduates are strongly urged to participate and need only to call the Career Center for further information at 419-372-2356.
10.  New and upcoming graduates should research salaries in their chosen fields and conduct cost-of-living comparisons in their preferred geographic locations.   Far too often, new and upcoming graduates have unrealistic salary expectations and do not realize the need for cost- of-living analyses to determine the affordability of a particular city.  The Career Center can assist students in deciphering this information, thereby making the decision process a lot easier.
11.  Does the graduate understand the do’s and don’ts of the salary negotiation process and how to evaluate an offer?  Unfortunately, far too many new and upcoming graduates don’t understand this tricky process and can wind up with serious complications later on.  With the Career Center’s help, the graduate can wade through these treacherous waters knowledgeably. 

By asking these simple questions, parents can go a long way in helping their graduates find their true career passion.  Career Center staff is available and eager to help new and upcoming graduates and can be reached at 419-372-2356 Monday through Friday between 8am and 5pm.