Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, May 28, 1995 TAG: 9505270005
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: F3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MARY ETHRIDGE KNIGHT-RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
DATELINE: AKRON, OHIO LENGTH: Long
Linda Linn, an executive recruiter for Callos Personnel Services in Montrose, Ohio, said the economy has shown steady growth, boosting the confidence of corporate America.
``Employers are finally loosening the purse strings'' after several bleak years, she said.
Nationwide, the number of job offers for graduates is expected to be up nearly 6 percent from last year, according to a study done by Michigan State University's employment research institute.
But before you put cash down on that new car, heed this: There are still about 15 percent to 20 percent more new college graduates than there are appropriate jobs, according to Ramon Greenwood, once the senior vice president of American Express and now an author of a job-hunting book.
``It may be better than it was - and it was really bad - but you're still going to work to find a job. It's still awfully tough out there,'' Greenwood said.
Linn said it takes a college graduate an average of nine months to find a job, and employers are far more picky than they used to be.
``Most college graduates have a pie-in-the-sky attitude. They think they're going to find the perfect job right away,'' Linn said. ``It doesn't work that way.''
Linn should know. She's been counseling recent college graduates for years. Her book, ``Landing Your First Career,'' will be published by McGraw-Hill in the fall.
``It amazes me. These kids will sit across from me time and time again and say, `I didn't know that,' when I tell them the most basic things about job hunting,'' she said.
In other words, college graduates may be well-versed in quantum physics and frat party banter, but they're novices at the job search.
And they may want to think twice before turning to an old-timer for hints. The corporate landscape has changed dramatically, and so have the rules and the language of job hunting.
For one, the more diverse your background these days, the better. Corporate restructuring of recent years and an emphasis on efficiency has employers seeking those who can do more than one job.
It's not enough anymore to tout your stellar grade-point average. Put your extracurricular activities and volunteer work in a prominent spot on your resume.
``I've got news for you: People don't hire degrees, they hire people,'' Linn said. ``If you don't diversify, you may be in trouble. Employers want a well-rounded person.''
Katina Z. Jones, a career consultant in Akron, agrees.
``Versatility used to be a bad thing. People thought it meant that you weren't focused. Now it's considered an asset,'' she said.
Linn, Jones and other career experts emphasized the importance of marketing - packaging yourself as the newest hot product. Don't think of your resume as an obligatory document, Jones said; it's a marketing tool.
``These days everything is packaged and marketed. Look at the O.J. trial. CNN has an O.J. theme song,'' Jones said. ``The same thing holds true in job hunting.''
Greenwood said too many job seekers tell employers what they want out of a company, not what they can do for it.
``You wouldn't try to sell a can of beans by telling people how much money you could make if they bought it; you tell them how happy and healthy those beans are going to make them,'' Greenwood said.
Greenwood added that employers are looking more than ever for students who can boast of some job experience while still in school. BankAmerica of San Francisco will not even consider someone for an entry-level job unless the applicant has six months of experience, he said.
A survey of 700 executives found that corporate recruiters consider job experience the most important qualification for graduates.
And, Jones said, don't fret if your only job was flipping burgers.
``Every job position means an employer has a problem that needs to be solved. Even if your job was at McDonald's, there was a problem there you helped with,'' she said. ``Don't minimize your experience.''
Even if you don't have job experience, you're better off for having earned your college degree.
On average, a 25-year-old college graduate can expect to earn an average of $728 a week, compared with $415 a week for a 25-year-old with a high school diploma, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
So where are the best opportunities for graduates this year? Computer programming, chemical engineering and software design have been hot fields with plentiful offerings for a few years.
Better yet, seniors with degrees in these areas pull down some of the best starting paychecks, averaging from about $33,000 annually for computer science to $41,000 a year for chemical engineering, according to the Michigan State survey. By contrast, liberal arts majors can expect offers of about $21,000, while social science grads will see about $22,600.
But don't think an arts degree is worth nothing.
Greenwood said people who write well and market themselves with flair will be snapped up faster than a computer nerd with no communications skills.
``Show them some street smarts as well as that degree,'' Greenwood said. ``Show them you know how to operate in the real world.''
by CNB