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| General Articles :: Career Advice |
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| From Job Boards and Career Services to a Career |
| by Amanda Fornecker |
Despair. Frustration. Hopelessness. These are just some of the emotions people feel when attempting to look for a job. You go from a carefree time in your life to one that throws you straight into reality. It's the real world, and it can sometimes be difficult to break into it.
Graduation is certainly an exciting time, no matter what your field of choice may be. However, the pressure and stress of securing a job can really take a toll on you. That's why there are services out there that can help you choose the right career path for you and aid in your search.
Job boards are a great place to get started in your job search. They tend to have the most up-to-date jobs available in a particular field. Many job boards include searches where you can find the things you are looking for.
Career-Specific Hookups
There are even entire websites dedicated to specific fields. Take the BioCareerCenter, for instance. Nick Folger, a graduate of Harvard and Stanford business school, started this initiative with Michael Alvarez, the director of career services from Stanford. The site brings together those in the life sciences and assists in their job searches.
"Our site is full of rich and deep articles by post-grad life scientists who have been there," says Folger. "There are a variety of career paths and transitions by many different individuals [on the site]." The job board on the BioCareerCenter also has over 400 listings, says Folger, with listings in government, biopharm, academic, and research jobs.
The BioCareerCenter currently works with about 10 different schools, including Stanford, Berkeley, Emory, Vanderbilt, and more. About 70 percent of job seekers on BioCareerCenter, estimates Folger, are alumni from these schools.
College Career Services
Job sites are not the only place to visit when job searching. Oftentimes, you'll find that your college or university has a career services department that has been trained and has had much experience in the job-seeking area. The college may hold special networking or job fair events.
Paul Smith's College (Paul Smith's, N.Y.) is one such school. According to Sharon Elrod, the school's career services manager, Paul Smith's hosts academic software on their site that allows students to take part in an interactive job search. "We also host two job fairs per year that up to 90 employers attend," says Elrod. "Since we keep these fairs exclusive to Paul Smith's College students, the odds of hire through the 'job fair' connection are very high."
A college career services department is an important resource, says Elrod. They usually offer services at no extra cost to students, including interviewing skills, resume writing help, and tailoring cover letters to work for you.
The Bottom Line
There's a job out there for everyone. The problem lies in finding it. Realize that they is more to the find-a-job landscape than just what you see advertised daily. While such listings may be helpful, try checking out career-specific sites, like BioCareerCenter, and your own alma mater's career services department.
The bottom line is to stay active and focused -- your dream job may be just one search away!
About the author:
http://www.collegesurfing.com/content
Amanda Fornecker is a staff writer at The CollegeBound Network. Learn more about finding a school that's right for you.
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