Look Mom, I Graduated! Now What?

The Class of 2009 is graduating into one of the worst job markets in decades. Lot's of articles are being written on the subject. What are the job prospects for these new graduates? If they have the means, many will go straight to grad school. Others will look in fields they otherwise might not have considered, like education. That could be a good thing. The bottom line is, they'll have to get on with their lives and do something. It's a bitter pill to swallow after years of hard work, but sometimes life doesn't work out exactly the way you planned. My husband likes to say that life is like a wheel, sometimes you're on the top and sometimes you're on the bottom. It's tough coming out of school into this market, but maybe learning to overcome adversity and pull through isn't such bad training for the road ahead. Just keep your eyes on the road.

I graduated into the recession of the early 80’s. I had a ream of rejection letters from every bank and Wall Street firm out there (most of which no longer exist, like Manufacturers Hanover and Chemical Bank, as a result of 20 years of consolidation). I got by tending bar and waiting tables. Ultimately, I went on to get my first job in my field, and my career got rolling. In tough times like these, take whatever job you need to in order to get by, but here's my 20-20 hindsight advice about what to do while you're treading water:

• Plug into networking opportunities in your industry (these 3 are great for women in financial services The Women's Bond Club , 85 Broads and The Financial Women's Association).
• Go to industry events to learn about what’s going on in your desired field as well as make connections.
• Do volunteer work, it’s also a great way to network while doing something productive.
• Read, read, read. Newspapers, magazines, the latest business books, all of these keep you abreast of the latest trends, what's happening in the economy, what the "new new thing is". I highly recommend Outliers and The Tipping Point, both by Malcolm Gladwell. Also, Who Moved My Cheese by Spencer Johnson.
  
• Lastly, tap your school’s alumni network to the fullest extent. Those of us who’ve been there and done that, love to help young grads.

What do you think? Please post your comments.