Creativity and Contacts Rule in Today’s Job Market

Summary: Want to get your foot in the door with potential employers? Follow this advice.

Question: It is really hard to find jobs right now. How do I get my foot in the door with employers? Are there any little things I should be doing because I am fresh out of college and a minority (Chinese)?

Answer: When the job market is tight, creativity and contacts take on added significance. As a recent graduate, be sure to take advantage of your college’s career services. If you have access to a career counselor/advisor, schedule an appointment for assistance in mapping out a strategy, accessing available alumni employer contacts and preparing for interviews.

Get focused on the types of positions and employers you are seeking, and segue your courses and previous work/internship experience to your targeted audience. Develop an impressive 30-second commercial of yourself (an elevator speech) that sums up in a few sentences your goals, key strengths as they relate to the type of position in question and your request for consideration.

Join a professional association related to your career field and become active through participation in events and involvement in committee work. Also, connect with Chinese professionals in your local community. DiversityCrossing.com is a site to take a look at, though you should guard against becoming overly reliant on online job-posting systems at the expense of direct contact. Accessing minority networks and diversity job fairs will open additional opportunities and keep your search “live.”