Our Voice
Ways to avoid unemploymentTimes are tough. Jobs are scarce. With the new employment statistics for September 2011 becoming available on Oct. 7, at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time, it is important for Georgia College students, especially those expecting to graduate within the next few semesters, to reflect and evaluate the current economic state. It is even more important for students to learn how to deal with this dismal economic situation.
Here are a few facts: The U.S. unemployment rate hasn’t changed much since January, remaining around 9.1 percent. There are roughly 14 million unemployed people. The unemployment rates for adult men are at 8.9 percent, for adult women, 8 percent and for teenagers, 25.4 percent. The long-term unemployment rate, those jobless for over 27 weeks, remains steady at 6 million people.
Now, I know that’s probably pretty depressing for GC students, but there’s hope, and there are tons of opportunities and resources available to the students here on campus; you just need to get up and be proactive about your future.
Visit the Career Center website and register for Career Connection, where they will keep you informed about all the upcoming job fairs, internship fairs and other great opportunities. The Career Center also offers two great opportunities for students; the Backpack-to-Briefcase Career Development Series and the Intern Ready Certificate Program. Attend workshops to prepare yourself for interviews, receive help perfecting your resume and learn more about graduate programs offered at GC in Milledgeville, Macon and Warner Robins. The Career Center can also help you find internships and jobs, so make sure you register for Career Connection to stay up-to-date on all the events.
Don’t forget about your professors. They’re great sources of information and can guide you in the right direction. Talk to them after class, visit them during their office hours or even schedule a time to meet with them. Chances are your professors have lots of experience in the career field in which you are interested and have a few connections in the field that they might be willing to share with you. Your professors are here to help you acquire the skills you need to succeed in your career field of choice. Use them.
Update your social media skills. If you don’t already have a Twitter account, create one. More and more companies and professionals are using Twitter to post open job positions and internships. Stay up-to-date on all the events of your favorite organizations. Also, check out LinkedIn, if you haven’t already. LinkedIn is a place for you to put your resume, activities, achievements and even a professional portrait for potential bosses to look at. Also, you can check out the resume of people in the career field you may admire and look up to.
Last but not least, find a mentor. This may sound intimidating, but it’s worth it. Find someone in your profession that you admire and look up to, then contact them. Ask them for guidance, tips on how to succeed in that profession, or ask to shadow them for a day to see what it’s really like to work for that company or to work in that position.
Posted by 
This was really interesting. I didn’t know the Career Center had so much to offer. Thanks for posting something relevant to our success. Here’s to finding a job within the next few months after graduation!