Jobhunter's Special.

A friend of Planet College who operates her own educational placement service responded to our inquiry for help in the job market with the following e-mail about the current climate for job hunters.

And remember you, if you aren't now, will soon be a job hunter.


Hey William,

I might be able to be of more help if you decide to look outside your usual world for employment.
If you do I can think of a few general things that you might not have
considered.

One thing I can say, all around, is that things are getting more ccompetitive. Anything you can do to show you are actively involved with the field and are looking for ways to expand your skill set is a great thing. I can see how my own hiring practice has changed. Some of our employees that I hired 5 years ago would not even get an interview today.

On the flip side, I can also say that having a PhD can work against you these days. I think having an MA is actually perfect. Employers love MAs (myself included), because they can often do the work of a PhD for a lower price :-) PhD's are often just too expensive in today's tight market with
shrinking profits.

The other thing to be aware of this that right now many employers are looking for the absolute perfect candidate. What this means is that often times the employer may actually like you, but still not give you a job, because you are not perfect for the opening they have. I know am not the only employer who thinks like a casting director. With this you can know that a significant percentage of the time you don't get the job, it has nothing to do with you, and everything to do with the job opening, and the fact that employers are being super picky these days because they can.

As a result, one of the keys to success right now, is playing a numbers game. If you keep putting yourself out there, sooner or later you will be the right person for the part, and you will get the job. This is true now more than ever.

The other piece of it is attitude (I am sure you KNOW THIS!). Do your very best to keep a positive attitude in front of the employer. Ten minutes ago I just ended a job interview with an applicant because I could tell she was depressed. She kept saying how she had been out of work for 10 months. The first thing I imagine when an applicant says this to ME, IN AN INTERVIEW, is that he or she will say this to one of our clients. You can imagine this is the last thing I would want any instructor to say to any of our clients. My job is to provide solutions, not create them, by sending out troubled candidates.

The final piece is preparation. Study up on potential job interview questions. Many times I don't hire applicants because they cannot answer the questions I ask. Make sure to be ready for the tough ones like "Where could you improve?" and "Why should we hire you over someone else?" Also because employers are thinking like casting directors, you may need to answer very specific, very detailed questions about your experience. Be ready for this.

Maybe you know all this already, but I do hope it helps. I

Hope you find work soon!

This is an accurate comprehensive view of the marketplace for job candidates with degrees.

This letter could function as encouragement for students finding it hard to stay focused in school. Your diploma is a very important step to your earnings for the rest of your life. Stick with it.