Confessions: I am worried I will never get a job, is there any hope?

Hi Chris,

I'm about halfway through college, and all I ever seem to hear is how hard it will be to find a job - even if I graduate well.

I'm even hearing that some employers are now demanding Master's degrees or even doctorates before they'll even look at you.

My friends tell me to get the best degree I can and then to start applying online to everything. But I also hear that online applications don't really work all that well. Is that true? So what should I do?

Is There Any Hope?

Chris says,

Hi Is There Any Hope?!

It's true that the job market's tough these days. Especially for new graduates. Because they rarely have the work skills employers want, and don't know how to get them.

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And yes, you can apply for lots of jobs online, of course, but online applications have created a serious problem. Because when everyone just applies for every job on offer, applications end up a lot like spam.

Recruiters can only give each one the briefest of glances, as they work through thousands of scripts. Making it harder for a good guy to stand out.

You'll improve your chances if you learn to write perfect applications. Perfect grammar, vocabulary and layout will put you way ahead. You also need to be sure what jobs you would be good at, what jobs are out there, and where you would best fit in.

There are two main reasons why a job application might fail: you haven't convinced an employer you can do the job, and haven't shown you have the skills needed.

Be sure you know what you want to do, and what skills you'll need. Teaching yourself to be truly an expert at spreadsheets, for example, could mean you win a job that, on paper, you're completely unqualified for. Because it really doesn't matter how you got your knowledge, only what you can do.

You also need to show that you're enthusiastic, hardworking and self-motivated. Do that by building your CV while you're at college. Earn money part-time.

Even working in a fast food outlet shows you can hold down a tough job, work hard, turn up on time and keep going under pressure. While voluntary work in your chosen field gives you specialist skills no college can ever teach.

Start getting to know people in your target organisations while you're still studying. They'll tell you all about what goes on there, and tip you off when opportunities arise.

So make sure you have some solid work experience, an impressive CV, and a network, by the time you graduate, and you'll very quickly have a job.

All the best,

Chris