As a college student looking for a job or internship, the search is miserable. The only job hunting we have down was for a summer job at the pool or a local retail store–not exactly the most challenging since these places are always looking to hire. The search for a “grown-up” job seems like a free for all. University career centers claim to offer help, but many only help with a few select companies or majors. Then if you want to work in a city more than 100 miles from your school, the career center is no help. Your professors are hardly any help either.

My tip for college students: NETWORK

College students do not realize how large their network actually is. Many students take some advantage of their parents’ networks, but often find it uncomfortable to converse with their parents’ friends in a professional manner.

But college students also have their own professional network. Their networks include friends who have graduated, professors, speakers to organizations, companies they have worked with in class, and previous employers.

Here are some places to find people who may have a job just waiting for you.

• Social Networking Sites

o Facebook: Do you have 10 friends? 100 friends? 1000 friends? Maybe you haven’t talked to all of them in awhile, but each is doing something with their lives. Find out what it is. Your paths may not have crossed recently, but they might be parallel.
o LinkedIn: Obviously a source of professional contacts. You can easily find out every job someone has had and what other companies they are connected to.
o Twitter: Post that you are looking for a job in a specific industry. People are listening to your thoughts. Make them worthwhile. Share job search strategies or industry thoughts.
o Brazen Careerist: You can join professional and social networks. Again, post that you are looking for a job. Include your major, college, hometown, whatever. These things will catch someone’s eye.

• College/University

o Professors: Professors have helped students get jobs for years. They have contacts at all kinds of companies. But you need to have built a relationship with your professor throughout college. Don’t seek out a professor you haven’t seen since freshman year expecting them to have a job waiting for you.
o Friends: Whether your friends have already graduated and are working full-time or had an internship last summer, they probably know something about the job you are looking for.

• Family: Talk to your parents’ friends. It will be awkward. But it will give you a chance to practice being a business professional before you actually have to be.

The other day we had our first free virtual career coaching session on GoSavant.com. We had quite a number of people come in and ask multiple job search questions! It was so busy for our career coach that we have decided to limit the number of people next time or have 2 coaches available at once (depending on expressed demand). We hope we were able to answer the most pressing of your job search questions, and we empathize with those who need one-on-one career coaching beyond the hour. We are planning on having future virtual career coaching sessions, but if you have more than a few questions that can be answered via chat in an hour, visit www.gosavant.com to select a career coach for more personalized coaching.

So what were some of the questions and answers during our first free virtual meetup?

What can I do to increase my chances for a phone call for an interview?

Coach: The market is tight, so being able to stand out from the crowd helps. In your resume, include any unique information that will be a "hook" and grab people's attention-- maybe it is some background or perhaps a skill.

I have really strong writing skills so I'm not that concerned about the cover letter but more the resume itself.

Coach: I suggest that in today's economy a well-crafted and individualized cover letter can be very important. It can allow you to articulate very specifically what you bring to them. Other people will send generic cover letters… you will want to stand apart and be noticed with your specific skills, knowledge and ability that meet the job. For instance, you can highlight an experience that you perhaps can't do as well in a resume.

I see..good point.

What’s an elevator speech and what should I include in it?

Coach: Use your ingenuity! An elevator speech is what you would say to someone about yourself in the amount of time you spend on an elevator with him/her. Intro, goals, skills….

How do I find the unpublished jobs?

Coach: Good question. Do you have the ability to develop and maintain personal connections and professional contacts? These contacts may generate some leads.

I meet people, but where do I go from there?

Coach: Ask them if they know of any opportunities or contacts. You can also explain your skills and see if they have any ideas based on that. I also suggest using LinkedIn.com to keep in contact.

Whether we like it or not, stereotypes often exist, including stereotypes of generational differences in the workplace. We hear about Generation Y and their tendencies to speak their mind, multitask rather than focus on a given job, and act seemingly entitled. But we also hear positive associations attributed to Gen Y, regarding their technological savvy and commitment to volunteerism. Regardless if these behaviors and actions are true of you currently or are notably associated with your generation, the following tasks are quickly becoming acceptable and proven methods in assisting your job search:

Volunteer your way to a job. The places to volunteer and possibilities when volunteering are endless! First and foremost, volunteering is a way to network. Do not underestimate the power to increase your circle of contacts. These networks can directly or indirectly find you a job—whether it’s recommending you on LinkedIn or employing you later on him or herself. Volunteering also provides you with much-needed transferable skills. Want project management experience? Join your condo’s board of directors or a committee. Want to supplement your liberal arts major? Volunteer at your religious institution or tutor at a local school. Looking for any meaningful way to serve your community? You can find opportunities here: http://www.serve.gov/.

If you’re not employed, you should be able to volunteer for at least 8 hours a week in something that interests you. Hiring managers often question resumes that have gaps in employment, and you can easily fix those gaps by including your volunteering work in the Experience section. Resume keywords that volunteering can provide you: Project Management, Finance, Collaborated, Supervised, Executed, Conceptualized, Spearheaded, etc.

Blog your way to a job. If you like to write, want a job in communications, or are an expert in a topic, there is no reason why you can’t start a blog. You don’t have to be employed to write a blog nor pay a fee to use a blog service; you can create a blog on sites like www.blogspot.com, www.bloggerminds.com, www.wordpress.com. You can then submit your blogs onto services like www.digg.com or www.stumbleupon.com. Post your blogs onto your Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter profiles. Make sure you proofread what you have written; and, keep in mind, if you attach your name to a blog, there will be often be search visibility of the blog attached to your name on Google. If there is anything that can be potentially embarrassing or would prevent you from getting the job you want, think twice before posting it. Resume keywords that blogging can provide you: Readership, Viewership, Subscribers, Composed, Created, Achieved, etc.

Twitter/Facebook/Linked In/“Insert Social Media Name Here” your way to a job. Gen Y is known as the Facebook Generation. A study from the Participatory Marketing Network reveals that 99% of 18 to 24-year-olds have at least one active profile on a social networking site. Use your ability and understanding of social media to your advantage! Facebook allows you to search for company names through the Search bar, and you are likely to then find a Fan Page of a company to interact with. LinkedIn has the Search Companies feature, which can help enable you to find the name of a hiring manager. Twitter is brimming with companies you can follow and create conversations with. Looking for other social networks to connect with? Dan Schawbel of www.mashable.com has created a list of the top 10 social networks for Generation Y. Some of the sites include those that bridge the power of social media and blogging, such as www.brazencareerist.com. With social media outlets, you can provide some visibility to your name to a company representative by providing some intelligent, insightful feedback or conversation. Or take it to the next level: volunteer your social media services to promote a company that you admire and/or aspire to work for. Even if the company doesn’t pay you, the company can pay you back with a glowing recommendation or eventual employment. You can learn more about how to use social media outlets in your job search here. Resume keywords that social media experience can provide you (many of them can be the same as blogging experience): Readership, Viewership, Created, Achieved, Garnered, Traffic, etc.