Job Search Struggles

Help me I can't find a job!!!

As a Career Associate at Career Services, you would think that I would be on top of finding a job before I graduate...however, I'm struggling. I've gone through all the right motions and steps to get to this point where employers with Human Resources positions should want to hire me:

- Graduating in May 2008 with Bachelor of Science in Organizational Communication
- Loyal employee to Career Services throughout my 4 years at UWEC
- Training and Development internship with Bush Brothers and Company (Bush's Baked Beans)
- Recruiting internship with Express Employment Professionals
- Executive board member of two student organizations and member of the professional
organization for my major (SHRM)

Sadly, I still can't find anything. What makes my search most difficult is that I'm relocating to another area so I can't "physically" go and meet with potential employers at the drop of a hat. So, with this blog I would like to describe the alternative methods that aren't as commonly used that I've been utilizing to find my perfect job 199 miles away.

1. Contacted all of the staffing agencies in the area I will be relocating to incase they have available positions or know of other companies with available positions (It never hurts to have someone else helping to find a job for you; however, be aware of scams. You should NEVER have to pay money for someone to find a job for you!!)

2. Checked all of the City of... and Chamber of Commerce websites in the area (Look for tools for job searching, lists of company names to check out, and events going on in the area)

3. Continuously checking newspapers, Careerbuilder, Monster, Indeed, Jobs in..., etc. You never know when you might find the right job just waiting for you on the internet.

4. Constantly networking-although it's hard from 200 miles away if people remember you're looking for a job in a specific area they will hopefully contact you or recommend you if they come across something. (TIP: because any communication is networking make sure you are always aware of the image you're portraying-it should be very professional at the least)

5. Utilized my school's job site and other UW system school's job sites. Also, Career Services has a program called Ask An Alum-this was useful to find contacts in the area that I could do informational interviews with (Remember: informational interviews do not equal jobs; You should never expect to get a job from an informational interview.)

6. Joined the area SHRM chapter (Professional organization relevant to my major). There are many of these available for every different field. It's an easy way to get involved in the community by attending meetings, events, and networking with other members.

7. Tap into previous employers to see what connections they may have for you, especially if they are in the area you're looking to move to

These are some of the things that I've been working on to try and find a job. As of right now, I have a phone interview next week and if that doesn't go well I'll be back on here brainstorming even more alternative ways to finding a job!

Have a good day and good luck in your own job searches!!