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The outlook for summer jobs and internships is bleaker than ever. Consider that the jobless rate for 16 to 29-year-olds is the highest it’s been since 1948, according to a recent report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. For many college students who are still scouring the Classifieds section, this translates into tough times.
“The job market is so difficult these days,” said Darby Scism, director of the Loyola University Career Development Center. “Students have to do a lot of footwork.”
This “footwork” includes using as many resources as possible to find a job. While many students electronically send résumés to dozens of employers at once, à la monster.com, Scism stressed that the Internet should be just one part of the job search.
“Networking is the number one way to find a job or internship,” Scism said.
When a student has some sort of connection to the business, firm or agency that he or she is applying to, the chances of getting a job are much higher, said Scism. However, that doesn’t mean that an applicant needs a rich uncle to get his or her foot in the door.
Anita Jenke, executive director of Career Transitions Center of Chicago, a volunteer organization that works with mid-career professionals, including Loyola alumni, explained how networking can be achieved in a variety of ways, such as through the website LinkedIn. LinkedIn allows users to set up profiles highlighting their professional experiences and then establish connections with business opportunities — it’s similar to a Facebook for job seekers. Jenke also recommended that students talk to personal contacts they already know such as other students, their parents and their faculty advisors.
“Let people know you’re looking for a job,” Jenke said.
These people include professors and staff at Loyola, Scism advised.
“A lot of students don’t think to consult faculty,” said Scism. “The faculty at Loyola have a lot of connections — they might know somebody who knows somebody.”
Apart from speaking to Loyola professors and department directors, Scism recommends that students search online for national or regional organizations and trade groups that are relevant to their majors. Often, these websites provide job and internship listings and, at the very least, contact information for professionals in the industry. These organizations also usually hold networking nights that students can attend, résumé in hand. Another option that the Career Center provides is access to contact information of Loyola alumni. Scism said that she encourages job seekers to contact alumni who are working in a student’s particular field of interest.
Another common dilemma for college students is whether to seek a paid job or an unpaid internship, but Scism urges young people to take the following into account: “Students need to ask themselves what they’re really getting out of the experience,” she said. “Customer service skills and work experience are very important to employers.”
However, Scism added that students should sometimes consider an unpaid internship over a paid job if they need a certain type of experience in order to pursue a particular career after graduation. “If I wanted to become a museum curator in the future, then I would definitely take the unpaid internship at the museum instead of a paid job,” she said.
Jenke agreed with this point by highlighting the fact that when a good paid internship or job cannot be found, students should opt for constructive activities, such as volunteering or taking an unpaid internship, in order to build their résumés in the meantime.
“It’s good to get involved in a volunteer activity to show that you were at least doing something [while unemployed],” Jenke said.
A representative from Flexicorps, an employment agency in the Chicago area who asked to remain anonymous, also advised applicants to find something to fill their résumés, even if there are no jobs or internships available. “We’ll see people who worked for two years followed by a one year gap,” she said. “Employers look unfavorably upon this.”
If students are worried about finding an unpaid internship this late in the game and money isn’t an issue, they can literally buy internship security. A program that costs anywhere from $5,000 to $10,000, known as the University of Dreams, finds applicants unpaid internships in one of six U.S. cities, including Chicago, or six international locations. Plus, the group promises to refund the fee if it doesn’t deliver. The company’s website also boasts positive results after the program: A survey of the University of Dreams Class of 2008 showed that more than 47 percent of respondents received offers from their respective employers to return as full-time employees or interns. Although Scism said that the University of Dreams could be considered an “investment” towards the future, she does not recommend that Loyola students rely on such a method.
“[The LUC Career Development Center] does not support such a program because it doesn’t teach students the skills they need to find a job,” Scism said. “We want students to know the ins-and-outs of the job search so that they can find jobs later in life.”
Despite the many obstacles that young adults face in their job search, the LUC Career Development Center, as well as dozens of other career centers in Chicago, offers resources to students. Career counselors can aid students by editing their résumés and cover letters, preparing students for job interviews and offering recommendations to students about which businesses, firms and organizations they can apply to given their personal interests.
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