I did not get the job I previously posted about. Of course, I was disappointed because the job searching process has been a tough one. I am interested in learning more about the HR process.
Fortunately for me (and other recent grads), I have seen a slight spike in the number of entry-level communications positions; however, due to the still extremely large pool of unemployed college graduates (including some from the Class of 2008 who might have taken a part-time or temporary job in the mean time), competition is still fierce.
Sometimes I think about going back to grad school and getting a master's, but my top priority is entering the workforce and building a career.
One thing I noticed was that some of these larger agencies I have been looking into do not post entry-level opportunities on their career database. Some companies don't even have a career database, and just want you to email your cover letter and résumé to the HR main e-mail. As much as job seekers like seeing job postings, if you e-mail the company directly, it shows you have initiative and that you are interested in working there. Even though they may not have any openings, they can put your résumé aside if they have any future openings.
I wonder how flooded their inboxes get. For my first job interview, the interviewer told me he received 500 applications! 500! And this was for a tiny company.
But I am happy to find at least the amount of opportunities is slightly going up. Just a little bit.
Until next time.
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Lauren,
ReplyDeleteI think you're right. There is much more movement in the economy which is good to hear. For folks in marketing and advertising, it's a tough industry as many companies/agencies have let their employees go. That being said, I know that the hardest part for companies is retaining good people.
I went to a networking event which had 200+ people there. It was interesting and I've found that my interests have changed slightly (erm...maybe dramatically) from two years ago or even a year ago. Maybe it's because I have had a bit of corporate experience and I'm much better at reading between the lines. Anyway, I was speaking to some other recent grads and they all asked me what site I used to look for postings. I personally haven't looked at postings in a while but threw out a couple sites (Eluta, Workopolis etc.). I suggested that they target companies they want to work for. They all seemed to brush my advice off. Bad call as your chance of targetting a letter to someone and doing an informational interview with him/her at the company is much higher than sending a resume via online posting. 500 seems quite small. I've heard of 7,000 applications for one online posting within a couple days.
My advice to you: target the agencies you want to work for (research, see if you have connections with this company/person, meet with them for coffee, keep in touch) and you'll be in a better position. Network, volunteer, and invest time in what would make you a better marketer/account exec. Make this job search not just a job search but an investment into your future. You'll thank yourself later.
Jenmy