Degree Conferred: Now What?
CONGRATULATIONS! Graduation day has arrived. The ceremony representing the culmination of all your hard work is in progress and you sit nervously waiting for your moment on the stage. Within minutes the time comes. You receive your degree as a thunderous applause comes from the section where your family watches in admiration. As you sit back down you are filled with the excitement of what’s to come. It is at that time you realize the sky is the limit. With your degree in hand, the world is yours. You can have any job you want. Right?
I wish it were that simple, but the reality is not as promising as it sounds. While you sit with your degree in hand, there are a few important caveats that you have missed –you are not the only person receiving a degree; and, your university is not the only school conferring degrees to students in your field. In the article, No One needs you, Class of 2010 (Queenan, 2010), it was reported that last year over two million college graduates were unemployed. Add to that shocking number the fact that new graduates will enter an economy where 17% of people aged 20 through 24 do not have a job, and you have a very bleak picture of what’s to come. Not to mention, as a college graduate of color, you may find it more difficult to find a job than your white counterparts. In 2010 the Economic Policy Institute, issued Graduate Employment Gap: Students of Color Losing Ground. In the brief Algernon Austin presented data regarding high school and college graduate data. While he found that all races are experiencing high rates of unemployment, Asian Americans, Hispanics, and African Americans experienced the largest increases. Two years before the recession even began, blacks unemployment rates were much higher than that of the other races. Congratulations on receiving your bachelor’s degree, but with such discouraging data you may have to consider some enhancement strategies. Lucky for you even though the future may look dim, there is still hope. You still have a chance to make yourself marketable in a job market where jobs are scarce and bachelor degrees are plenty. Here are a few tips that you can use to land the career that you want.
Tip 1. Graduate School – This is great opportunity to boost your knowledge, while enhancing your resume. Employers often look at multiple degrees as a commitment to life long learning and a willingness to grow. By going to graduate school you can stay current on the innovations within your career field. In addition, it is easy to enroll in graduate school at the school where you earned your bachelors degree. You have the opportunity to work closely with your professors, and may even be eligible for fellowships. Your work as a graduate student may easily turn into an excellent job opportunity,
Tip 2. Certification Programs – If you cannot commit to a graduate program, obtaining certification in a related field can be the next best thing. Many job fields such as security, technology, education, and finance offer certifications that can increase your chances of gaining employment. For example, an accounting graduate can teach Math by acquiring a teaching certificate.
Tip 3. Volunteer – Working for free is probably not your idea of success, but it can help you get a foot in the door. By volunteering you give the employer a chance to see you in action. It shows your dedication to your field and your willingness to commit to the vision of the employer. It also gives you a chance to network with colleagues in your field that can keep you abreast of jobs within the company where you are volunteering.
Tip 4. Networking – As an HBCU graduate you have a plethora of networking opportunities. First, you should join your school’s alumni association. They often have events where you have the opportunity to network with other alumnus and there guests. This is a great way to find out about job offers. Also, if you are apart of a fraternity or sorority these organizations often have connections to different companies and maybe able to assist you in finding career opportunities.
With the tips I have given, it is my hope that you can enjoy your graduation knowing that you have a plan. You don’t want to enter into the workforce unprepared and end up in a situation reminiscent of “Fun with Dick and Jane” where you know of five other candidates vying for the same position so you have to fight your way into a building hoping that arriving first will secure you a job, only to find your hopes dashed because you may have beat the other five, but you are still in the back of a line of 100 candidates waiting for the same job opportunity. By opening yourself to the tips I have given, you can easily win the employment race.