How to go about a post graduate job search?

<p>I will graduate college in the fall. I have a 3.88 and will graduate magna cum laude with a BA in History and minors in English and Cinema Studies. Although I have a great resume for graduate schools and scholarships, my resume is lacking in work experience. I am getting a few volunteer jobs to add relevant work experience ( I want an editing job) but I do not know if that is enough. Despite the fact I think I should have pursued more internships I feel like I am generally on even footing with most new graduates when it comes to relevant work experience, I may not have the retail/food service exp others have but I don't feel like that helps much anyway. However I don't think I can compete with older people with more experience in their field. My resume looks more like a graduate school application than a job application. Should I even bother applying for post graduate level jobs or should I focus on getting internships and getting into law school? Most of the advice seems to be geared towards people who have been on the market longer, not new graduates.</p>

<p>thanks</p>

<p>Have you ever try your school’s Career Center during the past few years at your college? The best place for most college students to get jobs and internships is through the school’s Career Center/Office. If you have never set foot at your school’s Career Center, you are missing one of the best resource that is available to you.</p>

<p>I did. I found them to be encouraging yet not very realistic. Most of the things they tell me I should pursue or apply for I look into it and find out that it is misguided. For example applying for graduate school for an MA in history-big waste of time and money. I think they will be helpful as far as resume writing but as far as what I can actually do and be hired for, I have a hard time believing their “You can do anything in the whole wide world” attitude. I feel like my GPA is a nice little star on my resume but I’ve just recently come to the harsh conclusion that it provides little help for my job search, which is unfortunate because that’s all I have been doing the last 3 years.</p>

<p>I am sorry to hear about your experience with your school’s Career Center. Your GPA is very good. I guess you just need to be proactive and casting a wide net in your job search. Go to various companies’ web site and search under “Career”. Apply as many jobs and as often as possible. All you need is for someone to give you an opportunity. I wish you the best out there.</p>

<p>Well I really don’t have trouble finding jobs, I just have no clue if I’m qualified enough. For example jobs that just say " work experience in ___ needed" I really don’t know how much experience that is without a number like 2-5 yrs exp needed or something. I also have a hard time working a job I don’t want to do, I know that’s what most people do but I’d just as soon go to law school than that.</p>

<p>Does your college sponsor any events in which employers come to recruit? There are companies that are looking for college grads - fewer of them in 2010 than earlier, but they do exist.</p>

<p>When you say that you want an editing job, editing what? the written word or film? both will be tough fields to break into.</p>

<p>You might try a technique that I saw work. I had someone call me up and ask for an informational interview. He asked me questions such as what kind of qualifications someone needed to get a job in my field. He asked for names of other people I knew who could give him advice and he got informational interviews with them. He never just plain asked for a job- but he did his homework. And he landed a great job and has done very, very well.</p>