Student Job Link's Resources

One of the key elements in college and professional life is the ability to communicate, both orally and in written form. As an English teacher in high school, I have noticed that a majority of my students still struggle with effective communication , even after 4 years of English classes. We have superior talent among our teachers, so the cause cannot be found in instruction. Some experts suggest that this new generation has replaced reading with watching television and playing video games, thus depriving the students of much needed vocabulary. Others point to the disappearance of Latin and Greek as subjects in instruction. Whatever the reason, many high school teens may suffer a severe handicap when approaching the job market and/or college.

The economy isn’t in a good spot right now, and that means that the job market isn’t either.  Now more than ever, it is incredibly important that you keep you network of business contacts current and up to date.  If you already have a good job, then be aware that it may not last and prepare for that eventuality.  If you are looking for a job, then you’re going to run into a whole different set of problems.

For students and graduates a major stumbling block when it comes to employment is their lack of experience.  For individuals looking to build their career profile and increase their 'hireability' there are many ways that it can be done.

Have you ever had a job that you hated?  A job where you wanted to burst into a fiery tirade about how horrible that job was just before you stalked out yelling, “I quit!” over your shoulder? 


If you’re like most people, you’ve had a job like that.  But whatever you do, don’t burn your bridges, because you never know when the contacts that you made when you were in that job could come in handy.

I’m a big proponent of the entrepreneurial spirit.  Considering the way that the economy is going right now, working for yourself or starting your own business can be a very wise move. 

If you follow the news you will probably have an inkling that we are very likely heading into the worse economic period since the Great Depression (for those of you who slept though History 101 think 1930’s, Grapes of Wrath, soup lines, stock brokers jumping out of windows).

 As a result, students graduating this year are going to face a much more difficult job search than students who graduated a year ago and it is very likely that this will be the reality for the next couple of years…at least. 

So, as a student what can you do about it?

Well, first off, take heart knowing that smart companies are still hiring students because they realize that recession, depression or neither, they will still need workers to replace their baby boomer employees who eventually will retire (and for the love of God let’s hope that’s sooner than later).

Now the reality check for you is that while there still will be jobs available for new graduates, there will be fewer of them and there definitely will be more competition for them.

 So now is the time to put on your game face and get into a competitive state of mind. Look around your class and ask yourself who stands out as a high achiever.

If it is not you, then it is critical that you immediately begin taking steps to set your self apart from the rest of the herd of average performers. The following are some ideas that can help get you started: 

Excel academically. How much your grades matter varies by industry/field. Personally, I have never been asked for my marks. What is always important though is that your fellow classmates and instructors see you as intelligent and hard working. These people should be part of your professional network throughout your working life and their opinion of you counts.

Join a professional organization related to your field. Attend their events. Join their committees and look for opportunities to volunteer within the organization. Often the people who run these organizations are well connected in their industry/field of work. Get to know them- they could end up being great references.