Today on MoneyLife with Chuck Bentley

Our guest today is Brian Ray; he's a special friend and frequent guest. Brian's also the Founder of Crossroads Career Network.

Brian is an expert at helping people through the decisive moments in their careers. We've been inundated by listeners wanting career advice because of the current recession.

Our focus today will be on graduating college seniors. The Class of 2009 is facing the toughest job market in a long time:

• Fewer than 1 out of 5 has found a job; just a couple of years ago 1 out of 2 had found jobs by this time after graduating.
• Employers will be hiring 22% less this year than last year
• More people are looking for fewer jobs
• Some industries are in serious decline like manufacturing
• Some have taken a recent hit like financial services

Brian says these occupations that are doing well in a number of industries:

• Engineering
• Computer science
• Accounting
• Majors related to math and science

Here are some industries that are doing well right now and hiring new college graduates:

• Government
• Military
• Transportation
• Energy, Utilities

Starting salaries are less this year than in the past few years, while jJobs requiring certification pay higher.

• Unemployment right now is significantly higher for people without a college degree
• College degree is still valuable
• More education you have usually means the better vocation you’ll have

Most college graduates are just beginning to look for a job. The change from college to working full-time is big; most people need an adjustment period. It's okay to take time to figure things out, but you need to be intentional and purposeful, not just an escape.

College graduates can struggle with career direction. They can benefit from career assessments, such as Career Direct®. It's not unusual to go through several jobs in the first five years. Crossroads Career Network's Explorer Program can also be helpful.

College graduates this year are very comfortable with electronic communication and social media. These are important to getting jobs because those hiring also use social media. It's "high tech for high touch."

College graduates should be careful how they present themselves online:

• Shift from a social presentation of yourself to a professional presentation that recruiters will see
• Remove anything from FaceBook that might be offensive or look unprofessional
• Very important for new college graduates to have good networking skills
• Develop a 10-15 second verbal presentation of yourself, your message
• Be comfortable using the phone
• Join and use your school’s alumni association to network
• Networking means talking to everyone
• Get the names of two more people you can talk to from each person you do talk to
• Goal is to connect with people who can help you get the job, the ones hiring

When you get an interview with someone who is hiring:

• Pray
• Prep, do your homework on the interviewer and company
• Perform
• Praise, thank God for the opportunity, send a thank you note to the interviewer

Resumes are critical:

• They're the written presentation of yourself on 1-2 pages
• Demonstrate what you have achieved during school, extracurricular activities, work experience, even part-time work
• Have a master resume, document with all your education and work information
• Pull from it to create a resume for a specific job you want to apply for

You can become part of Crown's effort to teach biblical stewardship by making a gift online or by calling 800-722-1976. Thank you!

Making Career Decisions

Most Americans need to unlearn the errors and then learn the truth regarding career decisions.

• Read More

Writing a Résumé

Your résumé is generally the first impression of you to a potential employer, so it is important for it to be concise, yet impressionable.

• Read More

Networking

The most effective method of finding a new job is through contacts—the people you already know or those who know the people you already know.

• Read More

Searching for a New Job

In a recession, money becomes tight and companies “tighten their belts” financially to remain competitive, and in some cases, to remain solvent.

• Read More

Other Resources:

• ABCs of Money Package
• Career Direct
• God's Principles for Operating a Business
• Business By the Book
• Crown Mvelopes