It’s been the hot topic in the newspaper, the feature story for news analysts, and the obsession of our anxiety-ridden parents. It’s the Recession. That ambiguous and as-of-yet intangible force that college protects us from until we graduate. Then, we are promised to experience the mystic power of this thing, which will undoubtedly force us to re-locate to our parents’ home, become hopelessly depressed, and — most importantly — leave us jobless.
To make it worse, the same people who badger us with painful omens about the Recession god usually blame that fate on our BAD decisions. How many times has a parent or friend mentioned that you are a liberal arts student, allowed time for judging silence, and then passive-aggressively added that financing the useless endeavor costs as much as their mid-sized house? My other favorite judgment-laden rhetorical question: What are you going to do with that major?
The worse part of it all is that almost none of these unabashed comments are followed by constructive thoughts on what liberal arts student like us can do about all this.
That’s why I was when I was delighted when I stumbled upon the e-book, “Recession Proof Graduate: Charlie Hoehn’s Guide to Getting Any Job Within a Year of Finishing College.”
Simply stated, the book says that despite what they tell you, jobs are actually out there for the people who are willing to get them. And this doesn’t mean posting you resume on CareerBuilder, Monster and Craigslist and waiting for responses, it means getting that job experience to set yourself apart.
How do you do this? Hoehn’s answer is “free work,” an idea he used to employ himself into top marketing jobs after being rejected in traditional interviews. Free work is basically asking a person or employer if you can shadow them or help with a project.
“You may not have access to certain people or opportunities if you apply for a formal job and ask for a paycheck,” Hoehn said. “But if you say you’ll do the work for free, it will be a lot harder for people to resist you. Once you have a few amazing experiences under your belt, you can leverage that into some really cool paying gigs.”
Free work is different from an internship because instead of applying for the position like you would a job, you are making a less formal (and free) agreement, one that alleviates the pressures of having you on their tab. Employers who are more willing to bring you on and have lower expectations, which will be to your advantage when you impress them.
Hoehn added that the can be a great strategy for the liberal arts student who feels like they are not equipped with skills for a specific industry.
“If you want to learn a specific skill, it’s pretty easy to go out and pick it up. All you have to do is find someone who’s an expert at it, and ask to shadow them. Then after the shadow day is over, ask if you can come in and watch them work again. Rinse and repeat.”
And while this strategy may not be ideal for every person in every job, it is definitely a refreshing way to look at the whole job search process. So students, get creative! Best of luck as you begin to search for those coveted jobs, and be sure to let us know if you have had any “free work” experience. Remember to dream big!
Photo Source:
http://www.bc.edu/offices/careers/jobs.html
http://www.counseling.msu.edu/node/261
http://www.buchanan-associates.co.uk/section.php?SectionID=48