In this economy, flexibility is key

I've been hearing frequently from many of you that your biggest fear is not finding a job "in my major." After 4 years of college and several years of concentrating on a specific major, of course your focus is on finding something that matches what you've studied. What you are missing however, are all the jobs out there that don't perfectly fit within a specific major. In this tight job market, these jobs cannot be ignored. You need to open your focus to a broader list of possibilities and consider alternatives to your first, second, or even third choice job. This doesn't mean that you should give up your dream of becoming a police officer, or public relations person, or psychologist, but you should be willing to apply to positions that may be very different from the type of job you've always pictured yourself doing. This also doesn't mean that you should apply to jobs that you are not qualified for, or not interested in. You don't want to find yourself taking a job, just to take a job.

On March 31st from 12-3pm in the Parents' Lounge, we will be holding our annual Career Fair. Employers who are actively recruiting recent grads will be there to speak about their open positions. This is the perfect opportunity to speak with employers from a variety of industries. Half of the employers attending are recruiting students from all majors. This is your opportunity to see what's out there beyond the jobs in your major. If you choose not to attend because "there was no one there from my major" then you will be missing out on possibly the only opportunity you'll have before you graduate to speak to employers in person. If you don't consider other alternatives, you will not only be limiting yourself so narrowly that finding a job may be impossible, but you will also risk missing an opportunity to discover something new.

~Elizabeth