A Humbling Exploration

Simple ways to land a job as an undergraduate during a recession October 12, 2010

I am currently involved in a mentoring program with a local university where I have the opportunity to provide career and academic guidance to senior undergraduate university students.  After a few meetings with my mentees, I have noted a recurring theme that I would like to highlight.

Similar in a siloed corporation, the modern post-secondary school system is also segmented and disconnected.  Teaching staff focuses purely on injecting information into students, and career services focus purely on marketing students to the industry.  However, there is no concerted effort in helping students to articulate how to use the knowledge learned in class in a business setting.  This was evident in the fact that my mentees all seem to have mastery of their respective class material, and yet unable to articulate how their knowledge will benefit the company that they are applying to.

Having good grades alone might just be enough in landing a job during a boom, but with the fear of recession constantly hanging over the market like dark clouds constantly hanging over the city scape in Vancouver in September, employers simply expect more out of their new junior hires.  I think this is actually a good thing.  It forces everyone to be better, or else…

Pessimistic views aside, I believe answering these 3 questions will help an undergraduate student to dramatically increase their ability to land a job with any company: