So, you think that you can find work?

You’ve heard the statistics before, but for the sake of this article and all of our sanity, they bear repeating. In the millennial generation, we are the most educated generation in history (Patten). We’re also the most socially and environmentally conscious generation in history (Horovitz). We love social justice almost as much as we love artisan beverages and vintage record players, but we have one huge problem: we’re unemployed. Let me word that another way so that it sinks in: You. Have. No. Job. You are likely sitting in a dorm room or maybe your parents’ house as you read this article (side note, I’m writing it on a bed in a dorm room for an unpaid internship, so I know exactly how you feel). No judgment here. We’re all in the same boat. You likely have searched for a job and found yourself lacking experience or the funds to slog through a company’s mandatory one-year unpaid internship. You shelled out thousands of dollars for college — or, if you’re like me, paid thousands and also took out tens of thousands of dollars in loans — all in pursuit of the elusive promise of full-time employment. But it isn’t just full employment you imagined, is it? No, it’s more than that. You want full employment in a job that you enjoy and makes you feel that you are making a difference in the world. This could be described as the millennial dream for the workforce: we want to work on our own terms, while simultaneously making a social difference. But is this too much to ask? Many will argue that we are lazy, that we are entitled, and we cannot expect to find fulfilling careers directly out of college. Many would argue that slogging through multiple part-time jobs that you don’t enjoy is merely “paying your dues” after college. While there may be some wisdom to these statements, I will argue that they are not the last word. There are a couple of things you can do, even as a college student, to maximize your job prospects.

1. Network

The system is broken. Blanketing an area with resumes and knocking on doors no longer cuts it, but that doesn’t mean your job search has to be hopeless. This just means you need to look elsewhere. In the deeply connected modern economy, networking is everything. The age-old wisdom, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know,” is truer now than it has ever been. People with connections have something that we don’t have, but want: a job. So we connect, but we don’t connect haphazardly. Whatever you do, do not view the people whom you network with as means to an end. They are people with dreams, fears, hopes, and stories just like you. Connect with them if you honestly would like to know them and would truly like to break into the market that they are in. LinkedIn is a great place to start networking, but go deeper with the people whom you could actually see potential in working with. Ask them if they can meet with you and talk about their business, buy them coffee, and then just listen. You will gain invaluable insight, and make a great impression by showing how interested you are in their company or organization. Even if this doesn’t lead to future opportunities for you with their business, it could open doors to other opportunities, as you will likely be recommended by these people to their peers.

2. Vote

I don’t care who you vote for, but educate yourself about the issues and vote. National elections are important, but local elections are equally if not more important when it comes to future business prospects in your area. Issues like city taxes and minimum wage requirements should be major issues for people in our generation to consider because they will shape the environment of the workforce we will enter. As much as the political process in its present form might disgust us, engaging with it is necessary if we truly wish to secure our future.

We may have grown up in an unfortunate economic time, but that does not mean that we must be helpless. Jobs are out there, even if they can be really difficult to secure. I’m not saying that these suggestions will secure your future or guarantee your job prospects, but they can significantly impact your job search and increase your chances of not only finding a job, but finding a job with a company or organization that you will actually enjoy working for.

Patten, E., & Fry, R. (2015, March 17). Comparing the Generations. Retrieved July 1, 2015, from http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/03/19/ho...

Horovitz, B. (2013, March 27). Millennials spur capitalism with a conscience. Retrieved July 1, 2015, from http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2013/...