A blog about optimism? Really? Haven't you been reading the newspapers, the weekly magazines, the Web, or listening to the news, local and national? Sure. And it's all bad. But remember, there is a bottom line to media outlets: they have to make money and right now the economy and its daily woes are big money makers. What is printed and reported on the air has to appeal to a wide audience. This includes sweeping generalizations that hardly deal with reality in your community. Because students have been bombarded with so many negative messages they may be asking themselves, what's the point? So with that in mind, let's engage in a little optimism.
Indianapolis enjoys some unique economic attributes that in certain times can be viewed as drawbacks and in other times, such as what is currently being experienced, can be advantageous to those searching for employment. Indiana is not experiencing the same downturn as other metropolitan areas such as Chicago, Cincinnati, St. Louis, or other east coast urban areas. The Indianapolis economy is largely made up of small to medium size firms who have managed to stay viable, despite the credit crunch, and even expand. Consequently, there are jobs in Central Indiana. Students, who are engaging in serious comprehensive job search strategies are finding success and in some cases dealing with multiple job offers from local firms. I'm not just referring to accounting majors, but also management and marketing majors who are finding great success in Central Indiana by applying the most basic job search strategies. Are they all dream jobs? Not always. But sometimes underemployment is a strategy to something better.
Let's take Suzie for instance (not her real name but a real recent graduate). Suzie was "downsized " from a great internship with a Fortune 500 company and was able to leverage that experience with a local marketing firm for an excellent position with a better than average starting salary. It can be done! A job search like anything else requires persistence. It also requires the ability to leverage the skill sets a candidate has gained in past experiences. A sound tool box coupled with confidence in the candidates' academic credentials and hard and soft skills will make for a competitive interviewing process.
Is it always that easy? Of course not, but attitude, confidence, and optimism can go a long way to making a candidate the best fit for a position. With the tool box set and the skill sets in place job seekers can leverage experiences, developed skills, and some optimism in order to secure a position. It's what a candidate has to offer to the organization and people in it that will ultimately win the day. Be confident in the idea of yourself. Be optimistic!
Do you think that news has to be news 24/7 also plays a big part?
Attitude can have a great effect on not only job search, but anything you hope to achieve. The current climate certainly doesn't elicit a lot of positive vibe, but the ability to work your way through tough spots builds character. Things will turn around soon, and we'll all be glad we never gave up.
It was nice to read some words of optimism. I will be done in August. I am strongly considering graduate school in a full time or part time program, and full time or part time employment. I have had several interviews with local companies but, the job search has still proven difficult, and somewhat discouraging. Thank you for the encouragement, I know it will take some patience, and a healthy dose of optimism.