Today's Job Search: Your Questions Answered

This article is part of a new series. The tough economic times are a concern for everyone, but the job market can be especially intimidating for inexperienced college students. That’s why the Career Services Network asked students what their top concerns were and then directed the questions to career experts both within and outside of the network. Each article will have a student question with three expert answers. Read on for the first installment.

Student Question:

“I’m concerned that internships are the first things getting cut in this economy. How can I find one and where should I look?”

Pat LaFontaine, Economics, Class of 2010

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Expert Answers:

1) Online Resources

“As an undergrad, you should go to MySpartanCareer first. That’s where we post all jobs, internships, everything. Beyond that, there are several websites that you can check depending on your major and the city you are looking for an internship in. Also, check out LinkedIn — it’s an excellent resource for tapping into MSU alumni who are working in certain businesses.”

Paul Jaques, MSU Internship Developer, jaques@msu.edu

2) Employers Rethinking Internships

“Yes, there are employers out there who may be cutting internships right now, but they aren’t necessarily the first thing that is getting cut. We are getting a lot of employers who are rethinking their internship strategy, even if they haven’t had internships in the past. Employers see that interns are important to their business plan; students bring excitement, new ideas, and new technology experience. The people in [university] career centers are invaluable at this time because they have connections with employers. Also, let everyone in your network know that you are looking for an internship — you will hear of opportunities that way. Companies are really looking for that personal side right now.”

Cindy Brown, West Michigan Strategic Alliance, Internship Initiative Project Manager

3) Some Internship Programs Expanding; Networking

“There are companies that aren’t hiring interns, but not everyone is doing away with them. In some cases it is just the opposite — they are doing away with full-time jobs and hiring more interns. The hard facts: 70% of jobs are never listed anywhere. Over 60% of people surveyed in the U.S. say they found their job from someone they know. Join professional organizations, attend their meetings, network with professionals in your field…and always put your best foot forward. Oftentimes we find jobs [and internships!] when we least expect it. Opportunities may be present that we didn’t even know were there.”

Eric Doerr, Associate Director of the Lear Corporation Career Services Center, doerre@msu.edu

Take action: Do you have a question about how the economy affects your job search? Email it to aldric39@msu.edu with “Career Economy Question” as the subject. If you have a specific, individual question, set up an appointment with a career advisor. Also, check out more information on finding a job or internship.

Today’s Job Search Archives

If you’re interested in learning about a particular career option, job shadowing is an excellent tool to use. Don’t worry if you can’t make it to the annual Spring Break Job Shadow Day—although you should try!—because you can always set up a time to job shadow on your own or with the help of a career advisor.

That’s what Sara Cottrill (’10, pictured) did. As an English major, she was interested in working as an editor. She told us why she decided to job shadow: “How are you supposed to know if you’d like to do a job unless you’ve had firsthand experience of it? I thought I might like to be an editor, so I decided to look into it a little more.”

Cottrill’s career advisor told her about an opportunity with a large publishing company and put her in touch with the company liaison, who helped her schedule a time to come in and job shadow two project managers/editors.

What did Cottrill learn? “The experience was interesting. I learned a lot about the day-to-day tasks that an editor deals with and the responsibilities they carry. Each project involved a different set of challenges. I did decide that being an editor, while interesting, was probably not the career for me. I learned that I enjoy interacting more with people, which set me on other career paths. I am currently looking into non-profit organizations.”

Although her experience helped her decide that editing wasn’t a good career option for her, Cottrill says, “I would definitely job shadow again. I was able to learn about a career I wasn’t familiar with and network at the same time.” Cottrill points out that it’s important to take advantage of the opportunity to meet people within your field of interest: “They could one day be your coworkers.”

Ultimately, she says, “Stay in touch with your career advisor; they have a lot of contacts and can point you in the right direction, even if you’re lost.”

Take action: Set up an appointment with your career advisor to talk about potential job shadowing options, or reach out to your network of contacts. Tell your friends and family about your career interests and ask them if they know of anyone who you could potentially job shadow.

Media coverage of the current economic climate may have you thinking that there are no jobs in Michigan—let alone in the Lansing area—and that there are even fewer opportunities for young people. If you do some research, however, you will find that this is not entirely the case.

There is no doubt that the automotive industry is struggling, but there are also people who are working hard to make finding a job in Michigan a viable option. Many of these initiatives are aimed at young people. For example, MSU has partnered with LCC and Capital Area Michigan Works! to develop a new film-training program that addresses the needs of filmmakers who have been attracted to Michigan through a state tax incentive.

Grand River Connection (GRC) is another resource for young area professionals. According to their website, “The Grand River Connection seeks to develop a stronger network to support Lansing and East Lansing’s young and vital workforce. Our diverse, non-partisan group provides fun, social, and professional connections that encourage economic growth and community involvement where we live, work, and play.” The fact that this group is in existence signifies that there are jobs for young people in the area.

Katie Blakley, the organization’s vice president, answered some of our questions about working in Greater Lansing. Although GRC’s membership probably isn’t a representative profile of the area’s workforce, Blakley was able to let us know which industries have job opportunities for young professionals. Here is some information cited from a 2008 Grand River Connection Members survey:

• 20.4% of members work in the business/financial sector
• 16.5% work in media/public relations
• 14.1% work in management
• 11.7% work in non profit
• 10.2% work in government (non-military)

Also, 43% of GRC’s members reported being from the mid-Michigan area. Blakley went to Western Michigan University and moved to Lansing after undergrad because she wanted to work in government.

Because so many MSU graduates head straight to big cities like Chicago and New York, we asked Blakley what makes the Lansing area appealing in comparison. She had a lot to say: “Greater Lansing has so much to offer: within a few minutes of each other, there is downtown Lansing, downtown East Lansing, Lansing’s creative Old Town! Each spot has a variety of cool places to go, dine, shop, and enjoy! There are also a ton of events that happen throughout the region: the Hawk Island Triathlon, Blues on the Square [in downtown Lansing], Oktoberfest, Common Ground, the Capital City River Run, and many more. I love the small town feel with big city amenities. A few big pluses that I bet a lot of students overlook when job searching [are] short commutes to and from work, little time spent in traffic, attending events at Wharton. . .”

Grand River Connection has networking events on the fourth Tuesday of every month. Pictured at an early 2009 event, hosted at the Spartan Hall of Fame Café, from left to right: Larry Mengerink (GRC Board member and Secretary), Gabrielle Johnson (GRC Board Member and Chair of the Special Events Committee), Vince Pecora (GRC Board Member, President, and Chair of the Sponsorship and Finance Committee), Jessica Wortley (GRC Board Member and Chair of the Membership and Communications Committee), Katie Blakley (GRC Board Member, Vice President, and Chair of the 4th Tuesday Committee), and Tom Ruis (GRC Member and member of the 4th Tuesday Committee)

Take action: Blakley encourages students to take advantage of internships and job shadow opportunities in the area. Linking Lansing & U is a city-wide initiative that is working to connect students with Greater Lansing businesses. Another way to stay on top of what is going on in the community is to subscribe to Lansing Area Capital Gains.