Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Help an Accountant

This morning, I got this e-mail:

Is it possible for someone with an MBA (Accounting) to be looking for employment three years after graduation? I live in Georgia and have applied for hundreds of jobs, joined various networking meetings and passed my resume around, and all I am getting is tons and tons of rejection. It is now affecting my life so much that I feel that I am about to go into depression. Why is it so hard to get a job these days. Is there any way one can go about looking for a job besides those that I mentioned above?

Obviously, it's hard to answer any of these questions without knowing specifics, and I've replied asking for more details. But I thought I'd post the message here, so anyone who might have suggestions, observations, or anything else to contribute could chime in.

Meantime, I'll share the questions crossing my mind:

  • First, are you applying for jobs that are a match for your academic and work experience?
  • Second, how are you presenting yourself - Is your resume tailored for each position, are your cover letters concise, businesslike, properly formatted and proofread?
  • Third, are you working with the right networking organizations? Do their members include the kind of people you want to work for, or at least the kinds of people who can put you in touch with them?
  • Are you working on your job search as if it were a job?
  • Are you working with a coach? Should you be?
  • How about recruiters? Have you gotten in touch with any?
  • And have you considered the old saying that goes something like: The definition of insanity is doing the same things over and over, but expecting a different result? (Not that I mean to imply anyone's insane, but you get the point.)
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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Why not go into business for your self! Someone, long before I was born, coined the phrase..."If you can't beat them, join them."

But, I say... if you can't join 'em, beat 'em! Being self employed is the best thing I ever did (I'm in the financial services field). And, if you can't find a job you just create your own.