You can change your degree plan, but you can’t change the economy.  That’s one of the lessons you learn as a graduate during times of economic uncertainty and rapid unemployment.

In one way: a recession is no different from an economic boom in at least one regard: you can’t get a job without experience, and yet you can’t get experience without a job.

That’s exactly the dilemma many graduates face right now.  A diploma or certification alone doesn’t necessarily guarantee a way to stand out in a competitive industry, and employers are aware of this.  And like it or not, there are certain things that can’t be adequately taught in a classroom setting.

Rather than attempt to get by on luck, there are a few techniques that you can use to better your odds of landing the job you want.

Avoid the Entry-Level Catch-22

How exactly? Internships are probably one of the most under-rated ways to avoid the entry-level dilemma.  Granted, this is assuming your graduation is still at least a semester or two away.

Internships are positions where companies don’t necessarily need an applicant with much direct job experience; just some relevant coursework and a passion for the field.   

As a course, these generally last 3 to 4 months in duration at the company’s premises.  Traditionally, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students will seek internships during their junior or senior year of college.  These programs aren’t mandatory, but I recommend starting your search for an internship as soon as you have your area of study decided, because:

1. The downside of internships is they can be quite competitive, and time is not on your side.
2. The pool of other applicants will have roughly the same educational background as yourself. 
3. Internship hiring is subject to the same economic whims as any other hiring activity.  During times of economic crisis, an enterprise may freeze internship programs altogether to keep its balance sheet strong.

Instead, I urge anyone determined to work in a technical field to start seeking internships around the end of year one of the degree program.  In fact, high school may not be too early if you can get one-on-one help from a school counselor or a mentor. 

Either way, the objective is to get a glimpse of real-world workflow, make good connections, and sharpen your career focus.  For the older generations, it’s also about empowering new students to succeed.

Prepare Using Mock Interviews

Another unappreciated tool is the mock interview.  For anyone unfamiliar with the term, let me explain:

In a mock interview, your job is to rehearse your responses to common interview questions with a coach.  But more to the point, the idea is to hone your general interviewing skills by improving communication skills and reducing bad habits.  The inquiry may also involve common questions such as:

• What do you expect to be doing in 5 years?
• What level of compensation are you looking for?
• Was there ever a time when you had to make a decision without all the information you wanted?

Afterward, your coach will critique your responses and give insights on areas for improvement.  Of course, being an interviewer is a subjective process; so it helps to repeat this with several different coaches over time.

Following the 2008 financial crisis (and the ensuing unemployment trend); many university career centers, career consultants, churches, and other job support services began conducting their own mock interview programs.

Much like any other form of practice, we can then surmise that students who dedicate time to this have better odds than others.

There are many variations on the simple mock interview: such as graded or recorded interviews, one-on-one interviews, panel interviews, and so on.

Conclusions

There is also extensive research on these topics.  I hope this helps you not only improve your probability of hire, but also your odds of finding that job in minimal time.

References

[1]	L. Wilbanks, “Summer Interns: Our Responsibility,” IT Professional, vol. 11, no. 2, p. 64, 2009.
[2]	S. Chickerur, “Engineering Internships with Projects: A Workplace-Learning Model for Improving Student’s Success and Performance,” in 8th International Conference on u- and e-Service, Science and Technology (UNESST), Jeju, South Korea, 2016.
[3]	K. Hansen, G. Oliphant, B. Oliphant and R. Hansen, “Best Practices in Preparing Students for Mock Interviews,” Business Communication Quarterly, vol. 72, no. 3, pp. 318-326, 1 Sep. 2009.

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