Help in the Job Hunt

Our nation is in an economic recession. No big surprise there. We’ve all heard the stories about sustained job and profit losses all over the country. But how has the downturn changed your life? Perhaps you’ve lost a job, or know someone who has. Maybe your parents have put a limit on the amount of money you can spend each month. Regardless of the size of the effect, the downturn has changed the lives of a large amount of people.

So, based on that, you would think that finding a job would be nearly possible, right? Wrong. Granted it may be more difficult as many people are jockeying for a more limited number of positions, but you won’t have to go far to see a “help wanted” sign or to find a company with a job opening they want to fill. If you are currently looking for a job, do not despair. Finding a job while in college has never been easier thanks to a variety of resources available at ASU.

Having a part-time job (or internship) in college can provide valuable lessons relevant to the professional world, and improve on many necessary qualities such as responsibility and time management. Depending on your future career goals, it can even provide you with a springboard to use in reaching a goal of getting a job with a particular company or industry. Whatever job environment you are in, you will be able to learn new processes and skills and use them to enhance yourself and your talents. If you’re looking to get the most bang for your buck as far as the amount of skills you will learn; work with a local start-up.

Small to medium sized businesses are often looking for student help, especially from ASU students. The start-up community in Phoenix is a great place to be right now, and a great place for ASU students to learn valuable lessons about all of the work required to succeed as a small-business owner (and in business in general). When you have a small business, there are no “departments” or specialists to help you get specific things accomplished. Everything that needs to be done for a business to survive (not to mention succeed) has to be done by the owner (and the small amount of help he or she may have hired). Accounting, marketing, payroll; all these things require attention and completion. For students who are recruited to work in a small business setting, they are able to learn all of these things. Sure, there may be people who hire for specific areas, but the small size of the enterprise allows for dispersion of education on all these other aspects.

Getting back to the resources of ASU and how they can help you, there are three websites you can use in your job search. All offer legitimate positions in great environments.

First, there is the Sun Devil Entrepreneurship Network (SDEN, http://sden.asu.edu/). If you want to work in an entrepreneurial environment, this is the website for you. Through this program, small to medium sized companies in the Phoenix area post job and internship openings specifically for ASU students. A wide variety of industries are represented, and the new postings are highlighted in a weekly email blast. Check out the website, you’ll be able to see the kinds of opportunities that are available.

The second resource available to you is the ASU job website (http://students.asu.edu/employment). Looking to participate in research going on in one of ASU’s many research labs? Or do you want to be a student worker for a specific department? Visit this website to see jobs of this nature, as well as jobs with other groups in the community.

ASU’s Sun Devil CareerLink is the third site you can use to find a job. This site (http://students.asu.edu/career/sdcl) has both job and internship opportunities posted, and it does include full-time career positions. Outside industry can post jobs through this site, and many do. Some are even from out of state. Positions tend to be very specific and the listings are very detailed. In order to view the positions and to apply, you will have to have a CareerLink account. It is very simple to activate, the instructions on the website are very clear.

Should you currently be looking for a job, hopefully one of the three sites above can assist you in your search. Don’t give up. The news about the job market may seem dismal, but for those who are willing to put forth the effort, there is work to be done.

Questions? Comments?
Sara.Christenson@asu.edu
480/884-1675