The News Media has had many recent headlines predicting some degree of impending recession. For some parts of the country such as Detroit, Michigan, or Youngstown, Ohio jobs have been in short supply for some time. The job market has always been and will continue to be elastic based on the supply and demand of specific skills needed by companies to meet their business goals. To mitigate these job market shifts, students can proactively take action to ensure a successful job search and land an excellent first position upon graduation.

Knowledge, Skill, and Abilities Ready. The college graduate job market looks strong this year, but some parts of the country have a more plentiful supply of specific jobs. The accounting job market looks very strong nationally, but your major may have a region specific job demand. In preparation for your job search, be sure you have done your homework on which companies in which regions are actively seeking your expertise. Job banks such as www.monster.com or www.careerbuilder.com can help you with this analysis. Search these sites by skills and location to assess what the hiring activity for the past 6 months has been and to review current jobs being actively recruited.

Multiple resumes with clear concise cover letters are key at this juncture of your application process. Your knowledge, skills, abilities, and experiences need to be packaged in a resume which makes it easy for a company recruiter to see how you fit into the job requirements outlined in their job posting. Data accuracy is always a must, but by placing special emphasis on each type of resume, you are presenting your qualifications clearly to the hiring manager. It is unwise to have a hiring manager “guess” how you would fit into their job.Be Specific.

Know What You Want—-But Be Flexible. Be sure that you know what your “dream job” would really look like. Take the time to be clear on your wants and must haves in that first job. Most people are much better at describing what they don’t want versus what they do want. This helps guide your search with a much more precise eye.

But…..the company of your dreams may not have an opening in your field, now what? Having a flexible job search strategy will provide you with solid alternatives which can still position you for the “dream job”. For example, what other jobs does this company have open which you qualify. Most companies have an internal job posting system for employees. To access your “dream job”, you may develop a “getting in the door” strategy which puts you in the know about upcoming jobs within the company.

Get Your Finances in Order This may not seem applicable to students, but this is a key success factor to financial independence. BEFORE you negotiate your starting salary, put together a monthly expense budget. This ensures that you know exactly what it will cost you to live in the career location of your perspective employer. Here are a few questions to help you get started in putting together a realistic budget:
*What is the average cost of renting in the area your potential job is located? Is there public transportation or will you need a car?
*What is the overall cost of operating a car in this location (insurance premiums, gas prices, and parking are all variables which differ based on city and state)?
* Is the cost of utilities (gas, electric, water) factored into the rent?
* What are the tax implications of this location (such as: sales tax, state income tax, and auto registration tax)?

In addition to a starting salary be sure you are clear as to benefits of special interest to you. Does your new company offer tuition assistance for you graduate schooling? Is there a matching stock option program? What types of relocation costs do they cover? All of these questions help to round out a sound financial analysis prior to accepting the position.

Once you have completed your financial assessment on how much it will cost you to live in your new location and what your benefit package contains,…….Remember that it is always wise to live at 60-70% of your income level and avoid accumulating any credit card debt.