Personal Ethics and the Job Hunt

In applying for jobs, I cannot help but notice a lot of the jobs that are hiring are companies that I don't feel right working for. I know that in this job market I can't always be picky, but its more than just a matter of not wanting to do the work.

As an environmentalist, I do not support a lot of energy companies' practices. I would feel like benefiting from working for, say, a coal company, would make me hypocritical. Or I've seen job ads for various alcohol or tobacco companies, but seeing as I'm pretty against their product, especially tobacco, I haven't even considered applying for any of those jobs.

I guess it all comes down to where I want to draw a line. Sure I may not like brand name drug companies and the way they sell drugs, but am I willing to work for a generics company? For a long time I've tried to support small businesses, but so far that hasn't extended to only applying at local companies that support the local economy.

When to Start a Job Hunt

Image via Wikipedia

Job hunting sites are filled with disheartening tales of well-educated folks who had to look for a job for over a year. This makes it seem like seniors should look for jobs alongside of finishing their final year. While this may be necessary in some cases, there are a few flaws in logic with the plan.

For one, not everyone has time for the job hunt before graduation. It is said that job hunting should be a full-time job, and with a part-time job, classes, sleep and eating, it isn't possible to cram anything else into the schedule. While senior year has the reputation of being the easiest year because that's what students try to make it, that isn't always the truth. Capstone can kill us, and its when we're forced to take those classes we've put off for four years. In fact, job hunting distracted me from my school work more than anything.

Job hunting before you can accept an offer is not really practical. If there are immediate openings, they will be filled by the person who can accept the job now, not a year from now. Meanwhile, the company isn't going to hold on to your application for much longer than six months. You will just end up reapplying.

At the beginning of senior year your resume isn't as good as it could be a year from now. I took most organization leadership positions during my senior year, and added another year of work experience.

Finally, in my opinion, if you have to look for a job for a whole year, you're doing something wrong and you need to change your methods. It's the same reason why I don't think job hunting should be a full-time job. If you are spending that much time, I think that's a sign that you need to take a break and change something. Build experience through a part-time job or volunteering. Join some networking organizations. Maybe take a few classes. Or just target the companies you apply to better.

Related articles

• tips for job hunting on-line (manchesterlibrary.wordpress.com)
• 14 million working hours spent job-hunting every week in UK and Ireland (jobcontax.wordpress.com)
• Job Hunting Isn't Cheap (diggingoutandup.wordpress.com)

Making Money

Everyone knows the traditional ways of making money in college, such as loans, a job, or scholarships. Today, I'd like to know my readers' most creative or unusual ways (as long as they're  legal) of making money. Post them in the comments and I'll post some of them in a post soon.

Related articles

• Reduce Your Student Loan Debt While In College: Eight Tips (distance-education.org)

The Best and the Worst Parts about Graduating

A few weeks ago I wrote about my feelings about graduating (here). In some ways, I think the feeling has gotten worse. I (only half-joking) tell my friends that I'm not leaving, and instead plan to hide out in someone's dorm room. Since this isn't the most practical solution, I've decided to find as much positive about graduating as I can. Also, in an attempt to actually deal with my feelings, I will share why I don't want to graduate.

The Good:

Having my own apartment: I will be able to decorate it with much more freedom than I have now, and my stuff will always be there. No more having to run out and buy something I already have or wait for my mom to ship it.

More freedom in food: I love not having to worry about budgeting for groceries, but at the same time, I don't have a lot of options on campus. Grocery shopping will mean that I can eat basically whatever I want and get to experiment more with cooking.

Privacy: I've had really good luck when it comes to roommates, and for that I am grateful. However, it can't be denied that having a roommate, even if they are a dream, has its drawbacks, and a lack of privacy and a certain freedom is one. With my own room, I can have friends and my boyfriend over or watch T.V. without worrying if my roommate is bothered by it.

Having a job: I signed up to get updates from one company I am working for and the other day I heard about a position. One that I knew I would feel confidant holding and I qualified for. It gave me new hope, despite the state of the economy. I honestly can't wait until I have a full-time job and start making money.

The Bad:

Close proximity to my friends. This year, I lived on the same floor as most of m sorority sisters. If I ever felt like hanging out, all I had to do was go to the lounge, right next door to me. In the past most of my friends have lived in the same building, or even the same suite as me. I never lacked for company. This also meant it was pretty easy to get free rides. Now, they'll all be living in different parts of the state, maybe even country, and I won't be able to see them that often.

Responsibility: being in college meant I always had a safety net. I knew I wouldn't get kicked out of the dorm if I couldn't pay rent, or starve if I had no way to get to the grocery store.  I also didn't have to worry about health insurance because I was covered under my mom's policy.

For anyone who will be graduating soon, what are you looking forward to about graduating? What are you dreading?

7 Reasons Why You Should Always Have Dress Clothes in Your Closet

1. Many clubs and sports will require that you dress up on a certain day of the week.
2. If you have an internship or student teach, dressing up will make you appear more professional.
3. You may have to attend nice dinners.
4. If you are in any type of national or international organization, it is a good idea to dress up when you attend conferences in order to make a good impression.
5. During your junior and senior years, you will be going to interviews where you will have to dress up. Doing so prior to that will help you to feel more comfortable with it.
6. Many teachers (I've noticed this especially in my business classes) expect that you dress professionally for presentations. Even if they don't mention it, doing it anyways will mean you went the extra mile.
7. I know this sounds crazy, but when you dress up, you feel better about yourself and people will take you more seriously.

How Curriculum Varies by School

When you choose a school, it's not always enough to find out if your major is offered at your prospective school. Often, a program's focus will vary depending on the economy of the area. Take Recreation and Tourism Management (RTM) for example. My school is in a very rural area and many of the students are from economically depressed areas. West Virginia as a whole is trying to improve the economy while not harming the environment. Therefore, Tourism is a huge focus by the state. Therefore, when the school teaches, its focus is on outdoor recreation such as rafting and hiking.

As a business major, I've noticed that we are being prepared for jobs with large corporations. They are the focus of cases in our textbooks. Unfortunately, I disagree with this particular approach. The reason I became a business major was because I planned to start a business. Since then, I have been very interested in small businesses, particularly working for them. I feel that my school would be better served by encouraging us to either start businesses or find jobs working for one after graduation. Like tourism, it is a key part of improving the economy.

I suppose there are other schools that have business programs with more of a focus on small business or even an entire program dedicated to teaching emerging entrepreneurs. At my school, it sort of makes sense that the focus would be working for a coal company, since that's the major source of income for the state, but if a student wants something else, they usually have to leave the area. Many graduates leave the state, which is dangerous since the next generation of workers is a vital part of the workforce.

Many other programs have a certain focus as well. For example, the social sciences at my school seem to have a major emphasis on research and going to graduate school.

Has anyone else noticed something similar at your own school?

Reading in College

If your study schedule is anything like most college students, most of it consists of reading for class; and trying to limit that reading. With all of that reading, is it any surprise most of us do not read for fun? After working, studying, etc. all I ever feel like doing is watching T.V., going on the computer, or reading magazines.

The only reason I am ever able to get reading done that I want to do is because I have a job where I sit at a desk for hours on end and talk to people when they stop by. So, I get to read between giving directions- that is, when I don't have to do homework.

So who here likes to read but doesn't have time? How do you make the time? What are your favorite books?

Graduates, Don't Give up Hope

As everyone knows, the economy is at a low point. If you have graduated, then you may have hoped that the job market would improve by the time this point in your life did. If you are giving up hope on finding a job, though, you may want to rethink that. While it is true that most companies are hiring less than in the past, some are actually looking to increase their numbers. And some are looking especially for recent graduates. Check out this list from Forbes.com and see if anything sounds like a possibility. Then spruce up your resume and hit their websites.

Note: There is some good news if you are looking for a non-profit job.

Making the most of Summer

Back in high school, summer was a time for a break, when we could hang out with our friends. all that changed when we started college. It becomes a time to take on even more work, and our buddies are scattered throughout the country. Here's how to get the most out of your work when the days are long and the nights are hot.

If you are like most students, you will either get a job, or take classes. Both are good ideas. If you take classes, take the ones that you think will require the most work. You won't be distracted by friends or organizations, and you can put in more time than you would during the fall or spring since you won't have to worry about so many other classes.

As for a job, make sure its something that will help you with your career and think resume building. See if you can get a job or internship with a company you would like to work with after college.

Just because something doesn't pay doesn't mean you can't get a lot out of it. Look into volunteering or an unpaid internship if you cannot find a paid one. It will help you develop needed skills and you may find useful networking opportunities.

Also consider taking the time to research. If you will be graduating next year, see if you can visit the graduate school you would like to attend or a city you are considering living in.