Background Image
Table of Contents Table of Contents
Previous Page  33 / 108 Next Page
Information
Show Menu
Previous Page 33 / 108 Next Page
Page Background

HBCU Careers Magazine

33

By: Dr. Denita Hedgeman

Director, Career Services

LeMoyne-Owen College

Did you know that you have control over your own

destiny? That you can have what you want and what you

say you want if you believe and put hard work into it?

It is easier than you think. Yes, sometimes you have to

wait for great things. Sometimes it might take a month

or years to get great success, but anything worth having

is worth getting.

The Y generation has a “Hurry up and I want it now

mindset”. Where as the baby boomers seem to have

worked hard with dedication for years to get what they

wanted. Today we live in a society of quick fix with

microwaves, fast food, computer technology, expressways

and crash diets where we see immediate results. But

getting a job does not always happen quickly. Usually

it takes months to years to develop different skill sets,

establish networking relationships, research companies

and apply for positions. Because it is so competitive, you

have to be creative during your job search. There are

thousands of people applying for the same jobs. The old

rule was “for every 100 resumes that you send out, you

might get one interview”. Just think now what the rule

is in 2010. I am not trying to discourage you, I am just

trying to encourage you to put yourself out there. Here

are some ways you can get what you want in due season:

Pray

Pray and ask God what you want and what He desires for

you so you will not be all over the place searching and

running into dead ends. In Matthew 7:7-8, it states that

we can ask and it shall be given if we seek and knock on

the door. Also, Jeremiah 29:11 states that God knows

the plans He has for us which will prosper us and give us

great success. We are destined for great success! We ask

God to help us in a crisis, but we sometimes do not ask

him to guide us in every area of our life. He created the

jobs and He has one that is tailor made for you.

Apply Everywhere

When I was in college, there were not as many

opportunities for students and minorities like there

are today. Now, there is no excuse for a student not

to have a job, internship, scholarship, or funding for a

project or study abroad program. There is a program or

grant for most situations such as funding for tall people,

left handed people, single parents, minorities, non-

minorities attending a HBCU, first generation students,

etc. Most opportunities are on-line now, so it should not

be a challenge for this Facebook, Myspace and Twitter

generation. But it is! Some students tell me that they

hate applying on-line because it is so tedious and they

think that they might not get a call or be able to follow

up. The wait is also so long, especially if they are applying

for a government job. They do not realize that this

process is better for companies because they can easily

query an applicant in the system with certain credentials

quickly because so much detailed information is in their

database from the on-line application. Remember,

good things come to those who wait. To apply for the

bigger opportunities, you might have to write that essay,

have a good GPA, create a portfolio, acquire letters of

recommendations, etc.

A lot of companies have a college relations section on

their website for internships or entry-level positions that

students and recent graduates can apply. Start looking

at the top 50 Companies List and choose and apply at

your top three companies you would love to work.

Know your industry like a book. In most career services

departments, they have free job magazines or journals

that have companies advertising their job opportunities

or websites. They want students to apply! You can apply

at staffing agencies, your city career center, your college

career center, your local Urban League, professional

societies, through your church members, non-profit

organizations, etc. Every company has almost every

major represented such as accounting, HR, IT, marketing,

engineering,

legal,

communications,

community

What Are You Waiting For?

“What Are You Waiting For? was a concept

developed from Dr. Denita Hedgeman’s

book, While I Wait.