Summer is nearly over and recent graduates are really feeling the pressure. With a limited amount of positions and a high amount of competition, there is still a significant number of new college graduates that are jobless. As a parent or mentor of someone in this situation, what can you do to help?

Nepotism

If you own your own business, or are at a position of influence in your workplace, a little bit of nepotism (definition: favoritism, as in appointment to a job, based on kinship) could help out here. Even if it’s an unpaid internship, the experience is what’s valuable. Try to get them to work on more than just photocopying and picking up lunch; a real project that holds some significance to the company is what future employers will want to see on the resume.

Recommendation

It is common to simply give permission to be a reference via phone or e-mail contact. What is exceptional is to write out a letter of recommendation for the individual, and have it ready for them before they apply to a job. If you are a parent, or a direct relative that has not played any sort of professional role, use your influence to have one written by someone that knows the young job seeker in a more work-related light.

Connections

More likely than not, you have a whole slew of professional connections. If you are connected on LinkedIn or Twitter, introduce your colleagues to the graduate, and mention that they are looking for a job. A referral is a great way to get one’s foot in the door, and substitutes as a really strong reference.

Coaching

While your child or mentee has just graduated and has their goals and aspirations of what they would like to do with their life, it is important to remind them that they must work their way up the career ladder. It’s okay if you’re unsure how to go about this. Leave it to the experts and give the perfect graduation gift: 360 Career Action Planning. We’re here to help you and your graduate succeed.

You don’t have the skills.

Well, that’s harsh. Maybe you do retain the basic requirements, but it’s time to bring yourself up to a level playing field with your competition.

Step One: Research

Research the skill sets the position that you’re looking for requires. Search job listings for the position you seek and take note of both requested and desired abilities. Check LinkedIn to see what sort of backgrounds and interests current and former employees of target companies have.

Step Two: Analyze

Analyze your current abilities. Be honest with yourself. Take a notepad (or open up Notepad on the computer) and list each program, language, and other asset you know. Note your competency level, as well as how many years you’ve had this knowledge and the frequency of use.

Step Three: Develop

Compare both sets of notes from steps one and two. What’s on the first sheet that’s not on the second? Circle those items. These will be the basis for your plan of action. Let’s take a look at common areas that those seeking to advance their careers with a new position need to brush up on:

• Computer Programs

  Unless you’ve been using a specific software up until very recently, likelihood is you will need to refresh, or even just learn the functions of the programs and applications used in a position you’re seeking. Thanks to the Internet, most of this learning process can be free and relatively quick.

  The majority of software suites you’ll need to have competency in are extremely expensive. This makes it very inaccessible. Luckily, there are usually freeware versions online. Freeware is essentially a generic version of more expensive software, that is (as the name would suggest) free. Check out Gimp as a replacement for Adobe Photoshop, Inkscape instead of Adobe Illustrator, Open Office in place of Microsoft Office, or Google SketchUp as a free 3D CAD program. Cnet’s Download.com provides a very thorough database of safe freeware downloads. If you need the real thing, most software companies offer a free trial period, which should offer enough time to get (re)acquainted with the newest version of the program you need to know.

• Languages

  Whether a programming/scripting or foreign language, most companies are looking for employees that ‘speak their language.’ If it’s a simple one, such as HTML or Spanish, your refresher should be pretty easy. If you’re heading into the realm of Mandarin and Python,

  For the scripting codes, you’ll be able to find plenty of good quality resources online. Webmonkey is a great place to check out cheatsheets and tutorials for HTML, CSS, User Interface Design, PHP, Python, and more. Even Wikipedia can be a good place to find help, especially if you check out the references area of their pages.  If it’s a book you’re looking for, O’Reilly Media has an overall quality selection of programming books for all levels.

  Time to learn a new foreign language? Or maybe brush up on those few things retained from high school French and Spanish? Linguanaut provides a completely free website where you’ll be able to find directories of foreign alphabets, phrases, forums, videos, tests, and translation. Keep in mind the majority of the phrases listed will be the formal version of the language, and may not be used in every region the language is spoken. For straight translation needs, Google Translate is a very useful service and offers translation in most languages. Once again, if you’re a book person, a standard phrase book from your local bookstore should suffice. If it’s more specific terminology, such as medical terms in Arabic, try looking online at Amazon.

• Experience

  With the job markets across the board being more competitive than ever in recent history, employers are seeking the ones with the most experience and schooling. Each will make for a lengthier process if you are aiming to close a large gap between what you have and what is required. However, you can step up the ladder (maybe not directly in one step) to be on your way to your dream job.

  Sign up for a class at a community college or a university extension program that specifically offers the ability to learn the skills you need for the job you want.  The junior / community college will offer a cheaper course, but the university extension may be a little more prestigious to put on your resume if it offers any kind of certification at the end of the class. If you’re already well versed in a skill, such as a programming language, but have yet to show it in your employment history, consider taking a test certifying your knowledge in said skill.

  Work experience requirements can provide a near Catch 22.  You need experience to get a job, but to get experience you need the job. If you’re currently enrolled full-time in college, this is slightly easier, as many employers are looking for interns to do more than just make coffee. If you’re not going to university, it’s time to utilize that network you’ve been building. Offer your services for free or at a severely reduced priced. If you want to get into event planning, offer to help a friend for free with the promise of references. Looking to put experience with CSS on your resume? Offer some suggestions to that entrepreneur you met at your last Meetup. You can get experience, you just may need to temporarily lower your working price to get it.

You are already serious about your job search, now it’s time to get realistic about your qualifications. Anything can be achieved, just be honest with yourself, work on what you need to be competitive, and persevere. Always remember, 360 is here to help you with professional Career Action Planning. Check it out, your dream job is closer than you think, and 360 can help get you there.