Between the H1N1 virus and the controversy of healthcare reform, it is difficult to predict what issue Americans will be left to tackle next. But in a time of uncertainty, numbers remain constant - and in America, the numbers don't lie. Just when you thought things couldn't get any become more worrisome. It was announced that the United States unemployment rate unexpectedly jumped to 10.2-percent, an all-time 26 1/2-year high.
According to an article written for the Washington Post by Lucia Mutikani, the Labor Department said that 190,000 jobs were lost in October in addition to the 219,000 jobs lost in September. While President Obama has promised that "I won't let up until the Americans who want to find work can find work and all Americans can earn enough to raise their families and keep their businesses open," the truth of the matter is thatthis is easier said than done. 7.3 million people have lost jobs since December 2007. With job losses in October becoming "widespread across almost all sectors, with education and health services and professional and business services bucking the trend," the future is looking grim. Leading us to wonder, where do we go from here?
Given the current state of the economy, an article in CNN by Rachel Zupek of CareerBuilder.com states that with 15 million Americans currently unemployed, some may consider reaching out to a career coach - or reaching deep into their wallet-depending on how you look at it. Whether you need help polishing your resume, brushing up on your interview skills, or are thinking about shifting gears in terms of your career path, a career coach is typically a certified professional meant to guide you. In a 2009 International Coaching Federation Global Client Study, clients "cited a more than 80 percent of respondents indicating a positive change in areas such as interpersonal skills, work performance and team effectiveness."
But here's the catch: a 2007 study completed by the coaching federation revealed that the average fee for a coaching session was $161 per hour. When you're experiencing a financial pinch. $161 can go a long way, say for a cell phone bill, your week's groceries, or a car payment. Assuming that you're unemployed or are about to be laid off, a career coach is an extravagance that most of middle-America is not going to be able to afford-and that is the demographic most in need of job. A career coach is not guaranteed to find you a job, but it will potentially cost you gas in your gas tank for when you want to go drop off job applications.
Though we are in desperate times, this does not mean we have to resort to desperate measures. As college students preparing to enter the workforce, why not consider the old-fashioned way of securing a job? First and foremost, there are a plethora of free, available resources that don't cost individuals a dime. For example, the University of Connecticut's Career Services offers free resume critiques as well as the opportunity for students to do a mock-interview while being filmed, so they can evaluate their performance after. Furthermore, there are numerous online workshops that students can complete from the comfort of their dorm rooms, including The Art of the Cover Letter, Interviewing Tips & Tricks and Internships: The Next Step.
Even though we are still in school, there is no excuse to not take advantage of the resources we have. Aside from what we have available at UConn, there are dozens of hypothetical interview questions that can be found online as well as websites where students can create their own business cards. A fancy career coach is not going to get you a job, but taking your future into your own hands will. The job market is uncertain, but by maintaining a positive attitude, keeping your options open and taking initiative, you can already increase your chances for finding a job. Don't wait for the perfect job to fall into your lap, but rather, update that resume, break out the business-casual and face the work world with full force.
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