The biggest obstacle facing new graduates looking for their first job isn't the economy.
It's what it's always been, a lack of knowledge about all six phases of a successful job search.
This is the first of six articles that will highlight some of the key information and ideas for each phase needed to find the job you really want.
The first phase of any job search requires that you define your objectives.
"I want a job" is not an objective.
"I want an entry level in advertising as an account executive" is an objective.
There are two parts to any job objective statement.
The type of job you want is one part.
The other part is location.
Location may or may not be a key criteria for you.
You might have no flexibility for a variety of reasons.
It's possible because your significant other already has a job, or is going to grad school that you are only interested in a specific location.
It's also possible that you're flexible in terms of location.
You might want a major city, the Sunbelt, the West Coast, or some other combination of geographical criteria.
You may be so committed to the actual job you want that you're willing to live anywhere.
Regardless, I suggest you think about your geographical criteria.
That way you can focus your search on locations that appeal to you.
In addition, if you're lucky enough to receive more than one offer, location could be the tiebreaker.
No matter how inflexible or flexible you are on location, this part of your objective should never be written on your resume.
You never know what opportunity, you might have loved and been willing to move to for, that you never learned about because your geographic objective screened you out.
Upon graduation, I've found that many people are almost paralyzed regarding what they want to do, while others are certain they know what they want to do.
Either way, keep the perspective that this is not an irreversible decision.
Your first job is only a single step on the journey of your career.
Even people who are positive about what they want to do sometimes find that the reality no longer appeals to them after a year or two.
The solution is simple; you will look for a new job in a field that appeals to you.
Some people have more than one career objective they are considering.
There's nothing wrong with having multiple objectives.
Make sure you keep them discrete.
If you have two different objectives you are pursuing you'll need an objective statement for each.
(Never use a combination objective statement, such as "Entry Level Consumer Marketing or Advertising.
) As you gain more information about your different objectives through your job search, if a meaningful preference emerges I urge you to follow your dream and focus on your newfound passion.
Your objective statement on your resume should be a general statement, no matter how specific your goals are.
For example if your objective is an entry level sales position, selling to major retailers, your objective statement should simply be "Entry level sales.
" You never know what opportunity, such as large group insurance sales" you might learn about and find even more appealing, because your objective statement is more general.
This is especially relevant if you are posting your resume on job boards, or it gets passed along by someone you sent it to.
Save your more specific objective statement for use in your cover letter, which I will discuss in the second article which covers resumes and cover letters