To The May 2020 Graduate Looking For a Career

Searching for your first job after graduation from college can be difficult or tricky. Then try scrambling for any kind of paid opportunity after the job or internship you previously landed has fallen through – and a pandemic has set in. All while 22 million workers are filing for unemployment. This may seem hopeless, if not impossible. And students everywhere on the verge of graduation are plagued (no pun intended) with the same cares, concerns and questions as you are.

To the University of Mobile Class of 2020, know this: Your University of Mobile family is here for you.

Here are some words of advice:

Accept that everything changes.  |  As you begin a career, you are going to have to be okay with change. Trust the God who called you to that professional career. And know that you will eventually get there! My new word during this transition period is “pivot.” In other words, think about the skills you have learned and how you can use them in a different job or industry altogether.

Be adaptable.  |  Give yourself time to adjust. Lean on your professors and your school’s support services. Focus on gaining new skills. Make your job search personal, and network. While you are skill building, include critical thinking, leadership, decision making, research skills, design skills, and information management, regardless of your field or discipline. Your University of Mobile experience has prepared you to stand out in these areas that employers want.

Rethink your strategy.  |  Network, network, network, with family, friends and faculty about their acquaintances that would be a good candidate for a remote informational interview. Once that person has been identified, learn about them online, connect with them, become acquainted, then ask to schedule a remote informational interview because you would like to hear their story. Everyone has something of value to offer you; it is just a matter of finding out if they can help open a door to an opportunity you want. When you show a genuine interest in a person, that person will remember you down the road when new opportunities open up.

Use your resources.  |  For example, the University of Mobile has partnered with Handshake, an entry-level job and internship platform, to connect our graduating seniors with opportunities here and abroad. Plus, UM’s Student Success Center offers help with resume writing and many career services for graduates and current students.

Finally, remember there is no such thing as a perfect plan.  |  Robert Burns said, “The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry…”  That may be true, but we serve a God who honors honest hard work and careful planning. Think about what jobs you can do with the skills you have now and what industries are thriving that you can immediately take advantage of to earn money. While no industry is completely recession-proof, there are current bright outlooks for industries such as biotechnology, communications, consumer products, logistics and medical supplies. I believe they will continue to hire in the days, weeks and months to come.

We are currently in a pandemic that none of us are familiar with. All of us are in new territory for which none of us has been rated. At the University of Mobile, you have administrators that are constantly working on your behalf; faculty that care about you, want you to do your best, and desire to see you succeed in your career of choice; and various departments that offer expert services that can and do meet students’ needs every day.

Keep the faith! I am expecting great things from you.

Lawrencine Mason

Lawrencine Mason is the career services coordinator at the University of Mobile. She is part of the team at UM’s Student Success Center that provides a variety of resources for students, including career and job search preparation, academic coaching and tutoring, counseling, disability support and the First Year Success program.