Why Your Diploma Won't Get You A Job
These days it seems like you have to pay companies to get a job, but believe it or not, people are getting hired everyday.
If you're in school or have just graduated from school, I hope you realize that your diploma is not enough to get you a job.
Now to be fair let me tell you up front that I don't have a diploma. However, in writing this blog and in writing my book I have done a lot of research about work, talked to a lot of people at many different companies. So I know a little about today's workforce and what it takes to find work in this crazy market.
The Problem:
The problem is that for every job opening there are thousands of people out of work who will apply for those positions. Companies can be picky nowadays because of how many available workers there are these days. Have you gone to an interview at a big company lately? People on top of people trying to get the one job opening the mail room, right? Here's an even bigger problem: when sending in your resume, how will it get noticed? Think about it, how many applications and resumes do you think companies get everyday? Hundreds? Thousands? I'm sorry to tell you the days of sending out 10 resumes and hoping one sticks are over! So even though you may have a diploma, it still isn't enough to separate you from all the other applications.
Hope For The Problem:
Even though companies are being pounded with thousands of applicants and thousands of resumes, there is still hope for you. This is probably the biggest thing you got going for you: all of these people aren't qualified for the jobs they're applying for! The way to make this work for you is to apply at jobs that you are suited for, jobs that you have the skills to offer a company. This will help you stand out above the rest. While a specific diploma may help you, companies these days, are more interested in experience.
Solution To The Problem:
I hope that you've seen (or have seen from personal experience) that a diploma or anything else for that matter, won't get you a job in this economy. So what will:
You have to distinguish your self from everyone else: When an HR person has a stack of resumes or applications on their desk, how will they notice your's? Do you think they'll be leafing through and magically see your's and say: "wow, this person has a diploma, let's hire them!" I think you realize the odds are pretty small. I read an article about a guy who put his resumes on coffee bags and then sent them out to HR people at the companies he wanted to work at, he got a job in a week, that's how you distinguish your self. You have to be creative, you have to go the extra mile to even get noticed.
Let companies know what you can do for them: It's good that you went to school and learned skills and knowledge but companies want to know how that will make them money. What unique skills or knowledge can you bring that a company has to have? These are the things that you should emphasis on your resumes or in an interview, this is what matter's these days. This is also why you should focus on companies where your skills will be a money-maker.
Network, Network, Network: Do you take recommendations on things from random people on the street? The answer is NO, and these days, neither do companies. The best way to get a job these days is a recommendation from someone who already works at that company. It makes sense, doesn't it? My brother just got a job in two weeks because a friend of his working there recommended him. They had applications lined up, but a good word from someone the company already knows spoke volumes above any diploma's or resumes! Who do you know at that company? Who do you know that knows someone at that company? Those are the people you need to talk to, they will help you better than anything get hired there.
The bottom line is you can't depend upon your diploma or anything else, you have to stand out and show companies what you can do for them. So if you're just getting out of school and about to look for work or are looking for work, what kind of unique things can you do to separate your self from other people? Don't give up, there are jobs out there if you know how to find them and they want someone like YOU!
How are you standing out looking for work? Are you just depending upon some crutch? Let us know in the comments:
