by Lisa M. Chmiola
Graduating from the University of Houston means never having to go to class again. No more dashes across campus while trying not fall into a fountain after fighting for a parking space because you slept through your alarm.
But the one question that grads-to-be often hear is probably one they don't have an answer for: "So, have you gotten a job yet?"
Those who have can confidently answer with a smile and tell all the details of their impending foray into the world after college.
For those who haven't, the more they hear the question, the less they may even want to find the job that will end the onslaught of prodding from friends and family.
But these students do have to obtain a job eventually - that is, unless they want to spend their futures participating in medical experiments to pay the rent.
Graduation is just two weeks away, and for students who haven't started the search yet, there is still hope in the form of a computer. That's right: One can use the Internet for entertainment, shopping and research, so why not use it to find employment?
There are thousands of places to job hunt online. But where to start?
The little engines that could
First stop: your favorite search engine. For those of you newbies to Net searching, a search engine allows you to type in a keyword or phrase and will provide you with a list of links to related Web sites.
Some of the more popular search engines include Yahoo! (www.yahoo.com), Lycos (www.lycos.com) or Excite (www.excite.com). These and other search engines will download a plethora of links just off the keyword "jobs."
From these links, several general job searching sites exist for students wanting to browse in a variety of categories.
Sites for sore eyes
An especially helpful Web site for recent or soon-to-be graduates is Career Mosaic (www.careermosiac.com), which features a job database, listings of upcoming job fairs and a section called "College Connection," which includes job opportunities and entry-level resources for members of the emerging work force.
In the section's listing of employers, students are informed that "the employers you find here are looking specifically for college students, grad students and others looking to add weight to their credentials with more school."
If that information isn't as comforting as a foot already in the door, then what is?
Another listing helpful for graduating students, and even those who aren't quite close to crossing the stage, is one of internship opportunities. Links to information are provided for organizations nationwide, including nonprofit groups such as the Peace Corps.
Don't forget to check out "The Hidden Job Market," a section featuring information on the value of networking to get a job. Many times it's not what you know, but who you know that will help you land a job.
Another handy feature on the site is the Résumé Writing Center. Here, students can find assistance and examples of winning cover letters, print and electronic résumés and the ever-necessary thank-you letter. Remember, it was once said that sending a thank-you letter doesn't guarantee you the job, but not sending one probably means you won't get it!
If that site doesn't give you the chills and thrills you were looking for, try the Monster Board (www.monsterboard.com). Here, underneath the picture of a screeching creature, one can find a link to search more than 50,000 jobs worldwide.
To narrow the scariness of searching on this site, try narrowing down to certain fields or companies.
Or you could always enlist the help of Swoop, a yellow dragonlike creature that serves as a personal job agent. All you have to do is create a user profile detailing what types of jobs you're interested in, and Swoop will be on constant lookout for opportunities and will inform you when they surface.
Also be sure to check out the site's career center, where portly pig-like resident counselor Al-Ert sits atop a page with career advice, relocation services and links to even more career sites.
And if neither of these sites tickles your fancy, try Bridgepath (www.bridgepath.com), another job searching site geared toward the college set.
This site requires a lengthy registration process, in which you complete a form with your job interests, the areas of the United States in which you would be willing to work, available starting date, salary requirements and even submit your résumé to be dispersed to the more than 200 employers that use the site, if you so desire.
After completing registration, users will periodically receive e-mailed information on job opportunities and a newsletter with job-hunting tips and what to do once they are actually in the working world.
But this site's hot spot is a section called "Get a Job!" Here, one can ponder the true meaning of life through the following questions:
What do I want?
What am I good at?
How do I find opportunities?
How do I choose?
How do I stay in the loop?
Articles from recent job seekers chock full of humor and anecdotes add to the informativeness of the section. And a spoonful of laughter makes the learning a lot easier.
Still haven't found what you're looking for?
For job searchers that need more specialized sites, try going back to one of the aforementioned search engines and looking for employment sites under your category of interest. There are plenty of sites available for future chemists and movie stars alike.
Or try browsing the Web sites of professional groups in your field. Many of these sites have links to job databases and are also a great way to start flexing that networking muscle.
A final word
All it takes to find the job of your dreams is a little patience, a little luck and a lot of free time to do the searching.
Who knows? You may spend so much time searching on the Internet, you could find a job working for a Web site related (or even not related) to your field. Talk about irony.