What a few hours scouring the web taught me.

May 14 I start a new adventure. I'm going to be a UNT journalism alum. I've taken all the necessary classes. I've had the internships. And now's the time where I see how that all adds up.

I got a little crazy this afternoon and spent a few too many hours dedicated to my post-May 14 life. So, let me share what little insight all this digging got me.

Job Account Profiles. Do them. Many major companies allow you to set up profiles within their career website. My name is blank. Here is my resume. Here are the careers I am interested in with your company. Do I want you to send me an email when a position comes available? Why, yes, I do. And will the hiring people from the company be viewing your profile when looking for potential candidates? Yes, yes, yes.

Job Alerts. Sign up. Yes, it might spam your account. But it also might send your dream job, or for-now job, straight to your inbox. I specifically signed up for alerts from journalismjobs.com and indeed.com.

Craigslist. For real. I saw the Lifetime movie too. You aren't going to die. Just don't respond to adds for massages and blind dates, mmkay? Honestly though, there are several postings for acutal, legit, not-scam jobs on Craigslist.

LinkedIn Groups. Do it. These groups can be geared to fellow entry-level job seekers. Discussions are posted for your education. You can see people voicing the same concerns you have, and you can contribute too! And, oh my, they also post jobs here.

You probably already knew about these things, and you probably have reason to tell me that some are a waste of time. Well, I'm taking my chances here. Everyone knows that there isn't a formula that equals a job. Many get jobs through networking. Others through job postings. Others through Twitter. I'm just going to try every venue.

 

In case you're dying to know, I am currently ransacking the world for a public relations job with a nonprofit. I want a career that has meaning, and I think some day I will find it. It might not be the first job I have, but I think I can get there. Maybe you say that I'm too bright-eyed of a college (almost) graduate. Maybe you say that the working world will find me jaded, only seeing a job as a paycheck. I don't believe that.