The job market is quite dismal for recent college graduates. How can these students distinguish themselves from all of the other applicants in this very competitive job market? Keep the following tips in mind:

1. Flush out your resume. Use descriptive words in your resume. Instead of saying you interned with a company, describe your duties and how you benefited the company. Describe your volunteer and extracurricular activities in detail; these show that you are willing to go above and beyond the normal expectations.

2. Apply in person. So many people today rely on the Internet to apply for a job. But the same techniques that worked for decades in the past still work today. Apply in person, give a firm handshake, and let them know how interested you are in really working for their company. Read the rest of this entry »

If you have your eyes set on becoming the next Steve Jobs or Bill Gates, you might want to investigate joining a fraternity house. According to Forbes, one-quarter of all CEOs on the Forbes Super 500 list of America’s largest corporations were members of college fraternities.

Charles R. Schwab

So before considering joining a fraternity solely for its parties, take a look at ten of the top frat houses that produce some of the countries most successful CEOs.

Beta Chi

Charles R. Schwab, founder, chairman and CEO of Charles Schwab Corporation Retail Stock Brokerage

Gamma Upsilon

Don Tyson, chairman of Tyson Foods

Delta Upsilon

Doug Lebda, founder and CEO of LendingTree.com
John Thain, current CEO Merrill Lynch & Co., former president and COO of Goldman Sachs Group Inc., and former CEO of NYSE
Chase Carey, president and CEO of DirectTV Read the rest of this entry »

In today’s competitive job market, no one can argue the necessity of having your bachelor’s degree. But the question is: in which field should you get that degree to get the biggest paycheck?

Engineering and math-related jobs seem to offer the highest salaries, particularly with the demand for these jobs increasing faster than the number of graduates. If you’re hoping for a job that will “show you the money,” you may want to consider these top-earning degrees from the Payscale College Salary Report:

Environmental Engineering

Engineering degrees count for seven of the top ten on Payscale’s list of best undergrad degrees for top salary. Engineers use their analytical and scientific knowledge to develop products and solve problems. Read the rest of this entry »

Today’s guest blog comes from Tarik B. Green, the Director of Marketing and Community Relations, and James C. D. Wahls, the President, of DetroitIntern.com, LLC, which operates the DetroitIntern Network, a national collection of regional sites that link students and young professionals to employers of all sizes.  Registration and all basic site services are free. See DetroitIntern Network at www.detroitintern.com.

With this tough economic market continuing to plague us, the importance of internships has risen dramatically for college students. These relatively short work experiences, many of which are unpaid, assist internship seekers beyond any monetary level. Internships enhance one’s resume and vital problem-solving skills. Students are able to apply critical thinking to real-life situations.

Internships provide college students a competitive edge in this tight economy. Because employers are embracing more conservative hiring practices as a result of the economic troubles, internships frequently serve as a direct entry into the workforce. If an employer is pleased with an intern’s work, upon graduation, that student may have a job offer waiting while others are starting their job search. Read the rest of this entry »

After choosing a college, choosing a major will be one of the most important decisions you make in your college career. For some students, the decision is simple – they’ve wanted to be a vet or an attorney their entire lives. For other students, it’s a little more calculated, taking into consideration their interests, strengths and where there will be demand for jobs upon graduation. It’s to those people that this article is speaking to.

The economy is fairly cyclical, and for students graduating in this current economic climate, or entering college, their college major selection is more important than ever.

Some of the careers or industries that seem to be protected from the financial downturn are worth considering as a college major: Read the rest of this entry »

It’s a growing trend amongst college students – sustainability degrees. As the environment continues to be a pressing concern for all generations, Generations Y and Z are in a prime position to make their career paths greener than most.

With an increase in popularity of “green collar” jobs, colleges and universities are broadening their degree offerings to include those that focus on sustainability – including MBAs in sustainable business practices and technical training.

Demand for graduates from these degree programs continues to grow as interest in studying sustainability grows. It’s a win-win situation for everyone involved – the universities, the students, and the businesses. Read the rest of this entry »

Are you the one who comes up with all the clever ideas? Do you see the potential in new products and know just how to tell the world about them so that they’ll react? Then surely you’d be best-suited for a career advertising two-for-one pizza in front of a lunch stand. Watch as this guy is about to be blown away by the revelation that his good ideas could be put to better use.

Read the rest of this entry »

Data entry in a cubicle farm is exactly where you’d expect to find a talented and aspiring architect, right? Probably not. While this young woman tries to convincingly sell the rewards of entering data all day, the model of her dream home reminds her of a dream she’s kind of let get away from her.

Read the rest of this entry »

When you were a kid, did you dream of being a road kill detective? You know, the guy who takes care of the roadside tragedies that take the lives of so many woodland creatures. We don’t think this guy did either. While you have to hand it to him for doing his job with a positive attitude, you can’t help but think he’s yearning for something more.

Read the rest of this entry »

Where will you find the brightest minds in college this summer? Probably sitting at a desk working some of the most sought-after internships in the country. For undergrads, internships are really the first opportunity to test themselves in the waters of their chosen career field. No matter how many “hands-on” activities, hours spent studying, or mock presentations made, nothing can prepare a student for the realities of the job like actually doing it.

Many degree programs list an internship as part of their graduation requirements, giving students credit for the work completed. Most students throw themselves at the mercy of human resources and will work without pay, or for a mere penance, and get stuck shuffling copies and earning a minor in coffee making.

However, undergrads lucky enough to find themselves chosen as an intern for one of the companies BusinessWeek calls the 50 Best Internships, prepare to roll-up your sleeves and get down and dirty in corporate America. Read the rest of this entry »