MiddletownJournal.com

Dear J.T. & Dale: I recently got an associate degree with a certificate as a medical office specialist, and yet I've been having problems finding a career. I have seen hundreds of advertisements looking for fresh-out-of-college students with 6-plus years' experience, one even seeking 10! Now, assuming you graduated on time, that means they expect you to have started your career in the field at age 12. Am I missing something? — Dylan

J.T.: What they mean, Dylan, is that you should have a degree and THEN the years of experience after graduating. Although, there are occasions when someone gets experience first, and then goes back to get a degree to qualify for higher-level jobs. Either way, what they are telling you is that the job is NOT entry-level. Years ago, a college degree could serve as a substitute for years of experience. Nowadays, a college degree only gets you to the career starting line. You need to have the degree AND gain work experience. The solution is internships while you are still in college, followed by an entry-level job.

DALE: I can hear Dylan crying out, "Oh, great. NOW you tell me I shoulda done internships!" followed by, "OK, but what NOW?" This would be a good time to look to your college's job-placement office and alumni association. If your college doesn't have an active alumni group, don't despair — merely create your own version. Go to your instructors and ask for advice and contacts. Specifically, try to get names of students from prior years, then seek out these individuals and ask them how they made the transition into a career. You'll learn a lot about careers in general and about your local job market specifically, all while creating a network of contacts. Staying in touch with these people can not only land you your first career job, but perhaps, later on, an even better second or third job.

Dear J.T. & Dale: Next month, I will have been unemployed for a year. Since moving cross-country in 2003, I have held three different jobs — a year and a half at the first, a year at the second and nine months at the third. I'm worried that my instability of job tenure is working against me. I've had five interviews, but they hired someone with more experience or from within the company. Are my relatively short stays at three companies working against me? If so, how do I overcome it? — Harvey

J.T.: It's definitely possible that your short job tenures are working against you. The nationwide employment average is a little over two years, so yes, hiring managers may be wondering why you don't have more sticking power.

DALE: Yes, it's true, if hiring managers draw a trend line through your employment history — 18, 12, then 9 months — they might be concerned. Still, you're getting interviews, so they weren't frightened off by your resume. So the first thing I'd suggest is working on your interviewing skills. Get a book on the subject — there is a good one by Kate Wendleton called Interviewing and Salary Negotiation — and either hire a career coach or seek out colleagues for mock interviews.

J.T.: It's always good to get better at interviews, but I'd also work at getting more of them. Try meeting employers face to face by hitting job fairs, attending business networking events, trade shows, etc. That way, a prospective employer's first impression is not your resume, but you in person. After all, we don't know how many interviews you did NOT get because of your work history. Also, I would try to reconnect with the firms you interviewed with. First, you can explain that you are looking for a good company like theirs and explain that you are less concerned about titles/levels than you are about being part of a solid organization. Second, the person they hired might not work out, and, if so, there you are, a solid contender who is ready to go and who showed the initiative to stay in touch.

Jeanine "J.T." Tanner O'Donnell is a professional development specialist and founder of the consulting firm jtodonnell.com. Dale Dauten's latest book is (Great) Employees Only: How Gifted Bosses Hire and De-Hire Their Way to Success.